The 2016 Duncan Clark Lecture: "The Future of Payment Reform: Perspectives from Maryland"

In the post-election health care environment, one thing is relatively certain – the continued advancement of payment reform and the parallel transformation of health care.  Learn from one of the most interesting and innovative states in the U.S.  John Colmers will offer his unique perspective, drawing from his past experience as Executive Director of the Maryland Health Care Commission and Health Services Cost Review Commission, overseeing Maryland’s novel all-payer hospital rate setting system; his prior service as the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; and his current role as Vice President of Health Care Transformation and Strategic Planning for Johns Hopkins Medicine.

John M. Colmers is Senior Vice President, Health Care Transformation and Strategic Planning for Johns Hopkins Medicine. In this senior management position, Mr. Colmers works with leaders from the Johns Hopkins Health System, the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and related organizations to develop and implement a strategic plan consistent with the organization’s tripartite mission of research, education, and patient care and responsive to the new challenges of health reform and more value-demanding health marketplace.

From January 2007 to January 2011 he served as the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. This cabinet-level agency has a budget of $9 billion and is responsible for protecting, promoting and improving the health and well-being of Marylanders through a broad range of programs including Medicaid, public health, behavioral health, state health facilities, and regulatory oversight.

From November 2000 through January 2007, Mr. Colmers was a Senior Program Officer for the Milbank Memorial Fund. The New York-based Milbank Memorial Fund is an endowed national foundation that provides nonpartisan analysis, study, research, and communication on significant issues in health policy.

Prior to joining the Fund, Mr. Colmers spent 19 years in Maryland State government where he held various positions, including executive director of the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) and the Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC), the agency overseeing Maryland’s all-payer hospital rate setting system.

Mr. Colmers has a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and a MPH from UNC Chapel Hill. He was a director of CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield and the Chairman of one of its affiliates, CareFirst of Maryland, Inc. He previously was a member of the Board of Academy Health and served as its chair.  e also served on the Commonwealth Fund’s Commission on a High Performance Health System. He is a past chair of the steering committee of the Reforming States Group, a bipartisan group of executive and legislative leaders. In July 2011, Governor O'Malley appointed him to the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission where he served as Chair until April 2016. He currently remains a Commissioner. He also serves on the board of the Milbank Memorial Fund.