Feb. 7, 2018

Aaron Caughey, M.D., M.P.P., M.P.H., Ph.D., professor and chair of obstetrics and gynecology, OHSU School of Medicine, is among the newest members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force). Dr. Caughey, who is also associate dean for women's health research and policy, was appointed to serve a four-year term beginning in January 2018.  

The Task Force is an independent, volunteer panel of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine. Members come from many health-related fields, including internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, behavioral health, obstetrics/gynecology, and nursing. Members are appointed by the director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"On behalf of my fellow Task Force members, I am happy to welcome Dr. Caughey to the Task Force," said Task Force chair David C. Grossman, M.D., M.P.H. "His diverse methodological expertise and focus on women's health will be a valuable addition to the Task Force."

In addition to his School of Medicine leadership roles, Dr. Caughey is the founder and chair of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–funded Oregon Perinatal Collaborative, which aims to improve outcomes for women and infants through guidelines and policies working with all the health systems in the state. Dr. Caughey's research focuses on using epidemiology, biostatistics, decision analysis, and clinical trials to examine the complications of pregnancy, the timing of delivery, labor management, mode of delivery, gestational diabetes, and prenatal diagnosis, resulting in more than 400 peer-reviewed publications. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Health Resources and Services Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The Task Force works to improve the health of all Americans by making evidence-based recommendations about clinical preventive services, such as screenings, counseling services or preventive medicines. More information on the Task Force is available at www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org.