By Danielle Hawkins
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently appointed Dr. Alison Evans Cuellar to a five-year national task force working to improve population health. Cuellar is a professor of health administration and policy and section chief for programs in health policy at George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services. She is most recognized for her research experience in health care systems, Medicaid, mental health, and justice involved populations.
“Dr. Cuellar is a natural choice for this task force, as she has a well-established research career in this area," explains Dr. Peggy Maddox, Chair of the CHHS Department of Health Administration and Policy. "I know she will be an invaluable asset to this task force and the communities they affect as they work to improve population health.”
The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) is an independent, nonfederal panel of public health and prevention experts that provides evidence-based findings and recommendations about community preventive services, programs, and other interventions aimed at improving population health. Its members represent a broad range of research, practice, and policy expertise in community preventive services, public health, health promotion, and disease prevention.
The CPSTF was established in 1996 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to identify population health interventions that are scientifically proven to save lives, increase lifespans, and improve quality of life. For more information, visit the community guide.
Alison Evans Cuellar, Ph.D., is a Full Professor in Health Administration and Policy at George Mason University and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Her recent policy research has focused on wellness programs, health system integration, video telehealth, the Virginia Dual-Eligible Financial Alignment Demonstration, and improving cardiac care in small Virginia primary care practices. She also has worked for many years on the intersection of behavioral health, criminal justice and Medicaid policy examining both adult and youth populations. Her track record includes numerous successful and collaborative projects on federal, state, local and private interventions to which she brings her expertise in policy and payer innovations, associated data and methods.
Cuellar also recently served on the National Academy of Medicine’s Study Committee on Community Based Solutions to Promote Health Equity in the United States and is an Associate Editor of the Southern Economic Journal.
“I look forward to working with the outstanding CPSTF staff and my task force colleagues to sift through the evidence and make recommendations on services that our communities can use to tackle difficult health problems, such as obesity and violence prevention.”