NEHI Honors Five "Innovators in Health" For Pioneering Reforms in Patient Care

Press Release
October 27, 2010

BOSTON, MA (October 27, 2010) –The New England Healthcare Institute (NEHI) today honored five “Innovators in Health” whose groundbreaking works serve as national models for advances in patient care. 

Following the awards, the honorees participated in a forum moderated by Health Affairs Editor-in-Chief Susan Dentzer and focused on policies that would put the patient at the center of the delivery of health care.

“Health care has made tremendous advances in recent years yet the doctor-patient relationship has remained essentially the same,” NEHI President Wendy Everett said. “We are proud to honor these five individuals for bringing the doctor-patient relationship into the 21st century.”  

The awards, recognizing leaders who exemplify the spirit of innovation and collaboration and whose work has advanced health and health care nationally, went to:

Dr. Carolyn M. Clancy, MD, Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Since her appointment to AHRQ in 2003, Dr. Clancy has worked to enhance health care quality and reduce costs, particularly on initiatives to reduce medical errors.

Dr. Patricia Gabow, MD, CEO of Denver Health, one of the nation’s most highly regarded integrated health care systems. Inspired by business management practices, she transformed the Denver Health’s level of quality, safety and efficiency by focusing on “perfecting the patient experience.”

Jennie Chin Hansen, RN, MSN, FAAN, is the CEO of the American Geriatrics Society and immediate past President of AARP. She has dedicated her career to helping elderly populations live more independently and was instrumental in developing a national program called Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) while she was the executive director at On Lok, Inc.

Jamie Heywood, Co-Founder and Chairman of PatientsLikeMe and Founder of ALS Therapy Development Institute. Entering the field of translational research and medicine when his brother Stephen was diagnosed with ALS, Mr. Heywood’s innovations have been transformational in drug discovery, personalized medicine and patient care.

Dr. Jack Wennberg, MD, MPH, is the Peggy Y. Thomson Professor (Chair) in the Evaluative Clinical Sciences and Founder & Director Emeritus of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice For more than 35 years, he has researched variations in the delivery of health care and his efforts have led to greater awareness of patients as active participants in their treatment. 

“These awards demonstrate NEHI’s commitment to promoting innovation in health care,” said NEHI chairman Joshua Boger, founder of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. “The work of these honorees illustrates that progress is being made in overcoming health care’s most pressing problems.”

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About NEHI
The New England Healthcare Institute is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming health care for the benefit of patients and their families. In partnership with members from all across the health care system, NEHI conducts evidence-based research and stimulates policy change to improve the quality and the value of health care. Together with this unparalleled network of committed health care leaders, NEHI brings an objective, collaborative and fresh voice to health policy. For more information, visit www.nehi.net.