Zirui Song, MD, PhD, Named 2016 Winner of Seema S. Sonnad Emerging Leader in Managed Care Research Award
Dr. Song is a resident at Massachusetts General Hospital and a clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School. The American Journal of Managed Care presents the award to an early-career researcher whose achievements show the potential for exceptional long-term contributions in the field of managed care.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 20, 2016 6 p.m. ET
PHILADELPHIA—Zirui Song, MD, PhD, a resident at Massachusetts General Hospital recognized by the Forbes
Dr. Song completed his medical degree Magna Cum Laude in 2014 and his doctorate in Health Policy (Economics) in 2012, both at Harvard. He received his undergraduate degree in Public Health Studies with Honors from Johns Hopkins University in 2006.
In the past five years, he has published more than 45 peer-reviewed papers in journals that include AJMC, JAMA, the New England Journal of Medicine, Health Affairs, and JAMA Internal Medicine. Dr. Song serves as a reviewer for more than a dozen academic journals, including AJMC, and serves in several leadership roles at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
His policy research examines questions that are front-and-center as healthcare moves from a fee-for-service system to one that is value-based. Dr. Song was the lead author on the first empirical analysis of competitive bidding in Medicare, which
He received the 2013 AcademyHealth
Michael E. Chernew, PhD, AJMC co-editor-in-chief and a frequent collaborator, noted that Dr. Song’s work combines both clinical and economic perspectives, and his strengths evoke those of Dr. Sonnad, for whom the award is named.
Dr. Song “identifies important topics and jumps in with gusto,” Dr. Chernew writes. “He is clearly a leader. The real question is if he is emerging.”
The award was created in honor of Seema S. Sonnad, PhD, the former AJMC associate editor who died suddenly in June 2015. Dr. Sonnad was a mentor to many young investigators. Before her passing, she had advocated for the creation of an award to recognize and encourage early career achievement.
“We are honored to recognize a young physician who is not only an expert on payment reform, but who is also sharing his findings with our readers,” said Justin Gallagher, associate publisher of AJMC.
This year’s award was presented to Dr. Song at a reception during the fall conference of the ACO and Emerging Healthcare Delivery Coalition, which is meeting October 20-21, 2016, at the Westin in Philadelphia.
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