Hayes Announces Appointment Of Dr Susan Levine To The Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC)
Committee provides independent, expert advice to CMS in a public forum
Lansdale, PA (PRWEB) February 15, 2010
Hayes, Inc., the nation’s leading health technology research and consulting company, today announced that Susan A. Levine, DVM, MS, PhD, Vice President of Health Technology Research and Consulting, has joined the Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC). The MEDCAC was established in 1998 to provide independent guidance and expert advice to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on specific clinical topics. Dr Levine will serve a two-year term beginning January 1, 2010.
MEDCAC is utilized by CMS to supplement its own research and allow for additional expert and public input on coverage topics, including those that are highly complex or have a major potential impact on the health of beneficiaries and/or the Medicare program itself. The MEDCAC reviews and evaluates medical literature and technology assessments to determine reasonable and necessary applications of medical services and technology. Advisory in nature, MEDCAC provides an unbiased, external evaluation of the strength of available evidence in a public forum. The committee also provides expert clinical and technical review regarding conclusions about the net health outcomes of a technology under consideration.
MEDCAC members are valued for their background, education, and expertise in a wide variety of scientific, clinical and other related fields. “I am honored to be invited to work with this prestigious group of professionals,” says Dr Levine. “In order to improve the quality of healthcare in the United States, decisions about policy, coverage, utilization, and personal healthcare must be grounded in scientific evidence.”
Dr Levine has extensive experience in health technology assessment, clinical trial methodology and data analysis, and comparative effectiveness reviews, and has held a senior management position at Hayes, Inc. for the past 13 years. Before joining Hayes, Dr Levine earned a PhD in Pharmacology and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Cornell University, and completed a surgical residency at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. She has held faculty appointments at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Mayo Graduate School of Medicine.
Hayes, Inc.
Hayes, Inc. is an independent health technology research and consulting company dedicated to promoting better health outcomes through the use of evidence. Hayes performs unbiased, evidence-based health technology assessments of the safety and efficacy of new, emerging, and controversial health technologies, and evaluates the impact of these technologies on healthcare quality, utilization, and cost. Hayes' worldwide clients include hospitals, healthcare systems, government agencies, employers, and managed care organizations. For more information, visit http://www. hayesinc. com (http://www. hayesinc. com).
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