Professor Named to Public Health Council.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has appointed Kathleen Carey (GRS’87) professor of health law, policy & management, to the Massachusetts Public Health Council. Carey, who assumed her role in September, will serve a six-year term representing the Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors.
Led by public health commissioner Monica Bharel, the Public Health Council creates rules and regulations, holds public hearings, considers appeals, and approves Determination of Need applications from healthcare facilities on a range of projects and initiatives. Carey joins 13 other members representing organizations in healthcare, nonprofit, and education throughout the Commonwealth, including Harold Cox, associate dean for public health practice and professor of community health sciences.
As a health economist, Carey has conducted extensive research on the economics of the US healthcare system and health policy, with a focus on patient safety and efficient delivery of quality hospital care. The coalition that she represents on the council is a public-private partnership that convenes state agencies, hospitals, consumer organizations, and more to identify the causes and economic impact of medical errors and hospital-acquired infections, and share best practices on improving patient safety.
“I hope to contribute to continual promotion of the health of Massachusetts residents by bringing economic insight and research experience in patient safety to regulatory decisions in the Commonwealth,” says Carey, who has published several papers that address the cost and quality of hospital care—particularly the economic impact of inpatient care involving medical errors.
Less than two weeks after Carey was sworn in to the council, the group was summoned to an emergency meeting to vote on a temporary ban of vaping products, which Baker ordered after declaring a public health emergency due to the spike in lung-related illnesses and deaths linked to vaping devices. Council members heard testimony from several pulmonologists and other medical experts on their experiences treating patients, particularly youth, affected by vaping. On September 24, the council swiftly approved a four-month ban on all vaping products, which took effect immediately and made Massachusetts the first state in the nation to implement a sweeping ban on all tobacco and marijuana products.
After a judge ruled that the ban could not be imposed unless a public emergency was declared, the Council met for a second unscheduled meeting on October 25 and voted to uphold the ban on vaping products.
In addition to her council role, Carey also serves on the editorial board of Medical Care Research and Review, and is a standing member of the Health Systems and Value Research Scientific Review Committee at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. She has served on several other review committees, including the National Institutes of Health, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.