Our Team

John Poelman

John Poelman is a Director at Leavitt Partners. Founded by former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary and EPA Administrator Michael O. Leavitt, Leavitt Partners advises clients in the practice areas of health, environment and trade. As Director of the Health Care Practice, Poelman helps clients enter new markets, enhance the value of their products, navigate dynamic regulatory and reimbursement systems and improve health conditions around the world.

Poelman came to Leavitt Partners in 2009 from Washington, D.C., where he worked at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a Health Policy Analyst. As an analyst in the Health Policy Division of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Poelman focused on physician self-referral laws, health care financing reform, quality improvement initiatives, and medical malpractice reform.

During this time he also served as the Logistics Director for the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research. Poelman assisted the council’s efforts to coordinate comparative effectiveness research among all federal agencies, as directed by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

From 2007 to 2009 Poelman worked as Program Analyst for the Value-Driven Healthcare Initiative. Started by then-Secretary Leavitt, this initiative aimed to improve the connectivity of America’s health information systems, encourage the measurement and availability of quality and price information, and enhance incentives for all healthcare stakeholders to seek high-quality, competitively-priced health care. Poelman provided primary analysis and coordination in pursuing this goal among federal agency and private sector leaders.

In 2009, Poelman earned a Master’s degree in Public Health with an emphasis in health policy from The George Washington University. His capstone work focused on comparative effectiveness research and the Medicare program.

Poelman completed his undergraduate work at the University of Utah in 2006. During his time at the university, Poelman served as the Student Body Vice President and spearheaded a student health insurance reform initiative that still continues today.

Poelman currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah, and enjoys spending his free time hiking, camping, and mountain biking.