Future of Health (FOH) Names Stanford Health Policy, Medicine, and Clinical Excellence Research Center as New Research Partner, Concluding Four-Year Collaboration with Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy
Global health leaders expand evidence-based qualitative research through new partnership with Stanford School of Medicine while honoring Duke-Margolis’ foundational contributions
BOSTON, Jan. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Future of Health (FOH), a global community of senior health leaders shaping the future of healthcare, today announced the Stanford Health Policy, Medicine, and Clinical Excellence Research Center as its new research partner, marking a new phase of FOH’s evidence-based health policy research program.
The collaboration with Stanford reflects FOH’s ongoing commitment to academic rigor and methodological excellence as the organization continues to expand its research program and influence to effect meaningful change in global healthcare delivery. The new research team will be directed by Prof. Sara Singer, Professor of Health Policy and Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Professor, by courtesy, at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, who will serve as project lead and guide FOH’s annual research agenda, expert engagement, and publication process.
“FOH represents a unique opportunity to connect rigorous research with real-world leadership,” said Prof. Sara Singer, Professor of Health Policy and Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Professor, by Courtesy, at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. “What excites me about this partnership is its strong commitment to producing research that is both methodologically sound and directly relevant to the decisions health system leaders face. By combining structured consensus-building methods, rich qualitative research, and active engagement with FOH members and topic experts, we can generate insights that are practical, timely, and actionable.”
FOH convenes senior global executives from health systems, government, academia, and industry around the world to identify shared challenges and translate international experience into evidence-based operational and strategic guidance. Each year, FOH members and external experts participate in a structured process to identify and prioritize research topics that reflect urgent and emerging pressures on health systems worldwide.
The new partnership follows four years of impactful collaboration with Duke University’s Margolis Institute for Health Policy, whose work helped establish FOH’s research platform and deliver high-impact publications and actionable insights for healthcare organizations.
“The Future of Health is making a difference in addressing critical health care reform challenges,” said Dr. Mark McClellan, Founding Director, Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy, Duke University. “Together, we are demonstrating how international collaboration among health system leaders can generate insights that inform both policy and practice. FOH has built a strong and credible research platform, and I am looking forward to continuing to support FOH’s work to advance its mission and global impact.”
Under Duke’s leadership, FOH produced peer-reviewed research, convened global expert panels, and strengthened its ability to translate executive-level experience into structured recommendations across workforce transformation, patient safety, digital transformation, care delivery innovation, and beyond.
FOH’s research methodology begins with a modified Delphi process, involving multiple rounds of surveys and feedback to reach consensus on priority areas. Topic chairs are then selected to guide each workstream, ensuring strong clinical and policy leadership throughout the research cycle. Stanford’s research team will lead literature reviews, global expert workgroups, and FOH member working sessions, integrating academic evidence with frontline operational experience. The process culminates in the development of executive summaries, innovation case studies, and peer-reviewed manuscripts intended to inform policy and health system strategy internationally.
“FOH is designed to serve as a north star for health systems, guiding leaders in envisioning where we need to go and providing direction on how to get there,” said Future of Health’s Co-Chairmen, Prof. Eyal Zimlichman, Chief Transformation, Innovation, and AI Officer & Founder and Director of ARC, Sheba Medical Center, and Chip Kahn, Former President and CEO, Federation of American Hospitals. “Our collaboration with Duke laid a strong scientific foundation for this work, and we are deeply grateful for their partnership. As we look ahead, Stanford brings exceptional expertise in health policy, delivery science, and implementation research that will further strengthen the connection between global dialogue and real-world healthcare transformation.”
With Stanford as its new research partner, FOH will continue to expand its international expert network, accelerate publication timelines, and deepen engagement between health system leaders, policymakers and academic researchers. The first research outputs from the Stanford-led collaboration are expected to be released in early 2027, following FOH’s annual summit and global expert workgroup process.
About Future of Health (FOH)
Future of Health (FOH) is a global community of more than 60 senior leaders from health systems, academia, government, and industry, united by a shared vision to redesign healthcare for 2035 and beyond. Co-chaired by Prof. Eyal Zimlichman of Sheba Medical Center and Chip Kahn of the Federation of American Hospitals, and under the direction of Executive Director Oranit Ido, FOH convenes hospital executives, policymakers, payers, and researchers to confront shared challenges and develop practical recommendations. Through annual summits, high-impact publications, and collaborative research, FOH transforms global consensus into policy, pilots, and measurable change, building more resilient, equitable and innovative health systems worldwide.
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