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November 3, 2009:   Joy Melnikow Appointed as CHPR Director , Leads Comparative Effectiveness Research Effort

Joy Melnikow, M.D., M.P.H., has been appointed Director of the UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research (CHPR).  Dr. Melnikow is a professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, and a member of the US Preventive Services Task Force.  She has been Associate Director at the CHPR for the past two years. 

 

A strong background in comparative effectiveness research (CER) qualifies Dr. Melnikow to position the CHPR as a principal resource for researchers and policy makers working in CER. “Results of comparative effectiveness research help doctors to better understand the effectiveness of different treatment options for their patients,” said Dr. Melnikow.  “It is a key focus of the Obama administration’s move toward healthcare reform.”  Over $1 billion has been allocated for CER in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which was signed into law earlier this year.  

 

Dr. Melnikow also serves on the executive committee for the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. She received her M.D. from UC San Francisco and her M.P.H. in epidemiology from UC Berkeley. She completed her residency in Family Medicine at the University of Massachusetts, worked for the Indian Health Service, and was on the faculty of MetroHealth Medical Center/Case Western University before coming to UC Davis in 1992.

 

Her research is focused on cancer prevention in women’s health, particularly comparative effectiveness, cost effectiveness, decision making and patient preferences, With funding by private foundations, the American Cancer Society, the California Breast Cancer Research Program, and the National Cancer Institute, she has pursued research on effectiveness, preferences, decision making, and cost-effectiveness of preventive interventions related primarily to breast and cervical cancer. 

 

The Center for Healthcare Policy and Research (CHPR), at the University of California, Davis, was formally established in 1994 to promote outcomes research, clinical epidemiology, development of clinical pathways and practice guidelines, research into care delivery, outpatient management of disease, and cost impacts of preventive medicine. CHPR is an interdisciplinary collaborative research unit with over 85 members, representing the School of Medicine faculty, other UCD campus schools and department faculty, and several external organizations including Kaiser and State of California Health Agencies.  Our goals are to develop and support interdepartmental research, to provide training and education in health services research, to disseminate research findings, and to assist in the formation of health-care policies to improve the delivery of health services.  

 

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May 21, 2009: CHPR Welcomes New Members

 

The following new Center members were welcomed during the first half of 2009: 

 

Garth Utter, M.D., M.Sc. 

Assistant Professor in Residence

Department of Surgery

UC Davis School of Medicine

 

Jim Nuovo, M.D.

Professor

Department of Family and Community Medicine

UC Davis School of Medicine

 

Heather M. Young, Ph.D., R.N., G.N.P., F.A.A.N.

Associate Vice Chancellor for Nursing

Dean, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing

Professor in Residence,

Department of Internal Medicine

UC Davis School of Medicine

 

Deborah Ward, Ph.D.

Associate Clinical Professor

Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing

Department of Internal Medicine

UC Davis School of Medicine

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May 12, 2009: Melnikow CIN study finds link between treatment choice, risk

New research from the UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research has found that women who have been treated for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (abnormal cervical cell growth), are at higher risk for a recurrence of the disease or invasive cervical cancer.

The large, population-based study, which appears in the May 12 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, sheds new light on the long-term risks of subsequent abnormal cell growth or invasive cancer, and should help in the development of follow-up treatment guidelines for women with a history of treatment for abnormal cells.

“We now have a much more clear idea of the risks of recurrent abnormal cells and invasive cervical cancer over time after treatment of these cells,” said Joy Melnikow, Professor of Family and Community Medicine and Associate Director of the UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research, who led the study. “Recurrence risk depends on the grade of abnormal cells that was initially treated, what treatment was used, and the woman’s age.”

Full Story at UC Davis Health System Newsroom ____________________________________________________________________________________

April 17, 2009:  Kuppermann wins prestigious award from the national Academic Pediatric Association

Nathan Kuppermann, a professor of emergency medicine and pediatrics and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the UC Davis School of Medicine, has been awarded the Miller-Sarkin Mentoring Award by the national Academic Pediatric Association (APA).

The award will be presented during the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Baltimore May 2 through 5. The event is a joint meeting of the four largest national pediatric organizations: the Academic Pediatric Association, American Pediatric Society, the Society for Pediatric Research and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The Miller-Sarkin Award recognizes “the contributions of an Academic Pediatric Association member who has provided outstanding mentorship to learners and/or colleagues, both locally and nationally, and who serves as a model to others who aspire to mentor others as they mature,” said APA Associate Director Connie McKay.

Full Story at UC Davis Health System Newsroom
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March 17, 2009:  Tonya Fancher honored for cross-cultural communication effort

Tonya Fancher, an assistant professor of internal medicine and associate program director for the department’s residency training program, has been selected as the first recipient of the Putnam Scholars Program, sponsored by the American Academy on Communication in Healthcare. The Putnam grant recognizes excellence in education and research in physician-patient communication. Fancher is being awarded the grant for her proposed project, which focuses on improving interaction and understanding between physicians and patients within the Southeast Asian community of Sacramento County.

"We are excited to name Tonya Fancher as the first recipient of the Putnam Scholarship because her work truly reflects the life and vision of Dr. Samuel Morse Putnam, who recognized early on the critical importance of the patient-physician relationship in both healing and effective health care, “ said Norman Jensen, the academy’s current president. “I know he would be very impressed by the work Dr. Fancher is doing to address the challenges doctors face when their patients speak a different language and come from a different culture.”
 
The $9,000 Putnam Scholarship will help support an educational program Fancher is developing to teach medical residents how language and culture can shape a patient’s expectations and clinical outcomes. She plans to use Sacramento’s Asian community as a model for helping young doctors understand the importance of asking about a patient’s culture to establish an effective and trusting doctor-patient relationship.

"Dr. Fancher is an exceptional young physician-leader in medical education and health communication,” said Richard Kravitz, professor and co-vice chair of research in the Department of Internal Medicine. “The Putnam Scholars award will invigorate her creative work by facilitating interactions with a superb national network of mentors and advisors."

Fancher’s work includes plans to educate the local medical community about the predominant cultural beliefs, history and acculturation challenges facing Southeast Asians in the region. According to the most recent census, one in four households in Sacramento County speaks a language other than English. The Asian community accounts for 14 percent of county residents. The focus on good communication with non-English speaking patients also reflects a UC Davis Health System priority of improving both access and quality of care for underserved populations.

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March 2, 2009:  Patricia Zrelak Wins 2009 Melanie Minton Award

CHPR Administrative Nurse Researcher Patricia Zrelak, Ph.D., C.N.R.N., C.N.A.A., B.C., has been selected as the 2009 Melanie Minton Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse of the Year by the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN).  This award reflects her contributions to research, education, and practice in neuroscience nursing. 

This award is named after the late Melanie Minton, an American Board of Neuroscience Nursing (ABNN) board member, AANN past board member, and member of the inaugural class of CNRNs, and is given annually to recognize outstanding achievement of a certified neuroscience registered nurse (CNRN).

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January 21, 2009:  Former Director Kravitz Becomes Co-editor of National Journal

Former CHPR Director Richard L. Kravitz, professor of internal medicine and a long-time researcher in the area of health-care services, has been appointed co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

The journal is the official, peer-reviewed scientific publication of the Society of General Internal Medicine. Its articles focus on topics such as clinical medicine, epidemiology, prevention, health-care delivery, curriculum development and numerous other non-traditional themes, in addition to classic clinical research on problems in internal medicine.

Kravitz is a general internist whose studies have centered on physician-patient relationships, physician behavior and social influences on quality of care.  He has examined the influence of advertising of prescription drugs on physician decision-making, the participation of physicians and nurses in strikes and work actions, and the effect of managed care on health services utilization and quality

Kravitz will serve as co-editor of the Journal of General Internal Medicine for a five-year term, where he will be joined by the other co-editor-in-chief, Mitchell Feldman, a professor of medicine at UC San Francisco. Kravitz’s work with the prestigious publication is made possible with support from the UC Davis Department of Internal Medicine and the UC Davis School of Medicine.

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January 15, 2009:  Associate Director Melnikow Appointed to US Preventive Services Task Force

Joy Melnikow, CHPR Associate Director and professor of family and community medicine, has been appointed to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

Professor Melnikow’s appointment became effective Jan. 1 and extends through Dec. 31, 2012, with an option for a two-year extension.

The USPSTF conducts rigorous, impartial assessments of the scientific evidence for the effectiveness of a broad range of clinical preventive services, including screening, counseling and preventive medications. The task force is recognized nationally and internationally as a leading source of advice on clinical preventive services for primary care clinicians, health plans and other parties.

Professor Melnikow is particularly interested in women's health care, cancer prevention and cost-effectiveness.

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Fall 2008 Newsletter 
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Spring 2008 Newsletter 
Winter 2007 Newsletter 
Fall 2007 Newsletter 

The PDF version of the CHPR newsletter has been temporarily suspended, however stories of interest to the CHPR membership and staff will continue to be posted here.  Please continue to submit your news items.  All submissions with relevance to the mission of the Center will be considered for inclusion.  If you have news to submit, please send your information to:

Laura Bates Sterner
laura.sterner@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu 
(916) 734-7918