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Committee Members

Health Technology Clinical Committee

A key component of the HTA program is the use of an independent committee of eleven practicing health care professionals to use the technology assessment reports on the strength of evidence to make coverage decisions. Authorizing legislation requires the Health Care Authority (HCA) Administrator to appoint eleven committee members that include six practicing physicians and five other practicing licensed health professionals who use health technology in their scope of practice. At least two members of the committee must have professional experience treating women, children, elderly persons, and people with diverse ethnic and racial background. See RCW 70.14.090. Committee members cannot work for one of the participating state agencies or have a substantial financial conflict of interest, such as an interest in a health technology company, including the holding of stock options, or the receipt of honoraria or consultant moneys, membership requirements (e.g. confidentiality).

The eleven appointed members bring a diverse set of experience, clinical expertise, practice specialties, advanced education, and knowledge of using evidence in health care. The members are:

C. Craig Blackmore, MD, MPH
Dr. Blackmore is the Scientific Director of the Center for Healthcare Solutions at Virginia Mason Medical Center and is an Affiliate Professor of Radiology at the University of Washington. His research interests include cost-effectiveness and outcomes analysis of radiology imaging studies and evidence-based use of imaging. His work has focused on imaging in spine trauma and pelvic fractures. Blackmore received his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in 1990; and a master’s in public health from the University of Washington in 1997, through the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program. He completed a Diagnostic Radiology residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Dr. Blackmore is a co-editor for the text: Evidence Based Imaging: Optimizing Imaging for Patient Care, and has published over 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He has also served on the Editorial Boards of the journals Academic Radiology, AJR, and the Journal of the American College of Radiology. Dr. Blackmore has delivered numerous lectures on evidence based imaging in the US and Europe.

Marie Annette-Brown, PhD, RN, ARNP, FNP, FAAN
Dr. Brown is a Professor of Nursing at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle and on the faculty since 1979. She currently holds the Group Health Tern Endowed Professorship in chronic illness at UW. Throughout her entire career, she has successfully combined research, teaching and clinical practice. Her current practice role is a primary care nurse practitioner at the UW Medical Center Women's Health Care Clinic. She is nationally certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner and a Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Specialist. Dr. Brown is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and has received numerous awards, including American Nurses Association Nurse Practitioner of the Year, Achievement in Research Award and the School of Nursing Excellence in Teaching Award. She was a pioneer nurse practitioner in Washington State when NP practice was first authorized. She is a leader in the nurse practitioner movement on local, state and national levels.

Joann Elmore, MD, MPH
Dr. Elmore is Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine, Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at the UW School of Public Health and Community Medicine. Dr. Elmore received her medical degree from the Stanford University School of Medicine and completed residency training in internal medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital, with advanced training in epidemiology from the Yale School of Epidemiology and Public Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program. She was Associate Director of the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars program at Yale and the University of Washington, recipient of the Robert Wood Johnson Generalist Faculty Award, and subsequently a member of the National Advisory Committee for the Robert Wood Johnson Generalist Faculty award and the Clinical Scholars Program. Dr. Elmore's clinical and scientific interests include variability in breast cancer screening, diagnostic testing, and the evaluation of new technologies. She has co-authored a textbook on epidemiology, biostatistics, and preventive medicine. In addition, Dr. Elmore enjoys seeing patients as a primary care internist and teaching clinical medicine to students and residents.

David K. McCulloch, MD, FRCP
Dr. David K. McCulloch obtained his medical education at Edinburgh University, Scotland with additional postgraduate training at the University of Nottingham, England, and University of Washington, Seattle. He has worked in the field of clinical diabetes innovation for over thirty years and has over 80 publications on a wide variety of diabetes-related topics. He is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington and works as a diabetologist, leading clinical improvement efforts in diabetes with an energetic team at Group Health Cooperative, a health care organization in Washington State with over six hundred thousand enrolled members. The comprehensive and integrated approach which has been implemented at Group Health Cooperative has resulted in improved health outcomes, increased patient satisfaction, decreased utilization of services and reduced costs. He has also chaired national and statewide diabetes and cardiovascular disease collaboratives with a wide variety of health care organizations. He is also the Medical Director for Clinical Improvement at Group Health. In that role he leads the development of evidence-based guidelines to promote evidence-based interventions and works with a team to identify and reduce unintended clinical variation in practice to help improve outcomes and lower medical cost trends.

Carson E. Odegard, DC, MPH
Dr. Odegard is a Chiropractor and Director at the Odegard Chiropractic Clinic, Kirkland Professional Center in Kirkland, WA. Dr. Odegard has been in practice since 1980. He is a member of the Washington State Public Health Association; American Academy of Spine Physicians; American Public Health Association; Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research; and the American Chiropractic Association.

Richard C. Phillips, MD, MS, MPH, FACS
Dr. Phillips is cardio-thoracic surgeon with board certifications in both General and Thoracic surgery. He received undergraduate and Medical Degrees from Stanford University and completed training in General Surgery and Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford University Hospital and University of Colorado Medical Center. After 20 years of private practice in predominantly cardiac surgery, Dr. Phillips began part-time clinical practice in 2000 while enrolled in graduate studies at the University of Washington, earning graduate degrees in Public Health (MPH) and Medical Informatics (MS). With strong interests in Patient Safety and Outcomes Research and with experience and training in evidence-based medicine, Dr. Phillips has been a management committee member of the Washington Clinical Outcome Assessment Program since its inception in 1996. With strong interests and skills in data management and analyses, Dr. Phillips works actively to promote transparency of healthcare information and to advocate for healthcare consumers.

Seth Schwartz, MD, MPH
Dr. Schwartz specializes in Otology/Neurotology and is the Director of the Listen For Life Center at Virginia Mason. He has a research interest in clinical outcomes of otologic surgery and has been actively involved in clinical practice guideline development for the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (AAO/HNS). He is currently the chair elect for their Guideline Development Task Force of the AAO/HNS. Dr. Schwartz earned his undergraduate and medical degrees at Yale University and did his residency training at the University of Washington where he concurrently earned his Masters in Public Health in epidemiology. After his fellowship training in Neurotology at Auckland City Hospital in New Zealand, he spent two years at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, AK prior to taking his current position.

Michelle Simon, PhD, ND
Dr. Simon is a naturopathic physician in private practice at the Seattle Healing Arts Center in Seattle, WA. She has been practicing since 2002. She holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is co-director of the Communities in Need / Integrated Care Options Project (CIN/ICO), which is in collaboration with the Washington Association of Naturopathic Physicians (WANP). She is a member of the WANP and the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP).

Michael Souter, MB, Ch-B, DA, FRCA
Dr. Souter is the Chief of Anesthesiology at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, WA, and a Medical Co-director of Neurosurgical Critical Care at Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA. He is also a Professor in the departments of Anesthesiology and Neurological Surgery for the University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Dr. Souter has practiced in the United States since 2001. Dr. Souter is a member of Washington State Society of Anesthesiologist; American Society of Anesthesiologists; Society of Critical Care Medicine; International Anesthesia Research Society; and the Society for Technology in Anesthesia.

Christopher J. Standaert, MD
Dr. Standaert is a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, specializing in non-operative spine care and neuro-musculoskeletal rehabilitation with UW Sports and Spine Physicians at Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA. Dr. Standaert is also a clinical associate professor in the departments of Rehabilitation Medicine, Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, and Neurological Surgery at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Dr. Standaert graduated from Harvard Medical School and completed a residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Washington followed by a fellowship in spine and musculoskeletal medicine in West Springfield, MA. Dr. Standaert has been in practice since 1996. Dr. Standaert currently serves on the Practicing Physicians Advisory Council for the Department of Health and Human Services and is a member of the American Academy of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine; American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; American Medical Association; and the North American Spine Society. He has a strong interest in the advancement of effective clinical practice for spine and musculolskeletal disorders and frequently writes and speaks on related topics.

Kevin Walsh, MD
Since 1992, Kevin Walsh has practiced a full-range of Family Medicine at the Yakima Valley Farmworkers Clinic in Toppenish, Washington. Dr Walsh received his medical degree at the University of Washington in 1982 and completed the Family Medicine Residency at the University of Colorado, Denver, in 1985. He began his practice career with the Indian Health Service on the Navajo Nation in Chinle, Arizona. In his 5 years there, he was also the Medical Director for 3 years. After 2 years in Colorado, he and his wife, an Obstetrician, moved to Toppenish to join the Farm Workers Clinic. For 18 years they have been part of an 18 provider group delivering multi-specialty primary care to this rural community in the lower Yakima Valley. From 1994 to 2000 he served as the Clinic's Medical Director, and was Chief of the Medical Staff in 2008 at the Toppenish Community Hospital. Dr. Walsh currently chairs the YVFWC project to implement the 'Patient-Centered Medical Home' model throughout the 12 clinic organization. He enjoys time with his wife and their three daughters, bicycle riding, reading, and fighting weeds in the garden.

History of Documents:
Committee Chair and Vice Chair Announcement (83.3 KB)
Committee Selection Announcement (1.2 MB)