Robert Saunders | Scholars@Duke

Robert Saunders
Adjunct Associate Professor in the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Adjunct Associate Professor in the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, Duke - Margolis Center For Health Policy, Initiatives 2020
Core Faculty Member, Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, Duke - Margolis Center For Health Policy, Initiatives 2020

Contact Information

1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20004
100 Fuqua Drive, Box 90120, Durham, NC 27708
robert.saunders@duke.edu

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- Ph.D., Duke University 2006
- M.A., Duke University 2004
Research
Selected Grants
- Accelerating Value-Based Care Impact at the State and National Level awarded by Gary and Mary West Health Institute 2023 - 2027
- Accelerating Value-Based Care Impact at the State and National Level awarded by Gary and Mary West Health Policy Center 2023 - 2027
- North STAR Trial: Specialty Telemedicine Access for Referrals in Rural Alaska awarded by University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences 2022 - 2026
- North STAR Trial: Specialty Telemedicine Access for Referrals in Rural Alaska awarded by National Institutes of Health 2021 - 2026
- Identifying Policy Strategies to Support Home-Based Care awarded by John A. Hartford Foundation 2023 - 2025
- NC Medicaid Value-Based Payment Implementation awarded by NC Medicaid 2022 - 2025
- Improving the lives of persons living with dementia and their families through person-centered measurement of home time awarded by National Institutes of Health 2021 - 2024
- Practical, Timely Lessons for Advancing and Aligning North Carolina's Health Care Transformation Leadership to Address Social Needs awarded by Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust 2022 - 2024
- Reshaping the Future of Health and Healthcare awarded by Future of Health, Inc. 2022 - 2023
- Accelerating Value-Based Care Impact at the State and National Level awarded by Gary and Mary West Health Institute 2020 - 2023
- Accelerating Value-Based Care Impact at the State and National Level awarded by West Health Policy Center 2020 - 2023
- Assessing Value-based Payment in Insurance awarded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 2017 - 2022
- Improving Heart Health thru Value-Base Payment: Maximizing the Impact of Value-Based Payment Models on Heart Disease Risk Factors and Outcomes awarded by American Heart Association 2021 - 2022
- Leveraging Payment Reforms to Transform and Expand Home-Based and Virtual Care for Complex and Underserved Populations awarded by The SCAN Foundation 2021 - 2022
- Leveraging Payment Reforms to Transform and Expand Home-Based and Virtual Care for Complex and Underserved Populations awarded by John A. Hartford Foundation 2021 - 2022
- Leveraging Payment Reforms to Transform and Expand Home-Based and Virtual Care for Complex and Underserved Populations awarded by Commonwealth Fund 2021 - 2022
- Coordinated and Affordable Care in Employer Sponsored Health Programs: A Pathway for Reform awarded by J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. 2021 - 2022
- Improving and Supporting Cardiology Alternative Payment Models awarded by American College of Cardiology 2020 - 2021
- Margolis-HLC Collaboration awarded by Healthcare Leadership Council 2020 - 2021
- UCLA - Pediatric Payment Reform - Blue Shield of California Foundation awarded by University of California - Los Angeles 2019 - 2020
- AHA project awarded by American Heart Association 2018 - 2019
- West Health Foundation awarded by West Health Policy Center 2018 - 2019
- Improving Care for People with Serious Illnesses: Identifying Opportunities and Strategies for ACO Improvement awarded by Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation 2018 - 2019
- Moving Toward Value-Based Care for Degenerative Joint Disease awarded by Pfizer, Inc. 2018
- Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network (LAN) - Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Action Collaborative (AC) awarded by Mitre Corporation 2017
- Bi-Plane Correlation Imaging for Early Detection of Lung Cancer awarded by National Institutes of Health 2004 - 2010
- Task-Specific Optimization of Mammographic Systems awarded by United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command 2004 - 2007
External Relationships
- Cisco Systems, Inc.
- Health Evolution
- The John A Hartford Foundation
- Yale University
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Academic Articles
  - Bufalino, Vincent J., William K. Bleser, Elizabeth A. Singletary, Bradi B. Granger, Emily C. O’Brien, Mitchell S. V. Elkind, Marianne Hamilton Lopez, et al. “Frontiers of Upstream Stroke Prevention and Reduced Stroke Inequity Through Predicting, Preventing, and Managing Hypertension and Atrial Fibrillation: A Call to Action From the Value in Healthcare Initiative's Predict & Prevent Learning Collaborative.” Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 13, no. 7 (July 2020): e006780. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.120.006780.
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  - Psotka, Mitchell A., Elizabeth A. Singletary, William K. Bleser, Rachel A. Roiland, Marianne Hamilton Lopez, Robert S. Saunders, Tracy Y. Wang, Mark B. McClellan, Nancy Brown, and Nancy American Heart Association Prior Authorization Learning Collaborative*. “Streamlining and Reimagining Prior Authorization Under Value-Based Contracts: A Call to Action From the Value in Healthcare Initiative's Prior Authorization Learning Collaborative.” Circulation. Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes 13, no. 7 (July 2020): e006564. https://doi.org/10.1161/circoutcomes.120.006564.
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  - Warner, John J., Hannah L. Crook, Karley M. Whelan, William K. Bleser, Rachel A. Roiland, Marianne Hamilton Lopez, Robert S. Saunders, et al. “Improving Cardiovascular Drug and Device Development and Evidence Through Patient-Centered Research and Clinical Trials: A Call to Action From the Value in Healthcare Initiative's Partnering With Regulators Learning Collaborative.” Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 13, no. 7 (July 2020): e006606. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.120.006606.
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  - Joynt Maddox, Karen, William K. Bleser, Hannah L. Crook, Adam J. Nelson, Marianne Hamilton Lopez, Robert S. Saunders, Mark B. McClellan, Nancy Brown, and Nancy American Heart Association Value-Based Models Learning Collaborative. “Advancing Value-Based Models for Heart Failure: A Call to Action From the Value in Healthcare Initiative's Value-Based Models Learning Collaborative.” Circulation. Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes 13, no. 5 (May 2020): e006483. https://doi.org/10.1161/circoutcomes.120.006483.
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  - Moseley, Connor A., Madhulika Vulimiri, Robert S. Saunders, William K. Bleser, Eliana M. Perrin, Sarah C. Armstrong, Gary X. Wang, Peter A. Ubel, Mark McClellan, and Charlene A. Wong. “Medicaid and CHIP Child Health Beneficiary Incentives: Program Landscape and Stakeholder Insights.” Pediatrics 144, no. 2 (August 2019). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-3161.
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  - Bleser, William K., Robert S. Saunders, Lia Winfield, Mark Japinga, Nathan Smith, Brystana G. Kaufman, Hannah L. Crook, David B. Muhlestein, and Mark McClellan. “ACO Serious Illness Care: Survey And Case Studies Depict Current Challenges And Future Opportunities.” Health Aff (Millwood) 38, no. 6 (June 2019): 1011–20. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00013.
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  - Gupta, Rajan T., Robert S. Saunders, Andrew B. Rosenkrantz, Erik K. Paulson, and Ehsan Samei. “The Need for Practical and Accurate Measures of Value for Radiology.” J Am Coll Radiol 16, no. 6 (June 2019): 810–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacr.2018.11.013.
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  - Bleser, William K., Robert S. Saunders, David B. Muhlestein, and Mark McClellan. “Why Do Accountable Care Organizations Leave The Medicare Shared Savings Program?” Health Affairs (Project Hope) 38, no. 5 (May 2019): 794–803. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05097.
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  - Vulimiri, Madhulika, William K. Bleser, Robert S. Saunders, Farrah Madanay, Connor Moseley, Hunter F. McGuire, Peter A. Ubel, Aaron McKethan, Mark McClellan, and Charlene A. Wong. “Engaging Beneficiaries In Medicaid Programs That Incentivize Health-Promoting Behaviors.” Health Aff (Millwood) 38, no. 3 (March 2019): 431–39. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05427.
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  - Japinga, Mark, Robert Saunders, Ziad F. Gellad, and Mark McClellan. “The Evolving Payment Reform Landscape: New Opportunities for Gastroenterology Leadership.” Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 15, no. 9 (September 2017): 1322–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2017.07.008.
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  - Shrank, William H., Robert S. Saunders, and Mark McClellan. “Better Evidence to Guide Payment Reforms: Recognizing the Importance of Perspective.” Jama 317, no. 8 (February 2017): 805–6. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.0034.
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  - Cassel, Christine K., Patrick H. Conway, Suzanne F. Delbanco, Ashish K. Jha, Robert S. Saunders, and Thomas H. Lee. “Getting More Performance from Performance Measurement.” New England Journal of Medicine 371, no. 23 (December 4, 2014): 2145–47. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmp1408345.
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  - Samei, Ehsan, and Robert S. Saunders. “Dual-energy contrast-enhanced breast tomosynthesis: optimization of beam quality for dose and image quality.” Phys Med Biol 56, no. 19 (October 7, 2011): 6359–78. https://doi.org/10.1088/0031-9155/56/19/013.
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  - Chen, Baiyu, Jamie Shorey, Robert S. Saunders, Samuel Richard, John Thompson, Loren W. Nolte, and Ehsan Samei. “An anthropomorphic breast model for breast imaging simulation and optimization.” Acad Radiol 18, no. 5 (May 2011): 536–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acra.2010.11.009.
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  - Saunders, Robert S., Ehsan Samei, Joseph Y. Lo, and Jay A. Baker. “Can compression be reduced for breast tomosynthesis? Monte carlo study on mass and microcalcification conspicuity in tomosynthesis.” Radiology 251, no. 3 (June 2009): 673–82. https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.2521081278.
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  - Chawla, Amarpreet S., Robert S. Saunders, Swatee Singh, Joseph Y. Lo, and Ehsan Samei. “Towards optimized acquisition scheme for multiprojection correlation imaging of breast cancer.” Acad Radiol 16, no. 4 (April 2009): 456–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acra.2008.09.013.
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  - Castella, C., M. P. Eckstein, C. K. Abbey, K. Kinkel, F. R. Verdun, R. S. Saunders, E. Samei, and F. O. Bochud. “Mass detection on mammograms: influence of signal shape uncertainty on human and model observers.” J Opt Soc Am a Opt Image Sci Vis 26, no. 2 (February 2009): 425–36. https://doi.org/10.1364/josaa.26.000425.
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  - Samei, Ehsan, Robert S. Saunders, Cristian T. Badea, Ketan B. Ghaghada, Laurence W. Hedlund, Yi Qi, Hong Yuan, Rex C. Bentley, and Srinivasan Mukundan. “Micro-CT imaging of breast tumors in rodents using a liposomal, nanoparticle contrast agent.” Int J Nanomedicine 4 (2009): 277–82.
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  - Saunders, Robert S., and Ehsan Samei. “The effect of breast compression on mass conspicuity in digital mammography.” Med Phys 35, no. 10 (October 2008): 4464–73. https://doi.org/10.1118/1.2977600.
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  - Castella, C., K. Kinkel, M. P. Eckstein, C. K. Abbey, F. R. Verdun, R. S. Saunders, E. Samei, and F. O. Bochud. “Mass detection on mammograms: Signal variations and performance changes for human and model observers.” Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of Spie 6917 (June 18, 2008). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.769415.
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  - Badea, C. T., E. Samei, K. Ghaghada, R. Saunders, H. Yuan, Y. Qi, L. W. Hedlund, and S. Mukundan. “Utility of a prototype liposomal contrast agent for x-ray imaging of breast cancer: A proof of concept using micro-CT in small animals.” Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of Spie 6913 (May 14, 2008). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.772307.
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  - Saunders, R., E. Samei, C. Badea, H. Yuan, K. Ghaghada, Y. Qi, L. W. Hedlund, and S. Mukundan. “Optimization of dual energy contrast enhanced breast tomosynthesis for improved mammographic lesion detection and diagnosis.” Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of Spie 6913 (May 14, 2008). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.772042.
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  - Chawla, Amarpreet S., Ehsan Samei, Robert S. Saunders, Joseph Y. Lo, and Jay A. Baker. “A mathematical model platform for optimizing a multiprojection breast imaging system.” Med Phys 35, no. 4 (April 2008): 1337–45. https://doi.org/10.1118/1.2885367.
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  - Saunders, Robert S., Jay A. Baker, David M. Delong, Jeff P. Johnson, and Ehsan Samei. “Does image quality matter? Impact of resolution and noise on mammographic task performance.” Med Phys 34, no. 10 (October 2007): 3971–81. https://doi.org/10.1118/1.2776253.
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  - Chawla, Amarpreet S., Ehsan Samei, Robert Saunders, Craig Abbey, and David Delong. “Effect of dose reduction on the detection of mammographic lesions: a mathematical observer model analysis.” Med Phys 34, no. 8 (August 2007): 3385–98. https://doi.org/10.1118/1.2756607.
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  - Samei, Ehsan, Robert S. Saunders, Jay A. Baker, and David M. Delong. “Digital mammography: effects of reduced radiation dose on diagnostic performance.” Radiology 243, no. 2 (May 2007): 396–404. https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.2432061065.
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  - Saunders, R. S., and E. Samei. “Improving mammographic decision accuracy by incorporating observer ratings with interpretation time.” Br J Radiol 79 Spec No 2 (December 2006): S117–22. https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr/96931332.
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  - Saunders, R. S., and E. Samei. “Invited paper: Displaying your health: An overview of medical display research.” Proceedings of the Third Americas Display Engineering and Applications Conference, Adeac 2006 2006 (December 1, 2006): 35–37.
  - Saunders, Robert S., Ehsan Samei, Jay Baker, David Delong, Mary Scott Soo, Ruth Walsh, Etta Pisano, Cherie M. Kuzmiak, and Dag Pavic. “Comparison of LCD and CRT displays based on efficacy for digital mammography.” Acad Radiol 13, no. 11 (November 2006): 1317–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acra.2006.07.017.
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  - Saunders, Robert, Ehsan Samei, Jay Baker, and David Delong. “Simulation of mammographic lesions.” Acad Radiol 13, no. 7 (July 2006): 860–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acra.2006.03.015.
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  - Saunders, R. S., and E. Samei. “A Monte Carlo investigation on the impact of scattered radiation on mammographic resolution and noise.” Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of Spie 6142 II (June 30, 2006). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.653199.
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  - Chawla, A. S., R. Saunders, C. Abbey, D. Delong, and E. Samei. “Analyzing the Effect of dose reduction on the detection of mammographic lesions using mathematical observer models.” Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of Spie 6146 (June 22, 2006). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.656378.
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  - Saunders, Robert S., and Ehsan Samei. “Resolution and noise measurements of five CRT and LCD medical displays.” Med Phys 33, no. 2 (February 2006): 308–19. https://doi.org/10.1118/1.2150777.
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  - Saunders, R. S., E. Samei, J. Johnson, and J. Baker. “Effect of display resolution on the detection of mammographie lesions.” Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of Spie 5749 (September 19, 2005): 243–50. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.595682.
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  - Jesneck, J. L., R. S. Saunders, E. Samei, J. Q. Xia, and J. Y. Lo. “Detector evaluation of a prototype amorphous selenium-based full field digital mammography system.” Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of Spie 5745, no. I (August 25, 2005): 478–85. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.596087.
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  - Saunders, Robert S., Ehsan Samei, Jonathan L. Jesneck, and Joseph Y. Lo. “Physical characterization of a prototype selenium-based full field digital mammography detector.” Med Phys 32, no. 2 (February 2005): 588–99. https://doi.org/10.1118/1.1855033.
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  - Saunders, R. S., and E. Samei. “Characterization of breast masses for simulation purposes.” Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of Spie 5, no. 26 (December 1, 2004): 242–50. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.535946.
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  - Samei, Ehsan, Robert S. Saunders, Joseph Y. Lo, James T. Dobbins, Jonathan L. Jesneck, Carey E. Floyd, and Carl E. Ravin. “Fundamental imaging characteristics of a slot-scan digital chest radiographic system.” Med Phys 31, no. 9 (September 2004): 2687–98. https://doi.org/10.1118/1.1783531.
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  - Saunders, Robert S., Ehsan Samei, and Christoph Hoeschen. “Impact of resolution and noise characteristics of digital radiographic detectors on the detectability of lung nodules.” Med Phys 31, no. 6 (June 2004): 1603–13. https://doi.org/10.1118/1.1753112.
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  - Saunders, Robert S., and Ehsan Samei. “A method for modifying the image quality parameters of digital radiographic images.” Med Phys 30, no. 11 (November 2003): 3006–17. https://doi.org/10.1118/1.1621870.
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  - Saunders, R. S., E. Samei, and C. Hoeschen. “Impact of resolution and noise characteristics of digital radiographic detectors on the detectability of lung nodules.” Proceedings of Spie the International Society for Optical Engineering 5030 I (September 15, 2003): 16–25. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.480225.
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- Conference Papers
  - Shafer, C. M., E. Samei, T. Mertelmeier, R. S. Saunders, M. Zerhouni, and J. Y. Lo. “Assessment of low energies and slice depth in the quantification of breast tomosynthesis.” In Lecture Notes in Computer Science (Including Subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), 5116 LNCS:530–36, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-70538-3_74.
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  - Tourassi, G. D., A. C. Sharma, S. Singh, R. S. Saunders, J. Y. Lo, E. Samei, and B. P. Harrawood. “Knowledge transfer across breast cancer screening modalities: A pilot study using an information-theoretic CADe system for mass detection.” In Lecture Notes in Computer Science (Including Subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), 5116 LNCS:292–98, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-70538-3_41.
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  - Chawla, A. S., E. Samei, R. S. Saunders, J. Y. Lo, and S. Singh. “Optimized acquisition scheme for multi-projection correlation imaging of breast cancer.” In Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of Spie, Vol. 6915, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.773174.
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  - Singh, S., G. D. Tourassi, A. S. Chawla, R. S. Saunders, E. Samei, and J. Y. Lo. “Computer aided detection of breast masses in tomosynthesis reconstructed volumes using information-theoretic similarity measures.” In Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of Spie, Vol. 6915, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.772978.
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  - Shafer, C. M., E. Samei, R. S. Saunders, M. Zerhouni, and J. Y. Lo. “Toward quantification of breast tomosynthesis imaging.” In Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of Spie, Vol. 6913, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.772753.
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  - Saunders, R. S., E. Samei, N. Majdi-Nasab, and J. Y. Lo. “Initial human subject results for breast Bi-plane correlation imaging technique.” In Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of Spie, Vol. 6514, 2007. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.713722.
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  - Saunders, R. S., and E. Samei. “TH‐C‐330A‐02: Does Image Quality Impact Mammographic Accuracy?” In Medical Physics, 33:2265–66, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1118/1.2241844.
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Teaching & Mentoring
Recent Courses
- HLTHMGMT 716: Management of Health Systems and Policy 2023
- HLTHMGMT 716: Management of Health Systems and Policy 2022

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Education, Training, & Certifications

Selected Grants

External Relationships

Selected Publications

Academic Articles

Conference Papers

Recent Courses