Fellowship established to advance UHF’s work improving health for vulnerable populations
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, April 3, 2019—United Hospital Fund announced today that it has selected Pooja Kothari, RN, MPH, program manager in UHF’s Quality Institute, as the 2019 Patricia S. Levinson fellow. The fellowship was established in 2017 with the generous support of the Robert A. and Patricia S. Levinson Award Fund at the New York Community Trust to advance UHF’s work improving health care for vulnerable populations.
Ms. Kothari joined UHF in 2017 and plays a central role in developing and managing projects to measure and improve the quality of health care. She recently co-authored a report in UHF’s “Difficult Decisions” series about the hurdles patient and their families face when choosing post-acute care providers, and she collaborates with the New York State Department of Health on quality measurement and monitoring issues. She also worked on UHF’s Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship project and will soon be working on a new project funded by the New York State Health Foundation, “How’s My Health Dashboard,” which will work with patients and primary care providers to develop an interactive portal that will enable patients to easily track health care measures that matter to them.
Ms. Kothari holds a Master of Public Health from the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, and from the University of Pennsylvania has both a Bachelor of Science in economics from the Wharton School and a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the School of Nursing, earned jointly. Prior to joining UHF, she was associate manager for the Antibiotic Resistance Project at The Pew Charitable Trusts.
“Pooja’s work promoting quality and equity in health care aligns well with the intent of the fellowship,” said UHF president Anthony Shih, MD, MPH. “She is an excellent choice, and her selection honors Pat’s service to UHF.”
Patricia S. Levinson was a vice chairman of UHF’s board at the time of her death in 2015. She was an active board member for more than 20 years and involved as a volunteer with UHF for more than 30, with a keen interest in health policy and a deep commitment to quality health care for every New Yorker.
The Patricia S. Levinson award was established in 2017, and Suzanne C. Brundage, director of UHF’s Children’s Health Initiative, was the Levinson fellow in 2017 and 2018.
About United Hospital Fund
United Hospital Fund works to build a more effective health care system for every New Yorker. An independent, nonprofit organization, we analyze public policy to inform decision-makers, find common ground among diverse stakeholders, and develop and support innovative programs that improve the quality, accessibility, affordability, and experience of patient care. For more on our initiatives and programs please visit our website at www.uhfnyc.org and follow us on Twitter.