UPMC Health Plan’s James Schuster, MD, MBA Appointed to Governing Board of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

Pittsburgh (September 25, 2020) – Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), has appointed James Schuster, MD, MBA, Associate Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Medical and Behavioral Services at UPMC Health Plan and Chief Medical Officer of Community Care Behavioral Health, to the Governing Board of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).

“This is wonderful honor for Dr. Schuster, and he brings a wealth of clinical experience and leadership to the PCORI Governing Board,” said Diane Holder, president and CEO of UPMC Health Plan. “One of his unique strengths is his broad health system perspective, coupled with a deep understanding of its critical components. He is particularly adept at conceptualizing system level approaches and aligning priorities among multiple stakeholders. This strength, along with his strong commitment to always placing the concerns of patients first, will be a great asset in advancing PCORI’s vital work in the years ahead.”

Dr. Schuster is the Associate Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Medical and Behavioral Sciences for the UPMC Insurance Services Division and the Chief Medical Officer of Community Care Behavioral Health Organization, a behavioral health managed care organization and subsidiary of UPMC. In these roles, he provides leadership for medical services as well as strategies that integrate approaches to medical and behavioral health. Dr. Schuster is also responsible for overseeing the UPMC Center for High-Value Health Care, which has a broad research portfolio on a variety of themes, including integrated care, shared decision making, and medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorders. He has served as a principal investigator on several of the Center’s awards. Dr. Schuster earned his MD from the University of Louisville and his MBA at the University of Pittsburgh, where he is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry. He is board certified in psychiatry and in the subspecialties of geriatric and addiction psychiatry.

PCORI is an independent, nonprofit organization authorized by Congress in 2010. Its mission is to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers, and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed health care decisions.

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About UPMC Insurance Services

Serving more than 3.9 million members, UPMC Insurance Services is owned and operated by UPMC, a world-renowned health care provider and insurer based in Pittsburgh, Pa. UPMC Insurance Services includes commercial products from UPMC Health Plan for groups as well as individuals. Commercial products also include workers' compensation and employee assistance from nationally known Workpartners. Government products include Medicare Advantage (UPMC for Life); special needs plans for those eligible for Medicare and Medical Assistance (UPMC for Life CompleteCare and UPMC Community HealthChoices); Medical Assistance (UPMC for You); and Children's Health Insurance Program (UPMC for Kids). Community Care Behavioral Health, one of the nation's largest managed care behavioral health organizations. For more information, visit www.upmchealthplan.com.