Harkness Project Title: Transforming Academic Health Center Teaching Practices into Patient-Centered Medical Homes
Mentor: Russell S. Phillips, M.D. (Harvard Medical School)
Co-Mentor: Bruce E. Landon, M.D. (Harvard Medical School)
Placement: Harvard Medical School
Biography at time of Harkness Fellowship: Ursula Koch, M.Sc., M.A., a 2013-14 Swiss Harkness/Careum Fellow in Health Care Policy and Practice, is head of the Division of National Prevention Program in the Federal Office of Public Health in Switzerland, where she oversees the implementation of the national prevention program in relation to nutrition, physical activity, alcohol, drugs, and child/youth health. Prior to this appointment, she was head of the Alcohol and Tobacco Section of the Federal Office of Public Health. In her positions, Koch has collaborated with the Swiss Government to contribute to the current health policy agenda 2020, developed national strategies for prevention and health promotion, and supervised national campaigns on alcohol prevention, tobacco control, and mental health. Koch holds a master’s of science from the University of Zurich and a master’s in organizational development and coaching from the Institut Systemische Impulse.
Project: Koch’s study will investigate five Academic Medicine Collaboratives that have sought to redesign their teaching practices and residency training to align with the Patient-Centered Medical Homes model. She will describe their characteristics, aims, context, interventions, and change model, and the lessons that can be taken away for other academic medical centers and collaboratives seeking to transform primary care. She will undertake a literature review, followed by site visits, observations and meeting participation, and semi-structured interviews with leaders at the different collaboratives.
Career Activity since Fellowship:
- Head, Division of National Prevention Program, Federal Office of Public Health
- Research Fellow, University of Zurich, Institute for Primary Care
Current Position: (updated 04/2017)
- Head of Directorate (Prevention, Care and Aftercare) and Member of the Managing Board, Swiss Cancer League
E-mail: [email protected]
Harkness Related Publications:
Hargreaves D, Greaves F, Levay C, Mitchell I, Koch U, Esch T, Denny S, Frich J, Struijs J, Sheikh A. “Comparison of healthcare experience and access between young and older adults in 11 high-income countries,” J Adolesc Health. 2015.