64: Advancing Health Policy Through Research, with Melina B. Buntin, Ph.D., Mike Curb Professor and Chair, Department of Health Policy, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Meet Melinda Buntin, Ph.D.:
Melinda Buntin, Ph.D is the Mike Curb Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Policy at Vanderbilt University. She is also the deputy editor of JAMA Health Forum. Previously, Dr. Buntin was a Director in the Health, Retirement and Long-Term Analysis Division at the Congressional Budget Office. She also served as chief economist and founding director of the Office of Economics, Evaluation, and Modeling within the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT. Dr. Buntin received an A.B. from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in Health Policy with a concentration in economics from Harvard.
Key Insights:
Melinda Buntin, Ph.D. is a leader in health services research and is a health policy expert.
- Communicating Policy Research. One of Dr. Buntin’s goals for her Department of Health Policy is to not only publish high quality research, but also influence policy and give decision makers the data and evidence they need to make good decisions. (15:03)
- Joining Two Worlds. To improve health policy, policy experts need to have an understanding of how clinics and hospital operate day to day. In turn, healthcare professionals need to understand how they fit into the broader health system. (18:52)
- Honest Mentorship. A mentor told Dr. Buntin that if she accepted another Federal job, that could close doors to academia in the future. It was hard advice to hear, but she knew it was right, and continued to publish research and maintain ties with former colleagues to keep that option open. (27:28)
This episode is hosted by Sanjula Jain, Ph.D. She is a member of the Advisory Council for Her Story, co-founder of Think Medium, and the SVP, Market Strategy and Chief Research Officer at Trilliant Health.
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