Caroline Pearson
Executive Director, Peterson Health Technology Institute
Caroline Pearson is the Executive Director at the Peterson Center on Healthcare. She enjoys tackling some of the most complex issues in healthcare and brings this passion to the Center’s mission to create a high performing health system that delivers better care at lower cost.
Caroline was previously the Senior Vice President for Healthcare Strategy at NORC at the University of Chicago, a nonpartisan research organization. In this role she built a new department of subject matter experts who deliver actionable research and analysis to health plans, providers, biotech companies, patient groups, and foundations. Prior to her work at NORC, she was the Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategy at Avalere Health where she oversaw teams focused on policy, strategic communications, and financial services. She also built a new product portfolio and led the firm’s public relations.
Caroline is a nationally-recognized healthcare expert, with a focus on state and federal health policy, public and private insurance, prescription drugs, and aging issues. Her 2019 article, “The Forgotten Middle,” was the 5th most read Health Affairs article of that year, highlighting the growing number of middle-income seniors with unmet health and housing needs. In 2009, Caroline drafted a Bipartisan Policy Center report, led by Tom Daschle and Bob Dole, which advanced a comprehensive health reform proposal in advance of the Congressional debate over the ACA. She is regularly quoted in national and trade press and is a frequent presenter to audiences seeking to understand the health policy landscape.
Caroline graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard University with a B.A. in Government.