Lucy A Savitz

Contributions to Public Health

• Partnership Science: I've led applied research in delivery systems for >35 years, via AHRQ's Integrated Delivery System Research Network and continuing through multiple ACTION awards. My partnership science work, including my paper and leadership on AHRQ's Subcommittee, and shared governance model used by the High Value Healthcare Collaborative. This approach significantly impacted the Intermountain-led Hospital Engagement Network, preventing over 14,000 adverse events and saving the nation over $187 million. I continued this work from an ecosystem perspective.
  • LA Savitz, SL Moore, W Biffl, C Price and H Gilmartin.  “A Participatory Research Approach to Reducing Surgical Site Infections (SSIs):  Development of an Automated SSI Surveillance Tool, ” in Battles, JB, Cleeman, JI, Kahn KK, and Weinberg DA (Editors), Advances in the Prevention and Control of Health Care-Associated Infections, Rockville, MD:  Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US), https://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/quality-patient-safety/patient-safety-resources/resources/advances-in-hai/hai-article17.html, AHRQ Publication No. 14-0003, June, 2014.
  • Savitz LA.  “Managing Effective Participatory Research Partnerships.”  Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Safety, 33(12 Suppl):7-15, 2007.
• Dissemination and Implementation: Having completed over 21 AHRQ contracts, I've developed a nuanced understanding of dissemination and implementation across diverse healthcare settings. My experience, including work with HEN and HVHC, highlights the importance of inclusive strategies that accommodate varying starting points. As a former IHI faculty member, I've disseminated QI tools globally, adapting them for different national healthcare systems. I've also fostered regional healthcare improvement through HSR meetings in Utah and now Oregon.
  • Savitz LA and LT Weiss. “A Data Driven Approach to Achieving High Value Healthcare.” eGEMs (Generating Evidence & Methods to improve patient outcomes), 5(3):1, 2017. http://doi.org/10.5334/egems.241
  • Fisher ES, SM Shortell and LA Savitz.  “Implementation Science, A Potential Catalyst for Delivery System Reform.” JAMA, 315(4):339-340, 2016.  
• Evidence-based Learning Health System: As Senior Scientist and AVP at Intermountain Healthcare, I led strategic planning and health services research, focusing on care quality, affordability, and access. I also guided efforts in physician compensation reform and use of patient reported measures. As VP at Kaiser Permanente Northwest, I built a functional LHS to support evidence-based decision making. Nationally, I lead the AcademyHealth LHS Interest Group and am a Board member of the Learning Health Community.
  • Savitz, LA, SM Greene, MK Gould, HS Luft.  The Right Stuff:  Getting the right data at the right time and using that data to drive evidence-based practice and policy, Learning Health Systems, published on-line May 27, 2024
  • Guise JM, LA Savitz, CP Friedman. “Mind the Gap: Putting Evidence into Practice in the Era of Learning Health Systems.” Journal of General Internal Medicine, 33(12):2237-2239, Dec, 2018.