PCORI Welcomes Grayson Norquist as New Chair of Board of Governors

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Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

Sep 19, 2013, 12:40 ET

Statement from PCORI Executive Director Joe Selby, MD, MPH

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) today announced the appointment of Grayson Norquist, MD, MSPH, as chair of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Board of Governors, and the reappointment of Steven Lipstein, MHA, as vice chair. These appointments will be effective as of Monday, Sept. 23.

Norquist, who has been a member of PCORI's Board since it was first appointed by the GAO in September 2010, replaces Eugene Washington, MD, MSc, as chair. Washington earlier had informed the GAO that he intended to step down from that position and leave the Board at the end of 2013.

"We are thrilled with the selection of Dr. Norquist as the next chair of the PCORI Board of Governors," said PCORI Executive Director Joe Selby, MD, MPH. "Gray has dedicated his career to researching and improving healthcare for society's most vulnerable populations. The Board, and the communities they represent, will be well served by his leadership in engaging patients and stakeholders and commitment to funding rigorous research."

Norquist is professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. His research focuses on the use of telemedicine to reduce disparities in mental health treatment for those living in the Delta region in Mississippi and to improve the quality of care they receive at local community health centers. He served in a number of leadership positions at the National Institute of Mental Health, including director of the Division of Services and Intervention Research.

"I look forward to working closely with Gray, vice chair Steve Lipstein, and the entire Board to advance PCORI's mission to help people make informed healthcare decisions through research. Steve's continued leadership as vice chair will be invaluable as we move into the next phase of funding research that answers patients' questions."

Selby also thanked Washington "for the exceptional leadership he has brought to PCORI in its first three years of existence."

"Because of his efforts, and those of our Board, Methodology Committee and staff under his tenure," Selby said, "we are well positioned to carry PCORI forward and support research that has a meaningful real-world impact."

About PCORI
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is an independent, non-profit organization authorized by Congress in 2010. Its mission is to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed health care decisions. PCORI is committed to continuously seeking input from a broad range of stakeholders to guide its work. More information is available at www.pcori.org.

SOURCE Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute