Ms. Friedsam has worked extensively on access to and financing of health care and the organization of delivery systems. She consults widely in the public and private sector on state government programs and on financing reform initiatives, health care quality, and data reporting.
Currently, Ms. Friedsam serves as a lead consultant on the evaluation of Wisconsin's BadgerCare Plus health insurance expansion program. She also is a lead consultant to the Governor's eHealth Quality and Patient Safety Board, and directs the UW's Evidence-Based Health Policy Project. She collaborates with the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council on an NIH-supported Native American Research Center for Health, serving as the UWSMPH representative on behalf of a team of faculty, scientists, and researchers.
Ms. Friedsam's research interests include health care financing, costs, quality and access to care; disparities in health status and health care utilization; Medicaid and other safety net programs; care delivery setting and its relationship to continuity, quality and outcomes. She has published work in peer-reviewed journals and through practice-oriented formats.
Ms. Friedsam has served as Executive Director of the Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association, Director of a managed care demonstration project, and manager of several projects supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Ms. Friedsam holds a masters degree in public health policy and administration from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Recent Publications:
Friedsam D, Leininger L, Bergum A, Mok A, Aksamitauskas M, Oliver T, and DeLeire T. Wisconsin's BadgerCare Plus Coverage Expansion and Simplification, Early Data on Program Impact. Issue Brief. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. October 2009.
Getzin AE, Knox KE, Bergum A, Read L, Jenkins C, Rieselbach R, Kniss, C, Oliver TR, Friedsam, D. Wisconsin Physician Opinions on Health Care Reform. Wisconsin Medical Journal Vol. 108, No. 6.
Friedsam D and Pfefferkorn B. Medical Homes and Retail Clinics: Policy Considerations for Accountable Health Care. UW Population Health Institute Issue Brief. Vol. 9(1). March 2009.
Friedsam D, Rieselbach R. The Ailing Health Care System: SOAP Note for Physician Leadership. Wisconsin Medical Journal 107(8): 363-366.
Knox K, Getzin A, Bergum A, McBride P, Rieselbach R, Friedsam D. Short Report: Factors that Affect Specialty Choice and Career Plans of Wisconsin's Medical Students. Wisconsin Medical Journal 107(8): 369-373.
Friedsam, D. Consumer Engagement and "Value-Driven Health Care": Do we have the right information tools? UW Population Health Issue Brief. January 2008, Vol. 8, No. 1.
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel May 18 Roundtable on Health Care: Taking the Pulse on the Region's Health Care.
Friedsam, D. Helping Consumers Purchase for Price and Quality. Presentation at the National Academy for
State Health Policy 19th Annual Conference, Pittsburgh, PA. October 17, 2006.
http://www.nashp.org/loadedfiles/Donna%20Friedsam%20%20for%20susan%20wood.pdf
Wisconsin's Challenges in Health Care Access and Cost. US Citizen's Health Care Working Group, National
Town Hall Forum. March 22, 2006.
Archived Webcast.
PowerPoint Presentation.
Roberts, RG, Friedsam, D. The State of Quality Reports: Comparing States by Their Rankings. Wisconsin Medical
Journal. Vol. 105(8):60-66.
http://www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org/_WMS/publications/wmj/issues/wmj_v105n8/Roberts.pdf
Zank, D, Friedsam, D. Employee Health Promotion Programs: What is the Return on Investment? UW Population
Health Institute Issue Brief, Vol. 6(5), September 2005.
http://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu/publications/issueBriefs/issueBriefv06n05.pdf
Byrd, D, Friedsam, D, Remington, PL. Healthiest Wisconsin 2010 and Health Disparities: How do the state's
goals relate to Wisconsin's minority populations? UW Population Health Institute Issue Brief, Vol. 6(4),
August 2005.
http://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu/publications/issueBriefs/issueBriefv06n04.pdf
Friedsam, D. From Health Disparities to Knowledge Exchange: The Role of Community-Academic Partnerships. The National AHEC Journal. Vol. XXI (2). Spring/Summer 2005.
Friedsam, D, Ahrens, DM, Maurer, MA. Cost-Sharing and Consumer Driven Purchasing, Part I, the Economic
challenge to consumers. UW Population Health Institute Issue Brief. Vol. 4(4), August 2004.
http://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu/publications/issueBriefs/issueBriefv05n04.pdf
Friedsam, D. Cost Sharing and Consumer Driven Purchasing, Part 2, Is there Promise for Cost Control? UW
Population Health Institute Issue Brief. Vol. 5(4), August 2004.
http://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu/publications/issueBriefs/issueBriefv05n05.pdf
Friedsam, D. Consumer Health Literacy: Preparing for Changing Roles, Rights and Responsibilities in Health
and Health Care. Wisconsin Public Health and Health Policy Institute, Wisconsin Health Forums Project.
Vol. 2, Number 1, 2004.
http://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu/healthPolicy/ebhpp/events/materialsPre2007/consumerHealthLiteracy.pdf
Friedsam, D. Consumer Health Literacy: Executive Summary.
http://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu/healthPolicy/ebhpp/events/materialsPre2007/consumerHealthLiteracySummary.pdf
Friedsam, D, Kindig, D. Consumer Health Literacy: Preparing for Changing Roles, Rights, and Responsibilities
in Health and Health Care. Wisconsin Public Health and Health Policy Institute Issue Brief. Volume 5(3),
May 2004.
http://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu/publications/issueBriefs/issueBriefv05n03.pdf
Friedsam, D. Wisconsin's Future Newborn Citizens: Potential Medicaid Cost Savings in Covering Immigrants'
Prenatal Care. Wisconsin Public Health and Health Policy Institute Issue Brief. Vol. 5(2), April 2004.
http://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu/publications/issueBriefs/issueBriefv05n02.pdf
Friedsam, D. "Healthier Choices": Will Relief from Current Coverage Mandates Reduce Insurance
Costs and Increase Coverage? Wisconsin Public Health and Health Policy Institute Issue Brief. Vol. 5(1),
March 2004.
http://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu/publications/issueBriefs/issueBriefv05n01.pdf
Friedsam D, Haug G, Rust M, Lake A. Tribal Benefits Counseling Program: Expanding Health Care Opportunities for
Tribal Members. Am J Public Health 2003; 93: 1634-1636.
http://www.ajph.org/cgi/reprint/93/10/1634
Friedsam, D. Racial and Ethnic Data: Are They Reliable for Program and Policy Development? Wisconsin
Public Health and Health Policy Institute Issue Brief. Vol. 3(5), October 2002.
http://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu/publications/issueBriefs/issueBriefv03n05.htm
Newsom, RS, Friedsam, D. State Policy Options: Health Costs and Financing. Wisconsin Public Health and
Health Policy Institute, Wisconsin Health Policy Forums, Vol. 1(1): 2002.
http://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu/healthPolicy/ebhpp/events/materialsPre2007/statePolicyOptions.pdf
Lake A, Carufel R, Friedsam D, Reynolds P. Inter-Tribal Pharmacy Network: A Vehicle to Manage Pharmacy Costs
and Improve Patient Care. The IHS Primary Care Provider. 2001; 26(12):177-180.
http://www.ihs.gov/publicinfo/publications/healthprovider/issues/PROV1201.pdf
Contact Information:
Donna Friedsam, MPH
University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
610 Walnut Street, 760-E WARF
Madison, WI 53726-2336 USA
Phone: (608) 263-4881
Fax: (608) 262-6404
Email: dafriedsam@wisc.edu