RALEIGH, NC, September 5—The North Carolina Institute of Medicine presented Erin Fraher, PhD, MPP, director of the Carolina Health Workforce Research Center, with the Award for Excellence in Health Policy Leadership at the NCIOM 2019 Annual Meeting today.
Fraher was nominated for the award through an open nominations process and was selected for her impactful public health achievements. She is an expert on comparative health workforce systems, and in her work at the Carolina Health Workforce Research Center she has led the NC Health Professions Data System, which collects and disseminates timely and reliable data on selected licensed health professionals in the state. Organizations across the country regularly invite her to provide advice on emulating what she has built in North Carolina.
“Erin’s leadership of the NC Health Professions Data System has had a remarkable impact on health policy in North Carolina,” said Mark Holmes, PhD, director of the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research. “Her analysis is viewed as objective and insightful, and her analysis has led to countless state policies that aim to put the right providers in the right locations across North Carolina.”
Fraher is a regular presenter at the North Carolina General Assembly when policymakers are considering bills related to health workforce issues, and she is well-known as a coveted mentor for young researchers looking to develop a more acute sense of policy analysis.
Fraher is the fifth recipient of the annual award. Previous award winners include Gina Upchurch, founder and executive director of Senior PharmAssist; E. Benjamin Money, CEO of the N.C. Community Health Center Association; Allen Smart, formerly of the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust; and Flo Stein, of NC DDHS’s Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services.
“Erin is a remarkable colleague,” said Adam Zolotor, MD, DrPH, president and CEO of the NCIOM. “The most important thing about Erin is that she does not take sides, she only sides with the data. Her objectivity in workforce assessment has advanced so much meaningful dialogue with policymakers. It is a real thrill to honor her with this award.”
The North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) is an independent, quasi-state agency that was chartered by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1983 to provide balanced, nonpartisan information on issues of relevance to the health of North Carolina’s population. For more information, visit nciom.org.