New York, NY, April 11, 2018 — A new research center launches today with the goal of empowering and supporting practicing physicians as they seek to improve care for their patients while navigating today’s complex healthcare landscape. The Physicians Foundation Center for the Study of Physician Practice and Leadership at Weill Cornell Medicine (CPPL) is embarking on an initial five-year initiative to document challenges facing physicians in medical practice and define practice models that help physicians to provide high-quality and high-value care to patients. The Center is made possible by a grant from The Physicians Foundation, a non-profit organization seeking to empower physicians to lead in the delivery of high-quality, cost-efficient healthcare, and contributions by Weill Cornell Medicine, one of the top-ranked clinical and medical research centers in the U.S.

“We at the Physicians Foundation have closely observed the mounting administrative and regulatory burdens placed on practicing physicians across the U.S. In many cases, time with patients is sacrificed to absorb these additional requirements, while also reducing physician’s autonomy when it comes to patient care,” said Walker Ray, M.D., President of The Physicians Foundation. “Physician leadership is a core value of the Foundation and, together with Weill Cornell Medicine, we are certain we can identify new approaches and solutions to drive positive change in the practice of medicine.”

The Center’s core team will be comprised of Weill Cornell Medicine faculty. Lawrence Casalino, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H. Chief, Division of Health Policy and Economics, will serve as Director; Rainu Kaushal, M.D., M.P.H., Professor and Chair, Department of Healthcare Policy and Research at Weill Cornell Medicine, and Healthcare Policy Physician in-Chief at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, will serve as a key internal advisor, and Dhruv Khullar M.D., M.P.P., Instructor at Weill Cornell Medicine’s Department of Healthcare Policy and Research, will act as Director of Policy Dissemination. An Advisory Council of healthcare experts from diverse fields around the U.S. will provide guidance to the Center throughout the research process.

“I believe the research we will pursue will positively impact the way in which physicians practice medicine and will result in better care for patients. The Center will be a catalyst for further exploration of many of the most promising ideas developed by our faculty and other experts throughout the world,” says Dr. Casalino. “I am hopeful that our research will help lead to higher quality care, reduction in the rate of increase of healthcare spending, better health for populations of patients, and more positive experience of care for physicians, other healthcare workers, and patients.”

Dr. Casalino’s work over the past 25 years has focused on identifying ways to create a more effective healthcare delivery system. His published findings have examined such issues as the comparative performance of different types of provider organization; how reporting processes to health insurers can be costly and inefficient; how small practices can rival large practices with lower rates of preventable hospital readmissions; possible unintended consequences of value-based purchasing; and the importance of socioeconomic factors in creating disparities in health and health care.

“In this past decade we have continued to see the emergence of a more challenging healthcare marketplace. We are grateful to the Physicians Foundation for providing funding to Dr. Casalino and colleagues to better understand how physicians can provide the best possible care to their patients. I can think of no one better equipped than Dr. Casalino to lead this important endeavor,” says Dr. Kaushal.

For more information, please visit www.physiciansfoundation.org.

About The Physicians Foundation

The Physicians Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that seeks to empower physicians to lead in the delivery of high-quality, cost-efficient healthcare. As the U.S. healthcare system continues to evolve, the Physicians Foundation is steadfast in its determination to strengthen the physician-patient relationship, support physicians in sustaining their medical practices and help practicing physicians navigate the changing healthcare system.

Press Contact:

Nadia Deba
CooperKatz & Co. for The Physicians Foundation
ndeba@cooperkatz.com
917-595-3064