Time on Thursday released its inaugural Health Care 50 list, which recognizes doctors, scientists, political leaders, and business leaders who are transforming health care.
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How Time created the list
For the list, Time solicited nominations from its health reporters and editors and evaluated the nominations based on their originality, impact, and quality. Time recognized leaders in four areas: public health, treatments, cost, and technology.
The list is unranked, and honorees are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Health system leaders on the list
Time's Health Care 50 features several doctors and health system leaders, including:
- James Allison, an immunologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Tasuku Honjo, an immunologist at Kyoto University, who were honored for their 2018 Nobel Prize-winning discovery that the immune system can be used to attack cancer;
- Orrin Devinsky, a neurologist at NYU Langone Health, who was recognized for his discovery that purified CBD, a compound in marijuana, can reduce seizure frequency without producing marijuana's usual high;
- Atul Gawande, a surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital, who was recently tapped to lead Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase's new health care venture;
- Robert Grossman, dean of New York University School of Medicine, and trustee chair Kenneth Langone, who this year announced free tuition at the medical school;
- Bjarne Hansen and Gerd Kvale, clinical psychologists at Haukeland University Hospital in Norway, who were honored for their accelerated therapy model for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder;
- Sean Harper, executive VP at Amgen, who was honored for developing the first FDA-approved migraine-prevention drug;
- Tait Shanafelt, the first chief wellness officer for Stanford Medicine, who was recognized for his work to boost doctor morale;
- Ann McKee, a professor of neurology and pathology at Boston University School of Medicine, who was honored for her breakthrough in diagnosing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease typically found in football players and others with a history of brain trauma;
- Raj Panjabi, a Harvard Medical School professor, who was recognized for his work to improve rural health care;
- Giuliano Testa, a surgeon at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, who was honored for his fertility work; and
- Bernard J. Tyson, CEO of Kaiser Permanente, who was recognized for Kaiser's work to improve wellness in disadvantaged communities.
Politicians and policymakers on the list
Time's Health Care 50 also features several politicians and policymakers, including:
- San Francisco Mayor London Breed (D) and California state Assemblymember Susan Eggman (D), who are pushing for a bill to make San Francisco the first U.S. city to open a supervised injection facility;
- Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), who was recognized for her advocacy for breastfeeding mothers;
- FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who was recognized for his public health reforms around opioids, electronic cigarettes, and stem cell clinics; and
- Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey (D), who was recognized for her efforts to challenge reproductive health restrictions and fight the opioid epidemic ("The Health Care 50," Time, accessed 10/18; Time, 10/18).
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