University of New England

UNE health policy center receives $397,000 grant from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

PORTLAND, Maine - The University of New England Center for Health Policy, Planning and Research (CHPPR) received a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant of $397,517 to evaluate the state of Vermont's healthcare reform efforts.

The two-year grant addresses a need recognized by the Foundation to evaluate state efforts to improve access to care and is part of the State Health Access Reform Evaluation program based at the University of Minnesota.

CHPPR  will evaluate the effectiveness of Vermont's effort to provide affordable coverage for uninsured residents and also reduce healthcare costs through system changes. The Vermont Legislature paved the way for these changes in 2006 when they passed the Health Care Affordability Act.

Vermont's healthcare reform is comprehensive, integrated and includes components common to many state health reform efforts, in place or planned. Information gained from the study will be invaluable to the health reform strategies initiated by other states and on the national level.

"The University of New England is honored to have received a grant of such national prominence," said UNE's President Danielle Ripich, Ph.D. "The Center for Health Policy, Planning and Research's work has involved collaboration with several states to study uninsured and under-insured populations" She continued, "As one of the region's health education leaders, our goal is to continue this type of collaborative research in the future."

The project team will be led by Dr. Ron Deprez, who will serve as project director of the study.  He will be assisted by Dr. Sherry Glied, chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University; Dr. Susan Besio, director of Vermont Health Care Reform Implementation; Marc Voyvodich, CEO, Stroudwater Associates and Dr. Brian Robertson, director of research at Market Decisions, both located in Portland, Maine.

"The work that Vermont is doing in health access reform is cutting edge," Deprez said. "We are honored to have the opportunity to evaluate the impact of these changes in Vermont so we can share them with the state and the nation during a period of time when everyone is seeking solutions to the health insurance crisis in America."

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
RWJF focuses on the pressing health and healthcare issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and healthcare of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 35 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and healthcare of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. 

(Press release posted May 8, 2008)