Helen Burstin, MD, MPH, MACP

Chief Executive Officer, Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS)

Helen Burstin, MD, MPH, MACP is the Chief Executive Officer of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS), a coalition of 48 specialty societies representing more than 800,000 physicians. As the national organization of specialty societies, CMSS provides a forum to address emerging issues across specialties that influence the future of healthcare and the patients we serve. Representing every specialty, from primary care to surgery, CMSS catalyzes improvement across specialties through convening, collaborating, and collective action.

Dr. Burstin formerly served as Chief Scientific Officer of The National Quality Forum (NQF). Prior to joining NQF, she was the Director of the Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Prior to joining AHRQ, Dr. Burstin was an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and served as Director of Quality Measurement at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She is the author of more than 100 articles and book chapters on quality, safety, equity, and measurement. Dr. Burstin currently serves on the boards of AcademyHealth and the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine. A graduate of the State University of New York at Upstate College of Medicine and the Harvard School of Public Health, Dr. Burstin completed her residency training in primary care internal medicine at Boston City Hospital and fellowship in General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

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