Joshua Liao appointed Associate Chair for Health Systems

In this role, Liao will lead the development of a Department of Medicine health systems program that promotes the design, evaluation and dissemination of health systems innovations, lead efforts to create health systems-related collaborations between the department and partners within UW School of Medicine, UW Medicine, WWAMI and other units within the University, assist the chair and other department leaders on health systems analyses or strategies relevant to the operations of the department, and represent the department in UW Medicine workgroups or committees convened around health systems issues.

“I am enthusiastic about this new position and the skills, experience, and leadership qualities that Josh will bring to it,” said Department Chair Dr. Barbara Jung. “He will also play an important role in the implementation of new programs and initiatives as part of the departmental strategic plan.”

Liao is also Medical Director of Payment Strategy at UW Medicine, and an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health in the UW School of Public Health.

He completed medical school at Baylor College of medicine and trained in internal medicine at Brigham & Women’s Hospital where he was also a Clinical Fellow in Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics in the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he obtained his health services and policy training.

Liao is a national expert in health care payment and delivery policy. He provides this expertise on a national level through service as a Commissioner on the US Department of Health and Human Services' Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC), as well as an advisor to the American Medical Association's RVU Update Committee (RUC). As a PTAC Commissioner, he is charged with evaluating value-based alternative payment models and providing recommendations to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.