Karen Volmar vitae - The College of Health and Human Development

							                                         Karen M. Volmar
                                         563 Ridge Avenue
                                      State College, PA 16803
                            Phone: (814) 360-8279 email: kmv10@psu.edu

                                    Education/Professional
                             Admitted Massachusetts Bar and Pennsylvania Bar

Boston University Schools of Law and Public Health, Boston, MA
    Juris Doctor, Cum Laude and Master's in Public Health, 1999
    Honors: Paul J. Liacos Scholar, American Journal of Law and Medicine
Hamilton College, Clinton, NY
   B.A. in Comparative Literature and German, 1994
   Honors: Magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Sigma Iota, Departmental Honors,
       Dean’s List (all semesters), Gerald Fitzgerald Dale Senior Scholarship, William Bostwick Marsh
       Scholarship, Senior Prize in Comparative Literature.

                                            Employment
Penn State University                                        State College, PA      (7/02-present)
  • Associate Professor and Director, MHA Program                                   (7/08-present)
Manage Master’s Program in Health Administration. Responsible for all areas of program management,
including faculty recruitment and development, accreditation, student development and curriculum.
(Successfully achieved CAHME re-accreditation for M.H.A. Program in 2010.) Provide instruction to
undergraduate and graduate students in the areas of health policy, human resources management,
employment law, and health law in classroom and online environments. Conduct research in health
quality and community based quality initiatives as member of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s
Aligning Forces for Quality Program Evaluation team.
Member: College of Health and Human Development International Advisory Committee

 • Research Associate/Special Assistant to VP for Human Resources                     (7/05-6/08)
Provided instruction to undergraduate and graduate students in health policy and law. Research project
manager. Provided internal consulting to VP for Human Resources relating to employee wellness
programs and health benefits issues.

  • Manager, Employee Benefits Division                                                 (7/02-7/05)
Responsible for management of benefits for over 15,000 employees and 6,000 retirees. Developed
strategic plan for Employee Benefits and recommend revision of benefit plan designs. Analyzed impact of
Medicare Modernization Act and recommend University response. Completed design of new self insured
health plan for active employees. Served as Human Resources/Health Plan HIPAA Project Manager.
Collaborated with University Risk Management and Privacy Office in compliance efforts. Negotiated
agreements relating to employee benefit plans. Supported outside counsel in benefits related claims.
Participant of “Pathfinders” group of senior benefits and human resources personnel from higher education
institutions to address health insurance issues.

Pioneer Behavioral Health                                               Peabody, MA (9/00- 6/02)
Director of Corporate Services and Compliance Officer / Legal Counsel
In-house legal support for network of six psychiatric treatment facilities. Provided cost effective risk
management and legal guidance to governing board and senior management. Negotiated and/or drafted
full array of contracts, including management, provider and insurance agreements. Managed employee
benefit plans. Provided leadership and guidance to managerial staff on human resources issues. Provided
staff training on compliance, human resources issues, and confidentiality of medical records. Managed
outside council in employment and malpractice litigation cases. Developed and implemented compliance
initiatives and programs. Served as Compliance Officer and HIPAA Project Manager.
Private Healthcare Systems                                             Waltham, MA (10/99-9/00)
Contract Analyst
Provided legal support, including training to Network Development and Quality Assurance staff.
Performed legal research, wrote legal memoranda for senior legal staff, providers, and/or network
subscribers. Drafted and interpreted contract provisions relating to insurance and healthcare provider
agreements.

Fenway Community Health Center                                          Boston, MA (1/95–9/97)
Managed Care Coordinator
Coordinated managed care contracts for outpatient counseling and acupuncture detoxification programs.
Facilitated agency communication with insurance carriers and Department of Public Health. Analyzed
health care utilization and outcomes data and prepared departmental reports. Oversaw quality
improvement initiatives as member of CQI committee. Drafted grant proposals. Supervised volunteers.


                             Teaching and Course Development
Courses taught: Introduction to Health Services Organizations, Health Policy Issues, Introduction to
Health Law and Ethics, Human Resource Management in Healthcare, Introduction to Employment Law,
Comparative Health Systems, and Hands on Healthcare (service learning course)
Office of Global Programs Faculty Travel Grant Recipient to develop embedded travel program to study
Costa Rican healthcare system in the Comparative Health Systems course.
Conference presentation - Teaching Health Reform: Examples from the Classroom. Accepted for June
2012 AUPHA Annual Meeting with M. Paige Powel (University of Alabama) and Elizabeth Berzas (Our
Lady of the Lake College)
                                            Publications
Jon Christianson, Karen Volmar, Jeffrey Alexander and Dennis P. Scanlon. A Report Card on Provider
Report Cards: Current Status of the Health Care Transparency Movement. Journal of General
Internal Medicine. 25(11). 2010.

AF4Q Evaluation Team (Volmar, Christianson, Scanlon). Aggregating Data for Public Reporting; The
Experience of Community Alliances. 2009 Posting on AF4Q website and distribution by RWJF.

AF4Q Evaluation Team (Volmar, Christianson, Scanlon). Building a Community Quality Report at
the Physician Practice Level: The Experience of the Puget Sound Health Alliance. 2009 Posting on
AF4Q website and distribution by RWJF.

Jon Christianson, Karen Volmar, Dennis P. Scanlon. Progress Towards Provider Quality
Transparency: A Community Level Assessment. Academy Health Panel June 2008.

Linda Simoni-Wastila, Dennis Shea, Matthew Guldin, Devadatta Tata, Karen Volmar, Keri Yang.
Projected Spending on Prescription Drugs Used to Treat Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Disorders: Impact of Clinical and Economic Factors, commissioned 2006 for Thompson Medstat

                                             Volunteer
Mount Nittany Medical Center Patient Care Committee                    Community member

                                          Skills/Activities
           Fluent German, competent Spanish. Enjoy playing Celtic harp, quilting, gardening