National Pharmaceutical Council and Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics at the University of Southern California Name New Health Policy Fellow

WASHINGTON, July 12, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC), in conjunction with the Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics at the University of Southern California (USC), today announced Ilene Hollin, PhD, as the latest Schaeffer-NPC Postdoctoral Health Policy Fellow. Dr. Hollin recently earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Health Economics and Policy from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where she also worked as a Graduate Research Associate in the Roger Lipitz Center for Integrated Health Care and as a member of the stated preference methods research team.

"It is an exciting and challenging time in the health care world," said NPC Chief Science Officer Robert Dubois, MD, PhD. "This Fellowship gives an early career professional the opportunity to work in the thick of the policy debate as we navigate the shift to value-based care. In her role, Dr. Hollin will study and discover the impact on patients and their receipt of optimal care, while gaining meaningful field experience for her future career."

"The Schaeffer Center is pleased to be a part of this collaboration with the National Pharmaceutical Council, especially as we shift toward a value-based health system," said USC Schaeffer Center Associate Director Julie Zissimopoulos, PhD. "The opportunity to be mentored by opinion leaders in the health care sector, as well as by health economists and other policy experts, is an exceptional training tool for a young researcher early in his or her career as a health policy expert."

Dr. Hollin comes to the fellowship with a broad research background. Previously, she worked at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology, and as a researcher on teams associated with the Collaborative Chronic Care Network at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Johns Hopkins Center to Eliminate Cardiovascular Disparities. Her research interests include the economics of rare diseases, patient preferences, and innovative health care payment and delivery models for complex patient populations.

"Understanding how patients and caregivers can inform and participate in identifying what works best is critically important—especially for patients with rare diseases and their caregivers," said Dr. Hollin. "But we need to better understand the patient perspective and how to account for it when making regulatory and payment policy. As health care policy professionals and regulatory agencies become increasingly focused on both value-based care and patient-centeredness, objectively measuring patient preferences will become a priority in defining value."  

Dr. Hollin will be mentored by Dr. John Romley, an economist at the USC Schaeffer Center and associate professor at the USC Price School of Public Policy and the USC School of Pharmacy. "Bringing rigorous, evidence-based research methods to policy discussions is critical if we are actually going to improve the health care system and the care patients receive. Dr. Hollin has an impressive research background as well as policy experience, making her an exceptional fit for this elite fellowship. I am looking forward to seeing the impact she will have as the Schaeffer-NPC Postdoctoral Health Policy Fellow," said Professor Romley.

The Schaeffer-NPC Postdoctoral Health Policy Fellowship is intended for post-doctoral researchers with a desire to understand and study U.S. health care policy. This two-year, Washington, D.C.-based fellowship is meant to bridge the gap between health research and policy analysis, giving the Fellow access to researchers from USC and policy experts from NPC. The Fellow will also gain hands on policy research experience and have ample opportunities to interact with a diverse set of stakeholders.

About the National Pharmaceutical Council:
The National Pharmaceutical Council is a health policy research organization dedicated to the advancement of good evidence and science, and to fostering an environment in the United States that supports medical innovation. Founded in 1953 and supported by the nation's major research-based pharmaceutical companies, NPC focuses on research development, information dissemination, and education on the critical issues of evidence, innovation and the value of medicines for patients. For more information, visit www.npcnow.org and follow NPC on Twitter @npcnow.

About the Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics at the University of Southern California (USC):
The Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics aims to measurably improve value in health through evidence-based policy solutions, research excellence, transformative education, and private and public sector engagement. A unique collaboration between the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and the USC School of Pharmacy, the Center brings together health policy experts, a seasoned pharmacoeconomics team, and other affiliated faculty and scholars from across USC and other distinguished universities. The Schaeffer Center was established in 2009 at USC through a generous gift from Leonard and Pamela Schaeffer.

For more information, visit healthpolicy.usc.edu and follow the Center on Twitter @SchaefferCenter.

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SOURCE National Pharmaceutical Council

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