Carolyn Clancy, MD - Fierce Women to Watch in Health IT

Who: Carolyn Clancy, MD

Current position: Director, Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality

Location: Rockville, Md.

Fast facts:  Dr. Clancy, who has been AHRQ's director since 2003, is one of the most respected individuals in her profession. Earlier this year, she was awarded the William B. Graham Prize for Health Services Research - an honor bestowed upon those who make "major contributions to the health of the public through innovative research in health services." Clancy also serves on the board of the Annals of Family Medicine, the Annals of Internal Medicine, the American Journal of Medical Quality and Medical Care Research and Review.  Prior to joining AHRQ in 1990, she worked as an assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the Medical College of Virginia.

Why she's so fierce: As director of AHRQ under two administrations, Clancy was one of the first government officials outside the Department of Veterans Affairs to make the link between health IT and quality, and is a tireless advocate for that cause. With the big expansion of comparative effectiveness research authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, she might just become the central figure in healthcare quality improvement.