In recognition of his significant contributions to the field of health services research, Edward H. Wagner, MD, MPH, has been named the 2011 recipient of the William B. Graham Prize for Health Services Research. The Prize, funded by The Baxter International Foundation and managed by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA), will be awarded on June 25, 2011, at the AUPHA Annual Meeting in Charleston, S.C.

Dr. Wagner founded the Group Health Research Institute (GHRI) in 1983, a non-proprietary, public-domain research institution within the Group Health healthcare system. As director until 1998, Dr. Wagner's commitment to scientific inquiry led the GHRI's mission to improve healthcare through leading-edge research, innovation, and dissemination. In 1992, he established GHRI's MacColl Institute for Healthcare Innovation, which he still directs, where his team developed the Chronic Care Model, an evidence-based framework that seeks to improve the delivery of safe, effective, and collaborative care to patients. He is also the principal investigator for the Cancer Research Network, a National Cancer Institute-funded consortium of 14 health-plan-based research organizations.

A professor of health services at the University of Washington School of Public Health, Dr. Wagner is best known for his work in chronic illness management, cancer care, and the aging and geriatric populations. Recognized as a champion of patient-centered care, Dr. Wagner has received numerous honors and awards and has authored more than 250 publications.

"Dr. Wagner provides innovation and excellence in everything he does. Through his Chronic Care Model, Dr. Wagner is still transforming the role of chronic illness care in health and health services delivery," said Kyle Grazier, DrPH, University of Michigan professor, and Graham Prize Selection Committee chair. "His extraordinary leadership is evident in the research and policy centers he has created throughout the past 30 years to study evidence-based management and clinical practice, to teach future clinicians and investigators, and to implement integrated healthcare across the life span. Dr. Wagner truly deserves this year's prestigious William B. Graham Prize for Health Services Research."

Dr. Wagner received his MPH from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Public Health, and his MD from the State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Medicine.

"The prior recipients of the William B. Graham Prize for Health Services Research include the most distinguished scientists in our field. I am honored and humbled to be included with them, and grateful to the many research and clinical colleagues who have contributed so much to our work," said Dr. Wagner. "For American healthcare to provide excellent quality care at a sustainable cost, it must have a robust primary care sector able to successfully manage complex, chronically ill patients in the community. I have been blessed to work with dedicated, creative clinicians who are showing that it can be done."

About the William B. Graham Prize for Health Services Research
Since 1986, The Baxter International Foundation and the Association of University Programs in Health Administration have awarded the William B. Graham Prize for Health Services Research to recognize researchers who have made major contributions to the health of the public through innovative research in health services. Originally known as The Baxter International Foundation Prize for Health Services Research, the prize was renamed the William B. Graham Prize for Health Services Research in 2006 to honor the late William B. Graham, long-time chairman and CEO of Baxter International Inc. The Prize has long been internationally regarded as the premier recognition for individuals conducting health services research.

The Prize acknowledges national or international contributions of health services researchers who apply analytic methods to examine and evaluate the organization, financing, and/or delivery of health services. The Prize recognizes individuals who have had a significant impact on the health of the public in one of three primary focus areas: Health Services Management, Health Policy Development, and Healthcare Delivery. The Prize winner is selected annually from a distinguished list of nominees by an international selection committee made up of past Prize winners, distinguished academics, and internationally recognized researchers. The Prize includes an award of $25,000 to the individual and $25,000 to a not-for-profit institution that supports the Prize winner's work.

About the Prize Sponsors
The Baxter International Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX), helps organizations expand access to healthcare in the United States and around the world. The foundation, established in 1981, began to focus exclusively on increasing access to healthcare in 2002 - particularly for the disadvantaged and underserved - in communities where Baxter employees live and work. Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures and markets products that save and sustain the lives of people with hemophilia, immune disorders, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma, and other chronic and acute medical conditions. As a global, diversified healthcare company, Baxter applies a unique combination of expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to create products that advance patient care worldwide. For more information, please visit www.baxter.com.

AUPHA is a global network of colleges, universities, faculty, individuals, and organizations dedicated to improving health outcomes by promoting excellence in healthcare management education. AUPHA fosters excellence and innovation in healthcare management education, research, and practice by providing opportunities for member programs to learn from each other, by influencing practice, and by promoting the value of healthcare management education. It is the only non-profit entity of its kind that works to improve the delivery of health services - and thus the health of citizens - throughout the world by educating professional managers at the entry level. AUPHA's membership includes the premier Baccalaureate and Masters degree programs in Health Administration Education in the United States and Canada. Its faculty and individual members represent more than 500 colleges and universities. For more information, please visit www.aupha.org.

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