Health Policy and Management News

Cilenti named interim health director for Orange County

March 2, 2017 Dr. Dorothy Cilenti has been named interim director of the Orange County health department, effective March 1. A clinical associate professor of maternal and child health at the Gillings School, Cilenti also directs the National Maternal Child Health Workforce Development Center.

Study validates a survey tool to assess patient-centered communication in cancer care settings

March 2, 2017 Dr. Bryce Reeve and colleagues at RTI found supporting evidence for the reliability of a survey instrument that assesses patient-centered communication in cancer care settings. Their findings were published Feb. 10 in Patient Education and Counseling.

Gillings School is top public health school at public university for NIH funding

February 16, 2017 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced that the Gillings School was the top public health school at a public university in receiving NIH funding during fiscal year 2016. The School received 107 awards, for a total of $65,454,312 in funding.

NEJM ‘Perspective’ explores use of patient-reported outcomes in improving clinical care

February 2, 2017 Dr. Ethan Basch authored a ‘Perspective’ column published in the Jan. 12 New England Journal of Medicine. The article calls for digitized patient-reported outcomes to be more fully available to physicians as a means of improving patients’ care.

Experts recommend 7-8 hours of sleep for better brain health

January 31, 2017
A new report, issued on Jan. 10 by the Global Council on Brain Health, recommends ways to maintain brain health, including getting at least seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Dr. Peggye Dilworth-Anderson is a Council member.

JAMA editorial: Geography, income need to be part of effective cancer solutions

January 27, 2017
According to a new study, U.S. cancer mortality rates have decreased -- but not uniformly across geographic regions. Successful outcomes often remain dependent upon where patients live and on their economic conditions. Dr. Stephanie Wheeler is co-author of a JAMA editorial that elaborates upon the study.

Aaron Williams, RTI executive, former Peace Corps director, selected as Gillings School’s commencement speaker

January 25, 2017
Aaron Williams will present the Gillings School's commencement address on May 13 at 1 p.m. in the Carmichael Arena. Williams is executive vice president for government relations and corporate communications at RTI International and past director of the U.S. Peace Corps.

Dusetzina named to National Academies report committee

January 12, 2017
Dr. Stacie Dusetzina has been confirmed as a committee member for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) report titled “Ensuring Patient Access to Affordable Drug Therapies.” The committee is charged with recommending policy actions that could address drug price trends, improve patient access to affordable and effective treatments, and encourage innovations that address significant needs in health care.

Study finds diet as effective and less expensive than drugs in treating esophageal inflammation

Dr. Daniel Erim and colleagues found that a six-food elimination diet was as effective as topical corticosteroids -- and less expensive -- in treating eosinophilic esophagitis, a condition in which inflamed esophageal tissue leads to a person’s difficulty in swallowing solid foods. Erim is a doctoral student in health policy and management.