Sarah Wiehe, M.D., MPH, a research scientist in the Center for Health Services Research at Regenstrief Institute and co-director of the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI), has been appointed to serve a four-year term on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Task force members are appointed by the secretary of Health and Human Services. Dr. Wiehe’s appointment began in January of 2024.
On the task force, Dr. Wiehe will work to improve the health of people nationwide by making evidence-based recommendations about clinical preventive services. Because the task force is an independent, volunteer panel of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine, they are equipped to suggest services such as screenings, counseling services and preventive medications.
Task force Chair Michael Barry, M.D., says Dr. Wiehe and the additional new members will bring the delivery of primary care expertise to the task force. He also says their specialized knowledge of preventive health issues and dedication to addressing health disparities will advance the task force’s mission of improving the health of people nationwide.
Dr. Wiehe is a pediatrician and public health researcher. Her research focuses on how poverty, associated social determinants of health and context influence health-risk behaviors and outcomes for children, adolescents and young adults. She leverages existing data to identify mechanisms and opportunities for intervention in order to improve health among vulnerable populations.
Dr. Wiehe is the Jean and Jerry Bepko professor of pediatrics and associate dean of community and translational research at IU School of Medicine. She is also an adjunct professor of epidemiology at IU Fairbanks School of Public Health.
In addition to Dr. Wiehe, the task force has also appointed two other members to serve on the task force: Sei Lee, M.D., MAS, and Tonette Krousel-Wood, M.D., MSPH.
About Regenstrief Institute
Founded in 1969 in Indianapolis, the Regenstrief Institute is a local, national and global leader dedicated to a world where better information empowers people to end disease and realize true health. A key research partner to Indiana University, Regenstrief and its research scientists are responsible for a growing number of major healthcare innovations and studies. Examples range from the development of global health information technology standards that enable the use and interoperability of electronic health records to improving patient-physician communications, to creating models of care that inform clinical practice and improve the lives of patients around the globe.
Sam Regenstrief, a nationally successful entrepreneur from Connersville, Indiana, founded the institute with the goal of making healthcare more efficient and accessible for everyone. His vision continues to guide the institute’s research mission.
