Sharon Tapper, M.D., has been selected to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Innovation Advisors Program. The initiative, launched by the CMS Innovation Center in October 2011, will help health professionals deepen skills that will drive improvements to patient care and reduce costs. 
Dr. Tapper is one of 73 individuals from 27 states and the District of Columbia participating in the Innovation Advisors Program. After an initial orientation phase, Innovation Advisors will work with the CMS Innovation Center to test new models of care delivery in their own organizations and communities. They will also create partnerships to find new ideas that work and share them regionally and across the United States.
Funding for this initiative was made possible by the Affordable Care Act.
Dr. Tapper brings considerable expertise to the advisory board. She has served as medical director of Hospice of Santa Cruz County (2003-2010), medical director and creator of the Palliative Care Program at Dominican CHW Hospital (2004-present), and vice chief of staff at Dominican CHW Hospital in Santa Cruz (2009-2011). She is currently the chief of staff for Dominican CHW Hospital. Additionally, Dr. Tapper is the regional director of Inpatient Palliative Care for Sutter Health’s Peninsula Coastal Region, and the medical director and creator of outpatient Palliative Care and Support Services for the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. She earned her medical degree from the University of Maryland, and completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Tapper is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
“There has been an incredible groundswell of interest in becoming an Innovation Advisor. It’s clear that doctors, hospitals and health care providers are enthusiastic about implementing the Affordable Care Act and strengthening our health care system,” said CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner.
The 73 individuals were selected from 920 applications through a competitive process, and include clinicians, allied health professionals, health administrators and others. By attending in-person meetings as well as remote sessions to expand their skills and applying what they learn, the Advisors will be able to deepen their knowledge in health care economics and finance, population health, systems analysis, and operations research.
“We’re looking to these Innovation Advisors to be our partners—we want them to discover and generate new ideas that will work and help us bring them to every corner of the United States,” said CMS Innovation Center Director Rick Gilfillan, M.D.
Among other duties, the advisors will be expected to support the Innovation Center in testing new models of care delivery, to form partnerships with local organizations to drive delivery system reform, and to improve their own health systems so their communities will have better health and better care at a lower cost.
The Palo Alto Medical Foundation will receive a stipend of up to $20,000, which will be used to support Dr. Tapper’s activities while serving as an Innovation Advisor.
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