2007 ARM Summary

The 2007 Annual Research Meeting (ARM) provided a venue for researchers to share vital research that will help improve people's access to high-quality care and ultimately save lives with policymakers and providers who can put the research into action.

The meeting, held June 3-5 in Orlando, included research and policy presentations related to 21 themes in 143 breakout sessions, including universal health care, state innovations, consumer engagement, emerging technologies, and disparities.

Keynote speaker, David M. Cutler, Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics and Dean for the Social Sciences at Harvard University and author of Your Money Or Your Life: Strong Medicine for America's Health Care System kicked off this informative meeting with a discussion about the value proposition of health care and a high value system. His speech, highlighted the economics of poor quality, and presented a framework involving cooperation and competition, and regional initiatives aimed at improving quality of care.

“I think of cost and quality as flipsides of the coin, that is, those are things we need to think about together. [We need to] make sure that what we're spending is worth it and what we're giving up is not worth it,” he said.

The meeting also offered cutting edge research, more than 50 percent of which was peer reviewed; top-notch speakers and experts; policy roundtable debates; skill building methods workshops; career training; and networking opportunities. In addition, 14 interest groups held pre- and post-conference meetings. Each meeting served as a forum for members to share information, network with their peers, and learn more about specific topics.

The meeting continued the trend of increased student participation. Students were able to take advantage of special opportunities to:

• Network with nationally known experts in health services research, policy, management, and clinical practice at the Meet-the-Experts student breakfast;
• Learn about winning strategies for obtaining funding for their research projects and how to build a career in health services research at the career building workshops; and
• Access professional training and job opportunities and fellowships, receive continuing education credits, and resume review by experts in the health services field.

“As we planned this year's meeting, I was struck by the many ways this forum creates opportunities to learn from and with one another,” said 2007 ARM Conference Chair Jon Christianson, Ph.D., the James A. Hamilton Chair in Health Policy and Management in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota.

The AcademyHealth Awards
During the luncheon plenaries, AcademyHealth recognized new and veteran research and policy professionals through its awards program. The prestigious awards recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the fields of health services research and health policy. The following awards were presented:

• Distinguished investigator award to Mark V. Pauly, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania;
• Alice S. Hersh New Investigator Award to Kevin Volpp, M.D., Ph.D., CHERP/University of Pennsylvania;
• Article-of-the-year award to John Hsu, M.D., M.B.A., M.S.C.E., Kaiser Permanente/ University of California, San Francisco;
• Dissertation award to Benjamin Le Cook, M.P.H., Ph.D., Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.; and
• Best student poster award to Marguerite E. Burns, PhD Candidate at the Department of Population Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health.

AcademyHealth's Annual Research Meeting (ARM) brings together health services researchers, providers, and key decision makers to address the critical challenges confronting the nation's health care delivery system. The 2008 ARM will be held June 8-10, at the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, DC. We look forward to seeing you next year!