Claire D. Brindis, Dr. P.H., is Professor of Pediatrics and Health Policy, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Medicine and the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Health Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She is Associate Director of the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies at UCSF (and serving as Interim Director as of August 2007.) She is also Executive Director of the National Adolescent Health Information Center and Associate Director of the Policy Information and Analysis Center for Middle Childhood and Adolescence; both organizations are sponsored by the Division of Adolescent Medicine and the Institute for Health Policy Studies (IHPS) and funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She is also a Director of the Bixby Center for Reproductive Health Research and Policy in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and IHPS, UCSF. Dr. Brindis is currently chairing the UCSF Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on the Status of Women (CACSW).
Dr. Brindis’ research focuses on program evaluation and the translation of research into policy. For example, Dr. Brindis is working with a multi-disciplinary, campus-wide team in launching and evaluating UCSF’s Clinical and Translational Sciences Initiative (CTSI). The CTSI will focus on assuring that bench and clinical research are more closely aligned and that translation of those research findings are more quickly diffused into community practice-all aimed at improving the health of the public.
Dr. Brindis’ specific content expertise is in the areas of: adolescent and child health policy, adolescent pregnancy and pregnancy prevention, reproductive health services for men and women, school-based and integrated health and social services. In the area of reproductive health, Dr. Brindis has led a multidisciplinary evaluation team evaluating California’s Office of Family Planning’s Family PACT program, a Federal 1115 Medicaid waiver. Evaluation findings indicate that this program has successfully served over a million women and men, helping to avert approximately 200,000 pregnancies per year. For every dollar spent on the program, an estimated savings of $5.83 in medical and social costs is realized through the prevention of unintended pregnancies up to five years after birth.
Other research projects include evaluations of the state of California’s comprehensive teenage pregnancy prevention programs, and evaluations of policy coalitions devoted to environmental health and asthma, as well as community clinics. Dr. Brindis is also spearheading an evaluation of the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Journalism, Health Disparities Media Fellowship Program, (the latter three evaluations are funded by The California Endowment).
Dr. Brindis co-authored a statewide comprehensive strategic plan for California, “Investing in Adolescent Health: A Social Imperative for California’s Future.” (http://californiateenhealth.org) and a “Guidebook for Evaluating School-Based Health Centers” ( http://www.nasbhc.org). She has also co-authored a monograph on implementing the Healthy People 2010 Adolescent Health Objectives, with the CDC and the Federal Bureau of Maternal and Child Health, “Improving Adolescent Health: A Guidebook for States and Communities.” ( http://nahic.ucsf.edu). Other recent monographs include: “A Future with Promise: A Chartbook on Latino Adolescent Reproductive Health.” (http://crhrp.ucsf.edu), and “Young People’s Health Care: A National Imperative” (http://www.nihcm.org).
Dr. Brindis is past chair of the Population, Family Planning and Reproductive Health Section of the American Public Health Association (2003-2004) and the Board of Directors for Advocates for Youth, Washington D.C. (2003-2005). Dr. Brindis also serves on the Steering Committee of the CDC’s National Health Objectives for the Year 2010.
Dr. Brindis was honored by the California Department of Health Services with the 2000 Beverlee A. Myers Award for Excellence in Public Health, and was recognized by a California State Senate Resolution for her achievements. In 2001, Dr. Brindis was also honored by the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, Washington, DC, with the annual John C. MacQueen Lecture Award. In 2005, Dr. Brindis received the Federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau Director's Award: “In Recognition of Contributions Made to the Health of Infants, Mothers, Children, Adolescents & Children with Special Needs.” |
