DUKE-MARGOLIS ANNOUNCES NEW ADVISORS TO JOIN CENTER’S BOARD

For Immediate Release

December 1, 2020
Contact: Patricia Green; Patricia.s.green@duke.edu; (c): 301-520-6482

DUKE-MARGOLIS ANNOUNCES NEW ADVISORS TO JOIN CENTER’S BOARD
Michelle McMurry-Heath, Rebekah Gee, Esther Krofah

Durham, NC—Three national health policy leaders are joining the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy Advisory Board. Michelle McMurry-Heath, Rebekah Gee, and Esther Krofah add to the Center’s current Board members who provide leadership, guidance, and support to further the Center’s mission, strategic goals, and operational activities.

“The Duke Health Policy Center Advisory Board is a key source of important insights and strategic advice to our whole Duke team,” said Duke-Margolis Founder Dr. Robert Margolis. “The addition of these three distinguished women to our Board adds meaningful and diverse views that will serve to further advance the important work of the Center. A warm welcome to Michelle, Esther and Rebekah.”

Rebekah Gee, MD, CEO Health Care Services for LSU Health—an obstetrician/gynecologist, Dr. Gee is the former Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, where her leadership resulted in over 500,000 Louisianans becoming newly insured under Louisiana’s Medicaid expansion, and many receiving much needed primary and preventive health care. Her Medicaid expansion dashboard to measure access to health care services became a national model. She is a national leader in tackling pharmaceutical pricing, including spearheading an innovative effort for a subscription model for drug access to eliminate hepatitis C in Louisiana.

Esther Krofah, MPP, Executive Director of FasterCures, a center of the Milken Institute—a Duke alumna and former GlaxoSmithKline director of public policy, Ms. Krofah led Federal engagement on broad health care policy issues, including leadership in improving vaccinations and care for people living with HIV. She has served as the deputy director of HHS’ Office of Health Reform, leading the development of regulatory priorities, including the health insurance marketplaces. Prior to HHS, Ms. Krofah served as a program director at the National Governors Association, working directly with governors' health policy advisors, state Medicaid directors, and state health commissioners on health insurance, health workforce, and Medicaid coverage issues.

Michelle McMurry-Heath, MD, PhD, President and CEO, BIO—a Duke alumna, physician, and molecular immunologist, Dr. McMurry-Heath led a Johnson & Johnson (J&J) global clinical and regulatory team of 900 with responsibilities in 150 countries and was instrumental in bringing the company’s incubator, JLabs, to Washington, DC. Prior to her time at J&J, Dr. McMurry-Heath was a key science policy leader in government, serving as associate science director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health under Commissioner Peggy Hamburg. In that role, she championed clinical trial evolution, the use of real-world evidence in product evaluation, and an embrace of the patient’s voice in health research so new medical products deliver outcomes that matter to them.

“This is a crucial moment for Duke-Margolis and the nation to hear from these distinguished experts on public health, state health care reform, and biomedical innovation to protect and safe lives. We are honored to have them join the Duke-Margolis team,” said Dr. Mark McClellan, director of Duke-Margolis.

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