Zeeshan Butt, PhD

Who am I?

I am a licensed clinical psychologist with extensive experience in multi-disciplinary patient-centered outcomes research and clinical care. My career has been committed to putting patients at the center of the healthcare enterprise. Over the past 15 years, I had been pursuing that personal mission in my roles as a faculty member in a large, urban academic health center and through various professional service roles.

In April 2021, I joined the clinical team at health technology company, Phreesia, where I serve as Director of Clinical Content. In that role, I serve as resident expert in clinical quality initiatives that involve patient-reported outcomes (PROs). I advise clients on how to leverage Phreesia technology to most effectively implement screening tools and PROs, improve health outcomes, and meet quality goals. I also develop programs and services that help our providers succeed in payer and government programs while delivering exceptional patient care. My ultimate goal remains the same: to champion the voice of the patient by developing practical, scalable solutions to gathering and using this information to improve healthcare.

What have I done?

Grantsmanship, Revenue Generation, and Consultation

Had been continuously funded as a Principal Investigator and/or Co-Investigator through grants and contracts from the Department of Defense (DOD), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and industry partners; focus of these efforts have been on the development and application of patient-reported outcomes, with an eye towards improved care quality.
Across multiple roles, provided consultation for our medical and surgical faculty interested in securing funding of high quality patient-centered research.
Sought out as a subject matter expert by multiple pharmaceutical companies, Optum Health, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality for paid consultation.

Dissemination and Communication

Authored 77 data-based articles, 28 substantive reviews, and 12 letters and commentaries in peer-reviewed psychological, medical and surgical journals, which according to Google Scholar, have been cited over 4300 times.
Delivered 142 presentations based on this research at local, regional, national, and international venues, including recent invited talks in China, Poland, South Korea, and Tanzania.
Serve as associate editor for major journal of psychological assessment and on the editorial board for three other scientific journals; have provided ad hoc reviews for over 40 major high-impact journals covering psychology, medicine, and surgery.

Education and Training

Directed graduate level courses in public health and integrated health sciences.
Served as clinical supervisor for clinical psychology graduate students.
Provided research mentorship for medical students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty.
Recognized as an “Outstanding Teacher” twice by Northwestern’s medical school.
Invited to serve as faculty at international conferences, but also at notable national venues including the prestigious National Institutes of Health Summer Training Institute on Randomized Clinical Trials and the American Psychological Association Emerging Leaders in Psychology Academy.

Clinical Care

Provided psychosocial assessment and treatment for solid organ transplant candidates, living donor candidates, and their families at one of the largest volume transplant centers in the United States.
Based on recognized expertise, have presented 87 local and national presentations (in addition to those noted above) on the work of the behavioral health professional in general and specialized care settings.
Invited to contribute to several clinical practice guidelines and best practices documents to provide expertise on psychological assessment and care of patients with end-stage organ disease.

Leadership and Professional Service

Elected to numerous national professional service roles including President of the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers, as well as the Society for Health Psychology.
Chaired and/or served on multiple committees with the American Psychological Association and the American Society for Transplantation focused on value-based care, advocacy, and promotion of behavioral health.
Received a Presidential Citation for Service Excellence from the Society for Health Psychology.
Awarded American Psychological Association Presidential Citation.