Carrie Colla, PhD, an associate professor of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, has been named a 2020 Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine Scholar by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM).
The 10 individuals chosen are mid-career professionals with demonstrated leadership and exceptional professional achievement who come from a wide range of health-related fields—including health economics, emergency medicine, biomedical engineering and research, and public health policy.
The Scholars join the Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine Program, a major NAM initiative which provides a platform for a new generation of leaders to collaborate with the organization and its members across many fields of expertise—in an effort to advance science, combat persistent challenges in health and medicine, and spark transformative change to improve health.
Colla is excited to serve the National Academy of Medicine in this role. “It is not just an honor but also a wonderful opportunity to learn from the other Emerging Leaders and members of the National Academy of Medicine during this time of unprecedented stress on the healthcare system,” she says.
A highly respected health economist, Colla’s research is dedicated to examining health system performance and the effectiveness of payment and delivery system reforms.
Individuals selected by NAM leadership for the 2020-21 Scholars class will engage in a variety of activities throughout the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine over a three-year term, which begins on July 1, 2020. These activities include bi-annual meetings with NAM leadership and members, planning a yearly Emerging Leaders Forum, taking part in National Academies convening activities, publishing NAM Perspectives, and participating in the NAM’s annual meeting each October.
“As the world faces the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are reminded of the importance of involving emerging leaders, who are poised to shape the future of health and medicine, in cross-disciplinary activities to tackle pressing challenges such as these,” says NAM President Victor J. Dzau. “I am delighted to welcome these extraordinary individuals who represent the next generation of leading scientists, healthcare providers, public health professionals, and policymakers into the National Academy of Medicine’s Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine Program.”
Colla currently serves as the only economist on a National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine committee examining the current state of primary care in the U.S. and developing an implementation plan to help strengthen primary care services across the country, especially for underserved populations. She was previously chosen to participate in the 2017-2018 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellowship program, where she completed placements in the House of Representatives and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.
Colla has been an investigator for the annual National Survey of Accountable Care Organizations since its inception in 2012 and is a lead investigator in Dartmouth’s Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Center of Excellence to Study High-Performing Health Care Systems. She also teaches health economics and policy at Dartmouth College.
Colla received her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College, and her MA in economics and PhD in health policy from the University of California, Berkeley.
