National Leaders in Health Research to Address National Conference on Health Statistics

Three nationally recognized leaders in the fields of health care research, statistics, and policy will deliver keynote addresses to the 2012 National Conference on Health Statistics, held August 6-8, at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C.  The Conference is a biennial event produced by NCHS.

Dr. Harold Luft, of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute, will address Tuesday morning’s plenary session.  Dr. Luft, a senior investigator who previously served as the Institute’s Director, is also the Caldwell B. Esselstyn Professor Emeritus of Health Policy and Health Economics at the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies at the University of California, San Francisco.  His most recent book, “Total Cure: The Antidote to the Health Care Crisis,” was published in 2008 by Harvard University Press.

Dr. Lisa A. Simpson and Dr. Mohammad N. Akhter will address the Wednesday morning plenary session.  Dr. Simpson is president and CEO of AcademyHealth.  Her research focuses on improving the performance of the health care system, and includes studies of the quality and safety of care, the role of health information technology in improving the quality of care, health and health care disparities, and the health policy and system response to childhood obesity.  She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2010 Public Policy and Advocacy award from the Academic Pediatrics Association.

Dr. Akhter is Director of the D.C. Department of Health and former Executive Director of the American Public Health Association.  His top priorities at the Department include implementation of health care reform, expansion of HIV services and making them available on demand, supporting training programs for D.C. residents to qualify for jobs in health care, and improving access to quality care across the District.  Dr. Akhter is the recipient of the 2007 Sedwick Memorial Medal for Distinguished Service in Public Health.

“We are very fortunate to have Drs. Luft, Simpson, and Akhter as our keynote speakers,” said Dr. Edward Sondik, Director of NCHS.  “Each is, in his or her own right, a powerful advocate for using statistical research to develop policies and plans for improving our nation’s health.”

For more information and to register for the Conference, visit the 2012 National Conference on Health Statistics website or call (301) 989-9000.  Registration closes July 23, 2012.