معرفی
Rachel Werner, MD, PhD is the Executive Director of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (LDI) at the University of Pennsylvania. She holds multiple academic appointments as Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, Robert D. Eilers Professor of Health Care Management at the Wharton School, and Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy. Additionally, she practices medicine at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center.
Dr. Werner received her undergraduate degree from Macalester College, her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and her doctoral degree in health economics from The Wharton School's Department of Health Care Systems.
Dr. Werner has built a foundational research program examining the effects of health care policies on health care delivery, using methods designed to draw causal inference from observational data. Her research focuses on the unintended consequences of quality improvement incentives, with particular attention to how public reporting of quality information may worsen racial disparities. She has made significant contributions to understanding nursing home quality, long-term care policy, and the impact of payment reforms on healthcare delivery. Her work bridges economics, medicine, and policy to create evidence that directly informs healthcare system improvements.
Her publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on healthcare quality measurement, public reporting systems, and payment incentives. Dr. Werner's research often examines how policy interventions affect vulnerable populations and whether quality improvement initiatives achieve their intended goals or produce unintended consequences. Her work spans multiple settings including nursing homes, hospitals, and primary care practices, revealing important insights about how consumers respond to quality information and how providers respond to financial incentives.
- Alice Hersh New Investigator Award from AcademyHealth
- Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
- American Federation of Medical Research (AFMR) Outstanding Investigator Award
- Elected member of the National Academy of Medicine
Dr. Werner serves as a Core Investigator with the VA HSR&D Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP) and directs one of four national centers evaluating the effectiveness of the VA's medical home. Her work has influenced research and policy through numerous advisory committee roles with state and federal government agencies as well as research foundations. She has secured significant NIH funding including grants K24 AG047908 and R01 AG034182 that support her ongoing research program.
Dr. Werner leads the Leonard Davis Institute, a premier health policy research center that brings together scholars from across the University of Pennsylvania to address critical challenges in healthcare delivery and financing. Under her leadership, LDI continues to produce influential research that shapes national healthcare policy discussions.
