News Releases

University of Maryland School of Nursing Faculty Member Appointed to Federal Methodology Committee

February 3, 2011

Baltimore, Md. – The University of Maryland School of Nursing is proud to announce that Robin P. Newhouse, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, associate professor and assistant dean for the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, was among the 15 members appointed to the Methodology Committee of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) by Comptroller General Gene L. Dodaro, head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Newhouse was the only nurse selected for the newly-formed committee.

“The Methodology Committee has the responsibility of helping PCORI develop and update methodological standards and guidance for comparative clinical effectiveness research,” said Dodaro. “The men and women named to the committee bring impressive credentials and experience to this important task.”

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act authorized PCORI as a non-profit corporation to assist patients, clinicians, purchasers, and policymakers in making informed health decisions by providing quality, relevant evidence on how best to prevent, diagnose, treat, and monitor diseases and other health conditions.

The Act directs the Comptroller General to appoint up to 15 members to PCORI’s Methodology Committee.  In addition to the 15 appointed members, the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Director of the National Institutes of Health, or their designees, will also serve on the committee.

“I am honored to be appointed to the PCORI Methodology Committee,” said Newhouse. “As a scientist and a nurse, I can contribute to the development of methodological standards that will inform interventions and processes and improve health care outcomes.”

#  #  #

The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools, and is ranked seventh nationally.  Enrolling more than 1,700 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.