Welcome to Center for Advancing Health

CFAH Media Contact: Kafi Grigsby kgrigsby@cfah.org 202-387-2829

WASHINGTON — May 18, 2010, Clark University will present Jessie Gruman, president and founder Center for Advancing Health (CFAH) with an honorary Doctor of Science degree on Sunday, May 23 at its 105th commencement ceremony in Worcester, MA. Dr. Gruman will receive the degree for her advocacy "helping patients, physicians, and policy makers understand the critical connection between behavior and health." Dr. Gruman, a three-time cancer survivor, understands the critical role that patients play in the management of their health and making decisions about their health care. Her work supports policies and programs that help people engage actively and knowledgeably. In her most recent book, AfterShock- What to Do When the Doctor Gives You or Someone You Love- a Devastating Diagnosis, Dr. Gruman offers patients advice about seeking care, and provides them with resources to direct their treatment in the days and weeks following a life-threatening diagnosis.

“Dr. Gruman knows from her own experiences that people have to do a lot to get good care,” said Douglas Kamerow, MD, MPH, Chief Scientist, Health Services and Policy Research, RTI International, and Chair of the Board of Trustees, Center for Advancing Health. “We’re proud that both she and her work— educating people about challenges all of us face using health care— have been recognized by this prestigious university.”

Dr. Gruman has also received honorary degrees from Brown University, Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, New York University, Northeastern University, Salve Regina University, and Tulane University and the Presidential Medal of The George Washington University.

She is the author of three books: Behavior Matters (Health Behavior Media, 2008), The Experience of the American Patient: Risk, Trust, Choice (Health Behavior Media, 2009) and AfterShock - What to Do When the Doctor Gives You or Someone You Love - a Devastating Diagnosis (Walker Publishing, 2nd Edition, 2010). She is a member of the Society for Behavioral Medicine, the Association for Psychological Science and the Council on Foreign Relations. For more information about Dr. Gruman and the Center for Advancing Health, visit www.cfah.org.

About the Center for Advancing Health (CFAH)
The Center for Advancing Health (CFAH) is committed to creating an America where everyone is prepared to live a healthy life and make good choices about health and health care. Since 1992, CFAH has worked to translate complex scientific evidence into information, policies and programs that will ensure that each person can make good decisions about their health and interact effectively with their health care providers. CFAH is an independent non-profit organization that is supported by a number of foundations (principally the Annenberg Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation) and individuals. For additional information visit: www.cfah.org.

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