It is my great honor and privilege to join the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute today as its next Executive Director. I extend my deepest appreciation to Josephine P. Briggs, MD, who has expertly served as Interim Executive Director since November 2019. Her expertise and remarkable contributions in such a short period of time are widely known, a true testament to her exceptional leadership. My sincere appreciation also extends to PCORI’s first Executive Director Joe V. Selby, MD, MPH, who laid the groundwork for our endeavors for years to come.
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I have followed PCORI and its impressive work for nearly a decade. Its mission resonates with my personal and professional commitment to promote excellence in health and health care in a way that is patient-centered and engages all parties to help achieve shared goals. As a clinician and researcher focused on improving patient outcomes, I can’t imagine a more exciting prospect than the opportunity to build on PCORI’s successes.
Envisioning a PCORI of the future is only possible because of the accomplishments of the past. PCORI has funded more than $2.6 billion in over 770 research, dissemination and implementation, engagement, and PCORnet® and infrastructure projects; engaged with thousands of patients, caregivers, and other healthcare stakeholders to ensure we hear all voices; and enhanced methods to produce more valid, useful information.
Our Response to a Global Pandemic
It is exactly this legacy and mission that position PCORI to contribute its unique perspectives, approaches, and expertise to address the challenges we face at this moment in history, when the world is amid a public health emergency. After recognizing this public health crisis and the impact that COVID-19 will have on our nation, our senior leaders, staff, and Board of Governors pivoted to focus on what PCORI could do in coordination with ongoing efforts across government, industry, and other funders.
With a decade of accomplishment behind us, and a 10-year reauthorization sustaining our future, now is the time for audacious, innovative, and courageous action; the opportunities are ours to seize.
Our attention turned to critical dimensions of this pandemic, particularly the healthcare workers on the front lines—physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and all personnel, both medical and nonmedical, who work each day in hospitals, triage tents, drive-through testing stations, and clinics providing compassionate care to individuals with COVID-19. The Board of Governors earlier this month approved up to $50 million to fund a registry and randomized clinical trial of the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine in preventing COVID-19 infections in healthcare workers. Our respect and gratitude for these essential workers is beyond measure.
Patient Focus Is Part of Our Organizational DNA
Our thoughts are also with the many patients, families, caregivers, and friends grappling with this disease’s devastating toll. PCORI is uniquely poised to focus on patients and their caregivers; it is in our organizational DNA. Thus, since the beginning of this crisis, we have collaborated with our funded researchers to explore adding COVID-19-related aims to existing patient-centered projects. Last week, we posted funding opportunities of up to $20 million for such work. Following a board vote early this month that provided up to $30 million for new COVID-19-related research, we are putting the pieces into place to solicit innovative research projects from the nation’s investigators and healthcare stakeholder communities to support new COVID-19-related research, engagement, and dissemination projects.
Research and medicine adapt to new information when it comes to light, shift to incorporate novel data, and evolve when a project unfolds in unexpected ways or a disease takes an unexpected turn.
As we endeavor to serve our healthcare workers, patients, and their families with our mission-driven approaches, we never forget they are so much more. They are our mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, neighbors and friends.
Urgent and unknowable concerns related to COVID-19 will emerge over the arc of time. At times like these, I am reminded of the lessons in humility that science and medicine teach me every day. Successful research and effective medical strategies rely on continual learning, innovation, and resilience. Research and medicine adapt to new information when it comes to light, shift to incorporate novel data, and evolve when a project unfolds in unexpected ways or a disease takes an unexpected turn.
These lessons will help us persevere through the challenging COVID-19 pandemic and enable us to attend to the next decade of leadership in comparative clinical effectiveness research. We remain committed to our mission and our vision of a nation where patients and the public have information they can use to make decisions that reflect their desired health outcomes.
As a clinician and researcher focused on improving patient outcomes, I can’t imagine a more exciting prospect than the opportunity to build on PCORI's successes.
Audacious, Innovative Action Ahead
In the months ahead, I look forward to collaborating with the Board, staff, patients, caregivers, clinicians, and healthcare stakeholders—all valued members of the diverse PCORI community. I will treasure their advice and support on our shared journey to continued success. Together, we will build on PCORI’s strong foundation to generate evidence most meaningful to patients and conduct patient-centered outcomes research that has significant health and healthcare impact.
With a decade of accomplishment behind us, and a 10-year reauthorization sustaining our future, now is the time for audacious, innovative, and courageous action; the opportunities are ours to seize.
In these days of uncertainty, I find comfort and inspiration in words from Nelson Mandela, whose life is a testament to the virtue of courage. “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. … May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”
Comments
Thank you for your dedicated
Thank you for your dedicated interest, past, current and future efforts guiding @PCORI forward in a evidence based meaningful manner embracing input from all research stakeholders. Welcome !
On behalf of the Society of
On behalf of the Society of General Internal Medicine, I am delighted to congratulate you on taking this incredibly important leadership position, and to offer our support in pursuing your bold vision for PCORI!
Best,
Eric B. Bass, MD, MPH
CEO, Society of General Internal Medicine
As an patient/caregiver
As an patient/caregiver stakeholder, PCORI Ambassador, Member of the PCORI Inaugural Peer Review Editorial Board, and member of the National Patient and Stakeholders Council (NPSC) for Strategies to Reduce Injuries and Develop confidence in Elders (STRIDE), I wish to bid you a hearty, WELCOME! Indeed, "now is the time for audacious, innovative, and courageous action; the opportunities are ours to seize!" Thank you for your service and a most inspiring blog. I offer my utmost support!
On behalf of the team at Men
On behalf of the team at Men's Health Network (MHN), I want to congratulate you on your new role. Thank you for your support in all areas of health. I have served as a PCORI Ambassador, collaborated with your social media team in years past to do live tweets and video events, engaged with you policy team on Capitol Hill briefings, and we are currently working on PCORI funded awards for the coming years. That being said we want you to know you have a great team of professionals you're working with and we look forward to many more years of collaboration and progress to advancing the health and well-being of men, boys, and their families along side PCORI.
Be well,
Ana Fadich-Tomsic
Vice President, Men's Health Network
Welcome to PCORI. As an
Welcome to PCORI. As an Ambassador, I am proud of the work done by this great organization. I look forward to meeting you at a future Annual Meeting, likely not until 2021 though.
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