— New members bring expertise in broad range of perspectives, including patient advocacy, health policy, economics, and clinical practice — 

BOSTON, February 20, 2024 – The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has appointed new members to each of its three independent evidence appraisal councils: 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). 

“Each of the independent appraisal councils plays a vital role in furthering a public dialogue about pricing and access,” said ICER’s President and CEO Sarah Emond, MPP. “As experts in evaluating evidence across many fields, they can consider the strengths and limitations of evidence on the comparative clinical effectiveness and value of the different health care interventions ICER reviews. Through their public deliberations, the appraisal councils also have the opportunity to hear further input directly from patient representatives, clinical experts, and other stakeholders.” 

Appraisal councils are regionally based experts in areas including health services research, health economics, technology assessment, medical ethics, patient access and advocacy, and clinical medicine. Council members are chosen based on their expertise in reviewing and applying medical evidence in a variety of contexts. All members must meet strict conflict of interest criteria to participate in ICER’s meetings. 

The newest members of each of the councils include: 

CTAF  

  • Kavita V. Nair, PhD, Professor, Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Department of Neurology (joint appointment), CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Anschutz Medical Campus  

MW CEPAC  

  • Jayani Jayawardhana, PhD, Associate Professor, Health Management & Policy, University of Kentucky’s College of Public Health 
  • David Kim, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Chicago 
  • Jimi Olaghere, Sickle Cell Disease Advocate; Entrepreneur, Sugarloaf Capital 

NE CEPAC 

  • Maria Kefalas, PhD, MA, Professor, Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Saint Joseph’s University 
  • Joseph Ross, MD, MHS, Professor of Medicine (General Medicine) and Public Health (Health Policy and Management) at the Yale School of Medicine 
  • Rishi Wadhera, MD, MPP, MPhil, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and of Health Policy & Management at the Harvard School of Public Health, Associate Director of the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center 

Visit ICER’s website to find biographies for each new and existing member of CTAF, Midwest CEPAC, or New England CEPAC, as well as information on each program’s upcoming meetings. 

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.