
Research Team
Robert Saunders, PhD
Contact
Focus Areas
Degrees
Postdoctoral Fellowship (Medical Physics), Duke University
PhD (Physics), Duke University
B.S. (Physics), College of William and Mary
Dr. Saunders is Senior Research Director, Health Care Transformation at Duke-Margolis. In this role, he directs a portfolio of payment and delivery reform initiatives, which focus on ACOs, alternative payment models for specialty care, new payment and delivery approaches for serious illness care, and translating evidence to policy-relevant options.
Prior to joining Duke-Margolis, Dr. Saunders was a Senior Director and then Senior Advisor to the President of the National Quality Forum, where he managed a large federally-funded project that provided recommendations on more than 200 quality measures for 20 different federal programs in a period of two months. As Senior Advisor, he directed special projects on topics including data, payment reform, systems engineering, and future of healthcare quality measurement. There, he authored targeted communications to translate the organization’s technical work for a broad audience, including journal perspectives, white papers, and blogs and supported the development of new funding opportunities, including developing relationships with foundations and authoring concept papers and proposals. He was previously Senior Program Officer at the Institute of Medicine and managed health care legislative affairs for Representative Rush D. Holt.
He has previously served as an adjunct professorial lecturer at American University and the Duke University Program in Medical Physics. He served on the Duke University Board of Trustees from 2005-2007.
Case Study
Exemplary Integrated Pain Management Programs: University of Vermont Medical Center Comprehensive Pain Program
Jonathan Gonzalez-Smith, Katie Huber, Robert Saunders, Christine Goertz, Trevor Lentz
2021
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A Roadmap for Effective State Leadership in Value-Based Payment Reform
Mark Japinga, Hannah Crook, Elizabeth Singletary, Robert Saunders, Mark McClellan
2020
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A Roadmap to Accelerate National Value-Based Payment Reform: Filling in the Missing Pieces
Mark Japinga, Corinna Sorenson, Jonathan O’Donnell, Hannah Crook, Elizabeth Singletary, Robert Saunders, Mark McClellan
2020
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Maintaining Progress Toward Accountable Care And Payment Reform During A Pandemic, Part 1: Utilization And Financial Impact
William K. Bleser Elizabeth Singletary Hannah L. Crook Jonathan Gonzalez-Smith Robert S. Saunders Mark B. McClellan
2020
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Maintaining Progress Toward Accountable Care And Payment Reform During A Pandemic, Part 2: Immediate Issues And Short-Term Actions
William K. Bleser Elizabeth Singletary Hannah L. Crook Jonathan Gonzalez-Smith Robert S. Saunders Mark B. McClellan
2020
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Leveraging Payment Reforms For COVID-19 And Beyond: Recommendations For Medicare ACOs And CMS’s Interim Final Rule
Hannah L. Crook Robert S. Saunders William K. Bleser Travis Broome David Muhlestein Mark B. McClellan
2020
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How Are ACOs Prioritizing Palliative Care And Other Serious Illness Strategies?
Rachel Roiland William K. Bleser David Muhlestein Robert S. Saunders
2020
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Current Evidence on Health Behavior Incentives in the Medicaid Program
Rob Saunders, Madhu Vulimiri, Mark Japinga, William Bleser, Charlene Wong
2018
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Value Innovations by Employers: Examples Beyond Cost Sharing
Andrew Olson, Mark Japinga, Hannah Crook, Robert Saunders, Donald H. Taylor, Jr.
2018
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Innovations in Medicare Advantage to Improve Care for Seriously Ill Patients
Andrew Olson, Matthew Harker, Robert Saunders, Donald H. Taylor, Jr.
2019
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ACO Serious Illness Care: Survey And Case Studies Depict Current Challenges And Future Opportunities
William K. Bleser, Robert S. Saunders, Lia Winfield, Mark Japinga, Nathan Smith,
Brystana G. Kaufman, Hannah L. Crook, David B. Muhlestein, and Mark McClellan
2019
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Why Do Accountable Care Organizations Leave The Medicare Shared Savings Program?
William K. Bleser, Robert S. Saunders, David B. Muhlestein, and Mark McClellan
2019
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A Proposal To Support ACOs With Crucial Analytics
Jeffrey D. Clough Steven Lippmann Chantelle Hardy Bradley Hammill Melissa Greiner Lesley H. Curtis Robert S. Saunders Mark B. McClellan Eugenie Komives
2019
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Engaging Beneficiaries In Medicaid Programs That Incentivize Health-Promoting Behaviors
Madhulika Vulimiri, William K. Bleser, Robert S. Saunders, Farrah Madanay, Connor Moseley, F. Hunter McGuire, Peter A. Ubel, Aaron McKethan, Mark McClellan, and Charlene A. Wong
2019
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Medicaid and CHIP Child Health Beneficiary Incentives: Program Landscape and Stakeholder Insights
Connor A. Moseley, Madhulika Vulimiri, Robert S. Saunders, William K. Bleser, Eliana M. Perrin, Sarah C. Armstrong, Gary X. Wang, Peter A. Ubel, Mark McClellan and Charlene A. Wong
Pediatrics, 2019
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The Evolving Payment Reform Landscape: New Opportunities for Gastroenterology Leadership
Mark Japingam Robert Saunders, Ziad F.Gellad, MarkMcClellan
2017
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