Fall 2020
RICE ECON
News and Views from the Economics Department at Rice
Greetings to all of our Economics students in Houston and around the world . As we all know too well , this has been a challenging semester like no other . We hope you and your families are coping well and that you are successfully completing your courses – and we thank those of you who are on campus for diligently following Rice ’ s COVID-19 safety protocols .
Hoping that the rest of your fall semester goes well ,
George Zodrow Chair , Economics Department
Vivian Ho Elected to National Academy of
Friday
Medicine
10:00 – 11:00 a . m .
Congratulations to faculty member Vivian Ho who was recently elected to the National Academy of Medicine ( NAM ) and thus attained one of the highest honors that can be granted to individuals working in the fields of health and medicine . New members are elected to NAM each year by its current members and are chosen to recognize major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences , health care , and public health as well as a commitment to service over their careers . Vivian was recognized by NAM for “ her scholarly work in providing insights on how economic factors and government regulations interact to influence the cost and quality of health care ,” and because , “ Her work has shaped policy on state Certificate of Need regulations , hospital antitrust , and free-standing emergency departments .”
Caught working on her lecture notes for her ongoing and perennially popular ECON 481 class in Health Economics , Vivian observed that , “ Throughout my career , studies conducted by NAM have influenced my thinking on all aspects of health and health care . I am excited to join this vibrant group of scholars who are dedicated to advancing science that delivers improved health and well-being for everyone .”
Advising Corner
Fall 2020 Advising Office Hours
Monday 12:30 – 1:30 p . m . Nina Bobkova ,
Zoom Link
Tuesday 2:00 – 3:00 p . m . Peter Hartley ,
Zoom Link
Wednesday 4:00 – 5:00 p . m James Brown ,
Zoom Link
Thursday 12:00 – 1:00 p . m . Maria Bejan ,
Zoom Link
In addition to her long-time role as a professor in the Economics Department , Ho is the James A . Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics , the director of the Institute ’ s Center for Health and Biosciences , and a professor in the Department of Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine . Her research has examined a wide variety of critical health issues , including the effects of economic incentives and regulations on the quality and costs of health care , including the effects of the Affordable Care Act on insurance coverage , the costs of and regional variation in cancer treatment , the effects of smoking bans on hospitalization rates , and the effects of shared savings programs for physicians on health care costs . She has published in a wide variety of healthcare and economics journals , and her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health , the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality , the Texas Medical Center Health Policy Institute , and the American Cancer Society . She serves on numerous boards and is a founding member of the board of the American Society of Health Economists .
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