A Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) specialist in health informatics has been named to Georgia’s new Task Force on Healthcare Access and Cost. Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan announced the 16 members of the task force, which includes Jon Duke, director of Georgia Tech’s Center for Health Analytics and Informatics, and principal research scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).
The group will pinpoint improvements that can be made to tackle the cost and access burdens to healthcare across Georgia. Specifically, the task force will evaluate: 1) price transparency and other free market solutions; 2) data and technology utilization; and 3) employer innovation. Duncan will chair the group, which will hold three meetings before the start of the legislative session in January 2020.
Duke received an M.D. from Harvard Medical School and an M.S. in human-computer interaction from Indiana University. At Georgia Tech, he holds faculty appointments in the Georgia Tech Research Institute and the College of Computing.
“Healthcare is a concern for all Georgians, and I am pleased to participate in this effort led by the lieutenant governor,” Duke said. “Innovations in data analytics and informatics are an important part of the discussion as we move forward in providing healthcare solutions.”
Other members of the task force include:
Duke leads Georgia Tech’s initiative to improve human health through better capture, interpretation, and applications of data. The effort incorporates a spectrum of expertise including machine learning, natural language processing, high-performance computing, sensors, cybersecurity, and health data interoperability.
Before joining Georgia Tech, Duke was senior scientist and director of health analytics and advanced text mining at the Regenstrief Center for Biomedical Informatics in Indianapolis.