Fellowship Opportunities for Advancing Health Equity
November 28, 2022 · Andy Reynolds
Researchers eager to work and learn at the forefront of quality and health equity have until January 31, 2023, to apply for the Phyllis Torda Health Care Quality and Equity Fellowship.
The Torda Fellowship is one way NCQA trains the next generation of quality leaders.
We seek candidates who want to grow by:
• Researching health care quality and equity.
• Learning about national health care policy and quality measurement.
Honoring Phyllis
The Fellowship celebrates the life and work of Phyllis Torda, a leader and mentor to many at NCQA from 1995–2015.
Phyllis was an enthusiastic champion for change and was devoted to improving American health care. She promoted:
• Use of electronic health records.
• Patient-reported outcomes for performance measurement.
• New ways to evaluate physician quality.
NCQA seeks candidates who embody Phyllis’ passion for health care quality research and policy.
The Phyllis Torda Fellow will work on critical issues related to quality and equity, including:
• Health care disparities.
• Social needs.
• Telehealth and health information technology.
• Patient-reported outcomes.
• Behavioral health.
• Primary care.
• Chronic disease management.
• Maternal health.
• Value-based care and payment.
The Fellow will:
• Be mentored by NCQA senior staff.
• Participate in educational programs.
• Learn by doing research projects.
• Network with thought leaders.
An Equity Opportunity
Fellows participate in one of two tracks:
• Quantitative Research Track: This track is intended for doctoral-trained candidates with strong research and data analytics training, with an emphasis on quantitative methods. Fellows support ongoing NCQA research projects and proposals selected based on their learning objectives and research background. NCQA projects and proposals cover a variety of health care quality topics. These include health equity, social needs, health and social care coordination, telehealth, patient-centered care and behavioral health.
• Translational Research Track: This track is intended for master’s or doctoral-trained candidates who are interested in translational policy- or practice-focused health care research. Fellows support ongoing NCQA projects and proposals based on their individual learning objectives and experience. Fellows will work to identify, synthesize and apply evidence-based research and theory from a broad range of disciplines and health-related data sources, for problem-solving and to advance programs, policies and systems. NCQA has a variety of projects that intersect with measurement development, policy and products related to health promotion, disease management, health information technology, equitable health care, population health management, case management, long-term services and supports and the patient-centered medical home.
The fellowship is an exciting professional development opportunity for highly qualified, self-motivated individuals who are in early in their careers.
NCQA recognizes that strength comes through diversity. We welcome applicants with diverse backgrounds, experiences and identities. In particular, we encourage applicants who meet the eligibility criteria from the following historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups:
• American Indian/Alaskan Native.
• African American/Black.
• Asian American.
• Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander.
• Hispanic/Latinx.
Current Torda Fellows Portia Buchongo and Whitney Graves are working, respectively, on:
- Equitable diabetes care, and integrated primary and behavioral health care.
- Equitable maternal health care, and telehealth’s equity implications for maternal health during the pandemic.
Previous Torda Fellows have moved on to substantial roles in quality and public health:
• Andrew Anderson, Assistant Professor, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
• Keri Christensen, Director of Strategy Implementation, NCQA.
• Philip Saynisch, Lead Research Scientist, Independence Blue Cross.
• Kevin Wiley, Assistant Professor, Medical University of South Carolina.
Applications are due by January 31 , 2023.
Or contact us at fellowship@ncqa.org to learn more.
