PITTSBURGH, Sept. 21, 2010 – The University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences has named Everette James as associate vice chancellor for health policy and planning. James, currently serving as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, will assume this newly created position on Oct. 1.

James, who also will hold the title of professor of health policy and management, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, will be engaged in teaching, student advising, and collaborative research among all schools of the health sciences, as well as between the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC, in the area of health policy. He also will advise on legal issues related to new delivery models driven by health reform, and monitor, analyze and provide guidance on emerging health reform issues and reimbursement models.

“Everette James brings a deep understanding of health policy and planning and will play an instrumental role in furthering our relationships with governmental agencies and key health policy groups,” said Arthur S. Levine, M.D., senior vice chancellor for the health sciences and dean, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh. “Additionally, his experience as a respected advisor on policy and regulatory issues will be extremely valuable during this era of health care reform.”

As Secretary of Health since 2008, James has overseen the regulation of all hospitals, nursing homes and managed care plans in Pennsylvania, as well as the implementation of sweeping state and federal health reforms. Prior to his appointment as Secretary, James served as a senior advisor to the Governor, counseling on health care issues affecting the Commonwealth. Before joining the Commonwealth, James was partner in the Washington, D.C. law office of LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene and MacRae with a practice focused on health, safety and insurance regulatory and compliance matters. James also served as senior advisor and deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

James received a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a law degree and master of business administration, both from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

About the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences

The University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences include the schools of Medicine, Nursing, Dental Medicine, Pharmacy, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and the Graduate School of Public Health. The schools serve as the academic partner to the UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center). Together, their combined mission is to train tomorrow’s health care specialists and biomedical scientists, engage in groundbreaking research that will advance understanding of the causes and treatments of disease and participate in the delivery of outstanding patient care. Since 1997, Pitt and its affiliated university faculty have ranked among the top 10 educational institutions in grant support from the National Institutes of Health. For additional information about the Schools of the Health Sciences, please visit www.health.pitt.edu.