Spotlight on Our Faculty : Vivian Ho
Vivian Ho , James A . Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics and Professor of Economics
Research Areas : Health Economics and Industrial Organization
Vivian Ho is the James A . Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics , Director of the Baker Institute Center for Health and Biosciences , and Professor in the Economics Department at Rice University , and a professor in the Department of Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine . Her research examines the effects of economic incentives and regulations on the quality and costs of health care and is widely published in economics , medical and health services research journals . Ho ’ s research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality , the American Cancer Society , and the National Cancer Institute . Her course on Health Economics is a perennial favorite among Rice undergrads .
You were recently elected to the National Academy of Medicine ( NAM ). What are the criteria for this honor and how has your election affected you ?
The NAM elects no more than 90 regular members and 10 international members annually . Membership is based upon distinguished professional achievement in a field related to medicine and health ; demonstrated and continued involvement with the issues of health care , prevention of disease , education , or research ; and skills and resources likely to contribute to achieving the Academy ’ s mission . I ’ m humbled by the recognition by many of my peers in NAM , and I am looking forward to participating in NAM ’ s work . The Academy organizes multiple committees each year , researching and writing on timely issues ranging from genomic medicine to public health . I ’ m excited to learn about cutting edge medicine from the best minds in the country .
How did you first become interested in health economics ?
I stumbled into health economics by accident . I knew that I was interested in industrial organization while in graduate school , and I was struggling to do research on the newspaper industry . Late one evening , one of my more opinionated professors poked his head into my office and said that newspapers were boring . He said he had just been talking with a colleague about the Medicare Hospice Benefit , and that I should research the hospice industry . Studying end-of-life care seemed foreign to me at first , but it turned out to be fascinating . And I was able to enter the field of health economics just as it was taking off in the U . S .
Can you us give a brief summary of your field of research ?
My research examines the effect of economic incentives and regulations on the quality and cost of healthcare . I ’ ve published several papers measuring the “ volume-outcome relationship ” where I was testing whether hospitals or surgeons that performed complex operations more frequently had better outcomes . I found that the link wasn ’ t strong enough to justify state regulations or recommendations to centralize complex surgery at a smaller number of locations . That centralization can reduce competition and raise prices for patients , with little or no health benefits .
What are some of your favorite current research projects and what impact do you hope your research achieves ?
Healthcare costs have continued to escalate throughout my career , which is why we have so many Americans who can ’ t afford health insurance . I now choose research topics that have the potential to restrain cost growth . Recently I ’ ve published a series of papers showing how freestanding emergency departments and vertical integration of physicians and hospitals raise costs for patients . I ’ m now looking at upcoding of emergency room visits , as well as the growing costs for trauma care . I am deeply puzzled by the lack of success by employers to control the costs of employer-sponsored health insurance , and I am tackling this issue with the help of the Houston Business Coalition on Health and the National Academy for State Health Policy . I hope to shape policy recommendations that will reduce the growth in U . S . healthcare costs to a rate lower than GDP , while improving Americans ’ health in the coming years .
Are you involved in any professional associations ?
I am a member of the Board of Directors for Community Health Choice , which is Harris County ’ s nonprofit insurance arm . CHC sells Medicaid and Obamacare health insurance plans that are targeted to the needs of lowincome households in the Greater Houston area . It ’ s rewarding using my economic expertise to support a $ 1 billion company that is committed to improving health and access to healthcare for all Houstonians .
What are your favorite hobbies ?
I enjoy getting up before dawn and jogging in my neighborhood before the city wakes up . Health policy and world news have been so sobering lately , that I escape by watching light-hearted TV shows . This year I enjoyed watching the Mandalorian and WandaVision with my teenage son . I ’ m also a big fan of Zoey ’ s Extraordinary Playlist .
For more information on Professor Ho ’ s research projects , including current working papers and her C . V ., see the
Faculty Page on the Economics Department website .
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