Passionate young professionals leading the network

Preston Long
President

My name is Preston Long and I am a post doctorate researcher at the Medical University of Vienna. My background covers several topics of healthcare psychology including, clinical mental health counseling, human factors, and psychophysiology. I originally received a MS, MA, and PhD on these topics in the US before relocating to Vienna. Throughout my career journey I have found that person/patient/client reported outcomes are heavily and historically undervalued in healthcare. It has been a professional mission of mine to increase both their perceived and actual value.  

I am one of the founding members of ECHORM and the current president-elect. I work to ensure that our organization is driving towards our goals in an efficient and well-organized manner. With this is mind, we are presently focused on the formal launch and open-house event for ECHORM. Here, we hope to spread the word about our mission and its’ importance, as well as to highlight the personal and professional benefits that becoming a member bring. Such benefits include, but are not limited to: networking with other professionals with similar interests, learning about the state of affairs and current practices in outcomes research and management, and the opportunity to be paired with an experienced professional mentor in the field. 

Value-based healthcare is an area with great potential, but it often involves researchers and managers scattered across various medical specialties, hospitals, and even countries. We most certainly come across similar obstacles. By pooling our resources and learning from one another, we can collectively contribute to enhancing healthcare services. The launch of ECHORM couldn’t have come at a better moment and I firmly believe together we can improve healthcare for the patient.

Anouk Huberts
President-elect

Hello, I’m Anouk Huberts, working as a PhD researcher specializing in patient-reported outcomes and a project manager within the Quality and Patient Care department of Erasmus MC. I hold a medical degree and before I started my PhD I worked in clinical practice. However, my passion for understanding how to amplify the patient’s voice in daily care made me decide to take a break from my work as a doctor. Throughout my career, I’ve recognized a significant gap between the perceptions of patients and healthcare professionals and the practical implementation of research findings. This realization has driven my enthusiasm for initiatives like ECHORM, which aims to connect researchers and managers. By fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing, we can bridge the gap between research and implementation.

Value-based healthcare is an area with great potential, but it often involves researchers and managers scattered across various medical specialties, hospitals, and even countries. We most certainly come across similar obstacles. By pooling our resources and learning from one another, we can collectively contribute to enhancing healthcare services. The launch of ECHORM couldn’t have come at a better moment and I firmly believe together we can improve healthcare for the patient.

Fanni Balikó

Fanni Balikó
Treasurer

My name is Fanni Balikó, and I am a fourth-year doctoral candidate at the Doctoral School of Psychology at the University of Pécs, Hungary, as well as a student specializing in Counselling Psychology. My PhD research focuses on exploring the narrative aspects of autoimmune diseases, with a particular emphasis on understanding the life stories and psychological needs of patients. Through this research, I aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of how psychological factors impact the adaptation to chronic conditions and the experiences of those affected.
As a psychologist, I am deeply committed to bridging the gap between subjective lived experiences and objective research methodologies. My professional interests span various domains, including narrative psychology, counseling, positive psychology, and art therapy methods such as bibliotherapy, in which I am a qualified practitioner. I am particularly intrigued by the therapeutic potential of literary texts and creative writings in supporting individuals in their journey toward acceptance and adaptation to their illness, along with advocating for the recognition of their unique needs. Having expanded my research experiences beyond my alma mater in Pécs to include stints in Graz and Vienna, I have integrated valuable new elements into my work.
As a member of ECHORM, I believe that our platform is crucial for fostering interdisciplinary dialogue on patient-reported outcome research and enhancing the visibility of researchers in this field.

Janneke Mulder
Executive Secretary

My name is Janneke Mulder and I am a PhD candidate researching patient outcomes for patients with dyslipidemia at the Department of Internal medicine of Erasmus University Medical Center (Erasmus MC), Rotterdam, the Netherlands. After obtaining a bachelor in pre-med, as well as in economics & business at Erasmus University College, I continued in Medicine and got my master’s degree at Erasmus University in early 2022. During my bachelor I wrote my thesis about VBHC and became interested in it. In the clinical setting, I further experienced that, in addition to clinical outcomes, it is important to also take the patient perspective into account during the process of shared decision making and treatment. Research into these preferences of patients is necessary for healthcare professionals to be able to optimize treatment of patients. In my short career, I found it very stimulating to be able to do research in an international setting, to meet other young researchers and to be inspired by experts in the field. As ECHORM’s executive secretary, I hope to be part of stimulating young researchers on their road to finding results that improve the quality of lives of patients. To do this as ECHORM through developing a network, connecting people to each other, and sharing and making knowledge available. 

M. Renn Andrews
Communication Officer

My name is Margaret Renn Andrews. I am a communications and project manager at the Institute for Outcomes Research at the Medical University of Vienna, and a PhD candidate in public health.  My academic background includes international relations with an emphasis on global health, and public health with an emphasis on implementation and management. Professionally I worked in legislative software development and support before returning to health care when I relocated from the United States to Austria, where I have focused on large European projects related to healthcare transformation. My primary interest is in how technological innovations and process improvements can enable better experiences for healthcare professionals and patients, leading to improved outcomes and overall quality of care while also addressing healthcare sustainability challenges. I am furthermore passionate about increasing end-user involvement in the development of innovation and process change, including working with patients as research partners from the very beginning. It is great to be a part of ECHORM, to work with the rest of the board to promote the mission, and to meet others who are similarly interested in reshaping healthcare for the better.

Swasti Vlasblom-Soekhradj
Communication Officer

Hello! My name is Swasti Soekhradj, and I am a PhD Candidate researching Telemonitoring & Value Based Health Care at the rheumatology department of the Maasstad Hospital and Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. My academic journey has been marked by a diverse array of interests and pursuits. It started with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, where I specialized in Organic Chemistry. Thereafter, exploring the intersection of science and healthcare policy sparked my interest. This led me to pursue a research Master’s degree in Management, Policy Analysis, and Entrepreneurship in Health & Life Sciences, with dual specializations in International Public Health and Policy. 
 
As healthcare systems worldwide face mounting challenges in affordability, accessibility, and quality, telemonitoring emerges as a vital solution. My research is dedicated to advancing this field through the development, evaluation & implementation of telemonitoring care pathways, particularly focusing on inflammatory arthritis. Driven by a passion to improve patient outcomes and healthcare delivery, I am passionate about exploring innovative solutions and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. My work aims to leverage technology to enhance healthcare outcomes, aligning with the principles of Value Based Health Care to prioritize patient value and improve overall healthcare system.   
 
As ECHORM’s Communication Officer, I’m dedicated to building an inclusive, collaborative network focused on sharing knowledge. Let’s work together to improve healthcare. Join us in making a meaningful impact! 

Laura Verbeij
Event coordinator

Hello! My name is Laura Verbeij and I am a PhD candidate and project manager for the International Value Based Healthcare team at the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam.  

During my work as a recovery nurse at the University Medical Centre Utrecht, I pursued a Master’s degree in Health Sciences with a focus on Infectious Diseases and Public Health from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. This multidisciplinary education allowed me to gain valuable insights into the complexities of healthcare systems and the importance of a value-based approach.




Dionne Matthew
Research & Development

My name is Dionne Matthew and I specialize in working across complex systems and learning through doing. I obtained my PhD in Cardiovascular health in 2013 and hold an MSc in Sport and Exercise Science, along with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Kinesiology. I have conducted research within several populations and has contributed to publications in cardiovascular health, sport science and quality improvement. I am currently responsible for expanding the use of real-world evidence in a new hospital network called ARWEN. Through building strong relationships with healthcare providers and key opinion leaders, I am focusing on scientific exchange through interactions with physicians, scientific organizations and internal stakeholders. I drive collaborations between healthcare provider and industry partners to improve the use of RWE and tackle healthcare inequalities. I work on enabling benchmarking, collaboration, and simplifying the sharing of treatment insights across different healthcare systems. to improve clinical outcomes and quality of life.

I have worked on quality improvement implementation within the NHS since 2015 across several NHS Trusts and also has a passion for value based healthcare. I was introduced to value based healthcare in 2020, and obtained my VBHC yellow belt in 2022. I support various healthcare initiatives focusing on the patient voice and improving personalized medicine, I work with community voices as an advocate for community ownership to allow them to support and interact in regional healthcare provision. I am a quality improvement coach and mentor and am keen to explore how value based healthcare can support our health systems to improve patient care and experience.

Sally Shayeb Research & Development

Jessie McCulloch

Jessie McCulloch
Education officer

Jessie is a Deputy Director for Education for King’s Health Partners, an Academic Health Science Centre in South East London, UK, and  Programme Manager for the KHP Mind & Body Programme. She qualified as a children’s nurse at King’s College London in 2002, and has worked as a children’s nurse and Health Visitor across London.

In 2013 she moved into education roles within the NHS and higher education, completed a Darzi fellowship, and became a Fellow of the Higher Education Authority. In 2019 she joined KHP to lead IMPARTS, developing services to integrate mental and physical health care through digital solutions in patient outcomes, service development, research, and education.