Robert Phillips, MD, MSPH

Dr. Robert Phillips is well known throughout the health policy community as an effective leader, communicator, and investigator. Under his leadership, the Robert Graham Center emerged as an authoritative source of information to guide policy, particularly as it relates to primary care and all of its features that are crucial to improving the cost-effectiveness of health care.   In 2012, Dr. Phillips moved to the American Board of Family Medicine Vice President for Research and Policy to contribute to the research base underpinning primary care improvement, and to continue as a translator of evidence into policy.

Bob has deep experience in designing and implementing health services research pertinent to policy development and a history of prodigious productivity. His passion for underserved populations is born of growing up in a rural community that is both a Health Professions Shortage Area and Medically Underserved Area, currently served by two Rural Health Clinics. It was bolstered by working in a Federally Qualified Health Center imbedded in a Federal Housing Project.   Dr. Phillips’ research and policy experience led him to his selection by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to serve on a Federal Negotiated Rule Making Committee for the redesignation of shortage and underservice areas. He also recently completed a month-long consultation to the Australian National University and Australian Government on the data systems they need to implement new geographically-organized population health systems. He consults at local, state, national, and international levels and also serves as a role model for aspiring students and fellows.

Bob recently served as Vice-Chair of the US Council on Graduate Medical Education and continues to advise Federal and State governments on health education policy. Dr. Phillips’ recent leadership of workforce studies for AHRQ produced primary care workforce estimates embraced by both HRSA and ASPE, and are now being presented on the AHRQ website. He is currently principal investigator on a study of Graduate Medical Education accountability measures which will inform issues of stewardship related to $13 billion spent on these programs annually.

Dr. Phillips is a graduate of the Missouri University of Science and Technology and the University Of Florida College Of Medicine. He completed residency training in family medicine as well as health services research and public health training at the University of Missouri. He was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science in 2010.