BOSTON, November 29, 2018 – The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has appointed Athelia “Tia” Tilson as the organization’s first Vice President of Development. Ms. Tilson will lead ICER’s fundraising efforts, connecting philanthropic donors to ICER’s core mission of helping all patients achieve sustainable access to high-value care.

“ICER began in 2006 as an experiment to determine if an independent assessment of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of medical interventions could ultimately improve innovation, access, and affordability within the United States,” said Steven D. Pearson, MD, MSc, President of ICER. “Now established as the country’s drug pricing watchdog, ICER is excited for Tia to join our leadership team. Her successful fundraising track record in academic and nonprofit organizations promises to expand the reach and impact of our assessments, while maintaining the independence – free from financial conflicts of interest or partisan politics – that has long underscored the credibility our work requires.”

Most recently at Ariadne Labs, a joint center of health systems innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard Chan School of Public Health, Ms. Tilson has more than 20 years of experience in fundraising in higher education, hospitals, and global health. As Director of Development at Ariadne Labs, she led a $25 million three-year fundraising campaign, surpassing its goal by raising $32 million in only two years. Ms. Tilson has played key strategic roles in introducing, developing and growing fundraising programs at MIT, Boston Children’s Hospital and Pathfinder International. A native Kansan and long-time resident of Massachusetts, Ms. Tilson earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Wellesley College.

“Health care is a basic human right, yet we’ve reached a point where too many people can’t afford the care they need,” said Ms. Tilson. “Through an evidence-based approach, ICER is helping the US health system right-size these costs to more appropriately balance medical innovation with patients’ need to access that innovation. This work is impressive and sorely needed, and I am delighted to join this exceptional team.”

For those interested in learning how they can support ICER and its efforts to improve patients’ ability to access high-value care, please contact Tia Tilson at Atilson@icer.org.

About ICER

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) is an independent non-profit research institute that produces reports analyzing the evidence on the effectiveness and value of drugs and other medical services. ICER’s reports include evidence-based calculations of prices for new drugs that accurately reflect the degree of improvement expected in long-term patient outcomes, while also highlighting price levels that might contribute to unaffordable short-term cost growth for the overall health care system.

ICER’s reports incorporate extensive input from all stakeholders and are the subject of public hearings through three core programs: the California Technology Assessment Forum (CTAF), the Midwest Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council (Midwest CEPAC), and the New England Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council (New England CEPAC). These independent panels review ICER’s reports at public meetings to deliberate on the evidence and develop recommendations for how patients, clinicians, insurers, and policymakers can improve the quality and value of health care. For more information about ICER, please visit ICER’s website.