About Us

The UPMC Center for High-Value Health Care (Center) applies rigorous research methods to optimize and scale UPMC’s innovative models and services, improve health care service delivery and outcomes, and advance evidence-based practice and policy. For over a decade, we’ve strived to keep pace with the ever-evolving health care industry, diversifying our team and broadening our collaborations to tackle important health-related challenges facing the members, patients, and communities that UPMC serves. Many Center activities are conducted in UPMC's unique payer-provider laboratory and supported through grants and contracts carried out in partnership with community organizations and government agencies.

Areas of Interest

The Center’s work addresses critical health care issues that are important to our members and the communities we serve. Many of our research studies are supported by public and private funders seeking to advance the boundaries of efficient health care solutions in these areas.

Major areas of innovative research and quality improvement efforts include:

• Wellness and Prevention
• Chronic Condition Management
• Mental Health and Substance Use
• Physical and Behavioral Health Integration
• Value-Based Pharmacy
• Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity
• Digital Health Solutions
• Alternative Payment Models

You can learn more about the Center’s current projects by visiting the News and Events page.

Meet Our Team

UPMC Center for High-Value Health Care

• Donna J. Keyser, PhD, MBA, Chief Research and Translation Officer
• Jane N. Kogan, PhD, Associate Chief Research and Translation Officer
• Cara Nikolaiski, PhD, MPH, Senior Director
• Kelly R. Williams, PhD, MPH, Director, Research Design and Implementation
• Debbie Clark, Senior Administrative Coordinator
• Leah Cope, MSW, Project Analyst
• Kayla Delgado, LSW, Research Project Assistant
• Michael Fubini, MPA, Project Analyst
• Zach Hoydich, MPIA, Senior Program Manager
• Justin Kanter, MA, Senior Program Administrator
• Elaine Kwok, PhD, CCC-SLP, Health Services Researcher
• Chris Kypriotis, PhD, Health Services Researcher
• Danielle LaSelva, Senior Project Manager
• Qingfeng Liang, MA, MS, Senior Program Administrator, Center Data Analytics
• Kristie Mak, Project Analyst
• Adelina Malito, MSW, Project Manager
• Sarah Markwardt, MID, RN, Senior Project Manager
• Kristin Mayes, MS, Program Administrator
• Casey McCauley, Research Project Assistant
• Jessica Meyers, MA Ed, Senior Program Administrator
• Anna Patterson, MPH, BSN, RN, Project Analyst
• Dorothy Sandstrom, MS, Senior Program Manager
• Lucy Savitz, PhD, MBA, Senior Advisor
• Gina Snyder, Project Manager
• Ashley Taylor, MLIS, Senior Project Manager

UPMC Center for Value-Based Pharmacy Initiatives
        In collaboration with UPMC Health Plan, Pharmacy Services

• C. Bernie Good, MD, MPH, Senior Medical Director, Pharmacy Services
• Samuel Peasah, PhD, RPh, MBA, Director, Value-Based Pharmacy Initiatives
• Yan Huang, MAS, Senior Program Administrator, Data Analytics
• Jennifer Nguyen, PhD, MPH, CPH, Program Administrator
• Elizabeth Swart, Program Administrator

UPMC Center for Social Impact
        In collaboration with UPMC Health Plan, Government Programs

• Ray Prushnok, AVP, Program Development and Social Impact
• Joseph Angelelli, PhD, Senior Advisor, Aging
• Joan Eichner, DrPH, MPH, MPA, Director, Operations and Evaluation
• Cynterria Henderson, Project Analyst
• Dan Lavallee, Senior Director, Social Impact
• Aisling McIntyre, LSW, LCSW, Senior Project Manager
• Matthew Mucci, Project Manager
• Sharon Svoboda, Project Analyst
• Laura Wicker, MPIA, Project Analyst

Thought Leadership and Integrated Communications and Content Strategy
        In collaboration with UPMC Health Plan, Public Relations and Government Relations

• Judi Resick, MSN, MPH, RN, Senior Director, External Communications & Engagement

UPMC Center for High-Value Health Care Board of Directors

• Diane P. Holder, President of the Board
  President and Chief Executive Officer, UPMC Health Plan
  President, UPMC Insurance Services Division
  President, Community and Ambulatory Services Division
  Executive Vice President, UPMC
• James Schuster, Director
  Chief Medical Officer, UPMC Insurance Services Division
  Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh
• Derek Angus, MD, MPH, FRCP, Director
  Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer, UPMC
• Erin Dalton, Director
  Director, Allegheny County Department of Human Services
• Maureen Lichtveld, MD, MPH, Director
  Dean, Graduate School of Public Health
  Jonas Salk Professor of Population Health
  Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh
• Loren H. Roth, MD, MPH, Director
  Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh
  Senior Psychiatrist UPMC-Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH)
  Former Chief Medical Officer, UPMC
• Amy Seybert, PharmD, FASHP, FCCP, CHSE, Director
  Chair of Pharmacy and Therapeutics;
  Professor, Pharmacy and Therapeutics, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh
• Hyagriv Simhan, MD, MS, Director
  Professor, Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh
  Executive Vice Chair, Obstetric Services, UPMC
  Division Director, Maternal-Fetal Medicine;
  Medical Director, Obstetric Services, Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC
• Ellen Beckjord, PhD, MD, Member
  Associate Vice President, Population Health and Clinical Transformation, UPMC Insurance Services Division
• Matthew O. Hurford, MD, Member
  President and Chief Executive Officer, Community Care Behavioral Health Organization
  Vice Presdient Behavioral Health, UPMC Insurance Services Division
• John Lovelace, Member
  President, UPMC for You
  President, Government Programs and Individual Advantage Products
• Chronis Manolis, RPH Member
  Senior Vice President, Pharmacy Services, UPMC
  Chief Pharmacy Officer, UPMC Health Plan
• Allen Naidoo, Member
  Chief Analytics Officer, UPMC Insurance Services Division

If you would like to learn more about UPMC, visit us at www.upmc.com or www.upmchealthplan.com.