Los Angeles, CA, January 21, 2014—Health economics and policy authority Precision Health Economics (PHE) announced today the addition of two nationally esteemed figures: former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach, MD, and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Treasury Wesley Yin, PhD. The two join the rapidly growing consultancy of elite thought leaders at PHE focused on the critical issues in health and healthcare delivery: objective determination of value and measureable improvement in patient outcomes.
Prior to four years at the helm of FDA, von Eschenbach directed the National Cancer Institute, focusing on emerging technologies in oncology to accelerate and integrate the discovery-development-delivery continuum. He was chair of the Department of Urology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, founding director of its Prostate Cancer Research Program, and director of its Genitourinary Cancer Center. His current role as president of Samaritan Health has broadened his viewpoint to include the healthcare provider; he continues his work to reform FDA to meet 21st century challenges, leading Project FDA, a Manhattan Institute initiative, previously headed up by PHE partner Tomas Philipson. This internationally renowned urologist and cancer specialist has authored more than 300 scientific articles and was named to 2006's Time 100, the magazine's annual list of the world's most influential people.
"Dr. von Eschenbach's service as a regulator, policymaker, clinician, researcher, and provider bring a well-rounded and highly strategic perspective to PHE," said Glenn Bilawsky, CEO of PHE. "His expertise in oncology—especially his understanding of the challenges facing specialty pharmacy—aligns with one of the major challenges in global healthcare.
Wesley Yin served as a senior economist in the White House Council of Economic Advisers before taking his recent post in the Treasury Department. He is an associate professor in the Department of Public Policy at UCLA and a faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. He also taught at the University of Chicago and Boston University, and was a Robert Wood Johnson Scholar in Health Policy at Harvard University.
"Dr. Yin's research and experience in payment reform build on PHE's capabilities to examine new pricing strategies that can positively impact healthcare delivery. His hands-on experience inside the White House further enriches our understanding of the drivers of national policy and our ability to assist our clients navigate the policy landscape, particularly the U.S. Affordable Care Act and its consequences," said Bilawsky.
About Precision Health Economics
Precision Health Economics integrates deep technical expertise with practical insights to bring intellectual integrity, academic rigor, and a creative approach to the most challenging problems in healthcare. In addition to its world-renowned team of health economists, PHE draws on the expertise of a network of affiliated academic scientists and clinicians from the world's leading universities, straddling the policy and clinical arenas to reach top decision makers and influence outcomes. For more information, go to www.precisionhealtheconomics.com.