2014 Appointment of New U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Members
February 5, 2014 – The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) announced today the addition of five experts in prevention and primary care to serve as members of the panel: Karina W. Davidson, Ph.D., M.A.Sc.; Matthew W. Gillman, M.D., S.M.; Alex R. Kemper, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.; Ann E. Kurth, Ph.D., R.N., M.S.N., M.P.H.; and Maureen G. Phipps, M.D., M.P.H. Like all members of the Task Force, these five experts have been appointed by the director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, with guidance from Task Force leadership, to serve 4-year terms.
This year's appointees replace the following outgoing Task Force members who have completed their terms: Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, Ph.D., M.D.; Adelita Gonzales Cantu, Ph.D., R.N.; Glenn Flores, M.D.; David C. Grossman, M.D., M.P.H.; and Wanda K. Nicholson, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A. The Task Force thanks these outgoing members for their years of service and positive contributions to the Task Force's mission.
The new Task Force members bring a wide range of expertise that will help inform the Task Force and its continuing commitment to evidence-based preventive care. Dr. Davidson, a psychologist, has conducted important research in the area of behavioral, psychological, and social influences on disease. Dr. Gillman is a physician with a wealth of expertise in clinical and epidemiological research, focusing on the course of chronic disease through the lifespan and on prevention in childhood. Dr. Kemper, a pediatrician, has extensive experience in prevention and a commitment to improving health care quality through reinforced connections between primary care, specialty care, and public health. Dr. Kurth is a clinically-trained epidemiologist, nurse, and midwife with expertise in the areas of maternal and child health and behavioral epidemiology, with a global health perspective. Dr. Phipps is an obstetrician/gynecologist with expertise in improving health among vulnerable populations and in improving pregnancy outcomes. Full professional biographies for the new members are available on the Task Force Web site at https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/about-uspstf/current-members.
The Task Force is an independent, volunteer panel of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine. The Task Force works to improve the health of all Americans by making evidence-based recommendations about clinical preventive services, such as screenings, counseling services, and preventive medicines. More information on the Task Force is available at www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org.