News and Announcements
Norma Lang Receives Codman Award from JCAHO. Norma Lang, PhD, RN has received the prestigious individual Codman Award from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The award recognizes excellence in the use of outcomes measurement to achieve health care quality improvement. Dr. Lang is Professor of Nursing, former Dean of the School of Nursing, and an LDI Senior Fellow. http://www.jcaho.org/news_frm.html

New Computer Game May Reduce Delay in Seeking Care for Heart Attacks. Barry Silverman, PhD, Professor of Systems Engineering and LDI Senior Fellow, leads a team that has developed "Heart-Sense," an interactive computer game for the lay public. Preliminary work indicates that the game improves recognition of heart attack symptoms and may reduce the delay in seeking care for heart attack victims.

Upcoming Seminars
Research: Michael Grossman, PhD, Program Director of Health Economics at the National Bureau of Economic Research, will present an economic analysis of adult obesity using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Please join us on Friday, November 30, at 12:00 pm.
More Information/Biosketch/Abstract

Health Policy: (This semester's theme: "Underserved Populations in American Health Care")
In conjunction with the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research of the School of Nursing, we are delighted to host Mary Foley, RN, MS, President of the American Nurses Association, on Friday, December 7 at 12:00 pm.
RSVP Biosketch/More Information

Issue Brief
From Hospital to Drugstore: Insurance and the Shift to Outpatient Care
by Patricia Danzon, PhD and Mark Pauly, PhD

Recent Seminars
Research:
Gerard Russo, PhD, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Hawaii, presented a model for an optimal public insurance-taxation scheme, using cigarettes and health insurance as an example.
Abstract/Paper of November 2 talk

Health Policy:
Estelle Richman, Director of Social Services for the City of Philadelphia, gave an insightful and moving talk about the need to integrate health and social services for vulnerable populations.
Summary of November 9 talk

Executive Education
Plans are being finalized for the first Johnson & Johnson-Wharton CEO Program in Health Care Leadership, which will be held on December 12-15, 2001. The 19 participants of the program are CEOs of health systems with at least five hospitals, and are attending by invitation. This annual program will deliver state-of-the-art training to the nation's foremost health system leaders.