This spring, CHRT packed up and moved just a couple of miles down the street, still on Plymouth Road, to Arbor Lakes near the University of Michigan North Campus Research Complex (NCRC), a hub for translational research.

At Arbor Lakes, CHRT is joining many other University of Michigan centers and institutes in a warm and welcoming complex of brick buildings with abundant natural light and landscaping.

While staff will miss CHRT’s old home in the Plymouth Building, they’re pleased with the new facilities, which are, in the words of CHRT’s director, Terrisca Des Jardins, “bright, light, and crisp.”

CHRT’s new suite, and shared facilities throughout the Arbor Lakes complex, are well-designed for public gatherings. One shared conference room, in fact, seats close to 150 people in a domed room with terrific A/V technology.

Our new office is just a few blocks from our old one, and it’s a great place for us to be. CHRT hopes to host you at our new facility soon. In the meantime, please make a note of our new address:

4251 Plymouth road
Arbor Lakes 1, Suite 2000
Ann Arbor, MI 48105-3640

 

 

At CHRT, we’re always looking for new ways to improve our team. One of the ways we do this is by continuing to add experts, which is why we’re so excited to welcome two new members of our team—Lisa Jeun and Poonam Yadav.

Lisa Jeun is an accountant at CHRT, responsible for managing all accounts payable and accounts receivable. She is also preparing the monthly and year-end financial reports and maintaining records and schedules required for annual external audit and tax reporting. Yeun holds a master’s degree in accounting from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and dual bachelor’s degree in accounting from Eastern Michigan University and Keimyung University, South Korea. 

Poonam Yadav is a member of CHRT’s research and evaluation team with responsibilities for the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion and Deflection (LEADD) program evaluation, Michigan Physicians Survey development and analysis, and the Promotion of Health Equity project. Yadav earned her master’s in public administration from Wayne State University, and is certified in data science (IBM), survey data collection and analysis (University of Maryland), and opioid crisis prevention, education, and practice for non-prescribing providers (University of Michigan).

Welcome to the team, Lisa Jeun and Poonam Yadav!

 

Since 2015, Dr. John Z. Ayanian has been an active and engaged member of CHRT’s Board of Directors. After two consecutive terms of service, Ayanian will step down from the role this month. CHRT is deeply grateful for Ayanian’s service and pleased to report that Dr. Renuka Tipirneni has been chosen to replace Ayanian on the board. 

“As a medical doctor and health sciences researcher with significant expertise in public policy, John has shared his tremendous expertise on the impact of health policy, practice, and payment reforms on patient health outcomes,” says Lynda Rossi, chair of the CHRT Board.

Ayanian also brought connections to hundreds of scientists at one of the world’s largest groups of health care and health policy researchers, the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation (IHPI), which Ayanian directs at the University of Michigan.

“We’re so grateful for John’s many contributions to CHRT,” says Terrisca Des Jardins, CHRT’s executive director. “His knowledge, insights, and dedication have been fundamental to CHRT’s growth over the years.” 

Dr. Renuka Tipirneni is, like Ayanian, a medical doctor and health services researcher at the University of Michigan with significant expertise in public policy. Tipirneni’s research focuses on the impact of health care reform on low-socioeconomic status, racial/ethnic minority, aging, and other vulnerable populations. 

Tipirneni is a co-investigator on the evaluation of Michigan’s Healthy Michigan Plan Medicaid expansion and is the Co-Director of a collaborative quality initiative (CQI), the Michigan Social Health Interventions to Eliminate Disparities (MSHIELD). The new initiative is funded by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and is being launched in conjunction with the Health Equity Project, which aims to help Michigan counties reduce health disparities by addressing pressing social needs such as housing instability, food insecurity, and transportation . She is also a recipient of a National Institute on Aging career development award for examining the impact of insurance coverage expansion on near-retirement age adults. 

“Renu is known for translating research into evidence-based health policies and practices, and sharing lessons learned across states,” says Rossi. “We’re thrilled that she will bring this expertise to CHRT’s board.” 

“Renu is a CHRT Health Policy Fellow alumna, has collaborated with CHRT staff on survey work and numerous publications, and is working with CHRT on the newly launched Health Equity Project,” says Terrisca Des Jardins, executive director of CHRT. “The CHRT team and I are incredibly grateful for Renu’s long-standing relationship and willingness to take on this expanded role.”

“Partnering with CHRT has been a signature blessing of my career,” says Tipirneni, “from working on my first survey analyses, to learning with state policymakers in the CHRT policy fellowship, to many years later launching a statewide initiative to address social determinants of health in Michigan. I look forward to contributing to the next phase of CHRT’s activities and continued valuable impact on our communities and state.”