GHRI names 10 new Group Health clinical associates

Kim Wicklund, MPH, Group Health manager of patient engagement, is among GHRI’s newest clinical associates.

Ten Group Health clinicians and administrators were recently named clinical associates at Group Health Research Institute (GHRI). The appointment formally recognizes Group Health colleagues who actively support, facilitate, and share their expertise for research studies. 

GHRI established the clinical associate appointment in October 2014, honoring 21 Group Health clinicians and administrators who have made substantial contributions to the success of the organization’s research. The designation is equivalent to an academic clinical faculty appointment offered by many universities. Nominations come from GHRI faculty members, and appointments must be approved by Eric B. Larson MD, MPH, executive director of GHRI and vice president for research at Group Health.

Here are the 10 Group Health colleagues recently named clinical associates, with brief excerpts from their nominations:

Sean Adelman, MD,Orthopedic Surgeon

Dr. Adelman “proposed and tested an innovative use of ultrasound as a diagnostic tool for patients with shoulder pain that could lead to dramatic improvements in patient quality and absolute reductions in cost. He personifies the type of Group Health physician that makes GHRI such a unique research environment.”

Susan Carol Bradford, Manager, Screening and Outreach Programs

Ms. Bradford “has worked with GHRI’s Breast Cancer Surveillance team for over 17 years. She serves as a critical bridge between research and the delivery system. Her work directly relates to making GHRI patient-centered, as well as balancing delivery system needs.”

Christopher Cable, MD, Medical Director, Medical Specialties

Dr. Cable has worked “for five years on shared decision making research, and he has been a critical collaborator and resource within the Group Health Physicians leadership structure. His contributions regarding team building for intervention implementation and maintenance have been invaluable.”

Ryan Caldeiro, MD, Program Chief, Chemical Dependency Services (GHP)

Dr. Caldeiro “has collaborated on GHRI’s growing addictions research program since 2010. He leads a Partnership for Innovation award to improve Group Health’s Alcohol and Drug Use Disorder HEDIS measures and is the clinical lead on an externally funded project that is implementing patient-centered, evidence-based care for alcohol misuse across Group Health’s primary care clinics.”

Fred Heidrich, MD, MPH, Family Physician

Dr. Heidrich was a co-investigator on the consequential Chlamydia screening project and was “an invaluable guide to the Group Health delivery system and a very contributory co-author.  He has given freely of his expertise, advice, and insights on many other occasions.  He is currently an advisor to our newly funded pragmatic clinical trial on calcitriol.”

Charlie Jung, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon

Dr. Jung “has been a critical partner in the success of our shared decision making program. He has helped us lead the implementation of two decision aids related to knee and hip osteoarthritis. This work led to publication in Health Affairs and high-profile recognition of our work on shared decision making nationally.”

Susie McDonald, BSN, MN, Director, Clinical Improvement & Prevention

Ms. McDonald’s “department contains several units that routinely collaborate with GHRI investigators. She has been supportive of these collaborations and has collaborated directly on several GHRI projects related to improving alcohol-related care.  Her critical role in measuring and improving quality at Group Health make her an invaluable partner.”

Chris Thayer, MD, Medical Director, Clinical Knowledge & Support

Dr. Thayer “has been heavily involved in the development and implementation of the Group Health cervical cancer screening guideline and is a co-investigator on the HPV home testing pragmatic randomized trial. His expertise in clinical care and guideline development and implementation has made his contributions as a collaborator invaluable.”

Kimberly Wicklund, MPH, Manager, Patient Engagement

Ms. Wicklund “has worked with several GHRI investigators, including collaborating on the development of several shared decision-making aids that exemplify the wonderful synergy between GHRI and Group Health.  She has been an invaluable partner in design, implementation, and evaluation on Partnership for Innovation projects.”

Lisa Williams, MD, MPH, Dermatologist

Dr. Williams “has collaborated with several faculty at GHRI on projects that embody our mission of conducting public-domain research that improves the quality and clinical effectiveness of the care we provide. She has worked on two Partnership for Innovation projects: one that explored better ways to provide care for patients with psoriasis and a second that contributed to the spread of tele-dermatology through Group Health.”

“We are thrilled to add these 10 colleagues to our roster of Group Health clinical associates,” says Robert Reid, MD, PhD, a GHRI senior investigator and Group Health medical director for research translation. “All are strong collaborators with GHRI across multiple projects over many years.”

“It’s an honor to receive the appointment and to work with such talented colleagues at GHRI,” says Ms. Wicklund. “Partnering with GHRI has been a key ingredient in my team’s efforts to continuously improve how we support patients in achieving better outcomes. I look forward to continuing that partnership in 2015 and beyond.”