Aims to Help Schools Minimize COVID-19 Health Risks & Maximize Learning
As Executive Director, Dr. Bitton has led efforts globally and nationally to transform primary health care delivery systems and create high quality, integrated care models. His blog on “This is Not a Snow Day” helped spark a national discussion on ways of physical and social distancing to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Bitton’s clinical area of expertise and innovation is in the area of team-based primary care for patients with complex psychosocial and clinical needs. The opportunity to serve these patients by creating a new, team-based primary care practice built from the ground up in 2010 has deeply informed his work on a local, national, and global level.
He practices adult general internal medicine and serves as the assistant medical director at the Brigham and Women’s Advanced Primary Care Associates, South Huntington, an innovative, patient-centered medical home in Jamaica Plain, Mass. Formerly the director of the Ariadne Labs Primary Health Care Program, Bitton is a leader of the Primary Health Care Performance Initiative, launched in 2015 at the United Nations. He has served as a senior advisor to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation since 2012. The author of more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, Bitton has led research on both disease-specific public health research efforts, as well as primary care measurement and improvement.
Areas of expertise:
Community mitigation, including social distancing
Pandemic preparedness
The future of primary health care
Outpatient care
Health care systems
Dr. Bitton in the News
New York Times: The Many Symptoms of Covid-19
Dr. Asaf Bitton in the New York Times on the surprising nature of COVID-19.
HealthLeaders: Exchange: Three Big Ideas
Dr. Asaf Bitton on Ariadne Labs' Serious Illness Care program in HealthLeaders Innovation
HSPH: Lessons from Japan’s COVID-19 response
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health covers latest Health Affairs piece of Japan's COVID-19 response
Advisory Board: Are outdoor gatherings safe? Here’s what experts say.
Dr. Asaf Bitton quoted in the Advisory Board's latest on staying safe at outdoor gatherings.
babycenter: Pregnancy and the coronavirus: Symptoms, social distancing, and staying calm
Dr. Asaf Bitton's social distancing guidance is highlighted by babycenter.
New York Times: How Safe Are Outdoor Gatherings?
Dr. Asaf Bitton weighs in on the risks of attending outdoor gatherings during the pandemic.
WCVB Boston: Millions expected to travel by car because of COVID-19
Dr. Asaf Bitton on tips to stay safe when traveling for the 4th of July holiday.
New York Times: A Virus Walks Into a Bar …
Dr. Asaf Bitton quoted in the New York Times on the public health concerns of people returning to the bar scene during the pandemic
HSPH Magazine: Q&A: Lessons from a Pandemic: Asaf Bitton, MPH ’10
Dr. Asaf Bitton spoke this spring with Madeline Drexler, editor of Harvard Public Health Magazine.
The New Yorker: How to Social-Distance as America Opens Back Up
Dr. Asaf Bitton discusses the risks of socializing indoors, the problem of public bathrooms, and why doctors have changed the way they think about masks.
WCVB Boston: When Can I See My Family & Friends
Dr. Asaf Bitton shares best practices for seeing family and friends during the COVID-19 pandemic.
MedPage Today: Can PCPs Survive COVID-19? Only If Fee-for-Service Goes
Dr. Asaf Bitton is quoted in MedPage Today on why primary care practices need new ways of being paid if they are going to survive and thrive in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Center for Houston’s Future Leadership Webcast w/ Dr. Asaf Bitton and Scott McClelland
Dr. Asaf Bitton and Scott McClelland of H-E-B Food/Drug Stores on the Center for Houston's Future webcast.
New York Times: When Can I See My Grandkids?
Dr. Asaf Bitton comments on strategies that families can take to begin seeing each other during the pandemic.
Press Release: New Report Detailing How South Korea is Protecting Health Care Workers During COVID-19
Country’s low health care worker infection rate offers valuable lessons for leaders; Research draws on interviews with front-line workers and health care system leaders in South Korea and a review of the...
CNN: Dr. Asaf Bitton joins John King
Dr. Asaf Bitton joins CNN to discuss the importance of maintaining social distancing practices.
Patrick J. McGovern Foundation: Dr. Asaf Bitton on social distancing, connection, resilience and courage during COVID-19
Dr. Asaf Bitton on the large-scale effort at Ariadne Labs, supported by the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, to provide protocols to all levels of the health care system.
USA Today: Can I Still Go For a Walk, Run Under Stay at Home Orders? Should I Wear a Mask?
Asaf Bitton speaks with USA Today about how to stay safe while outside.
Thrive Global: Preventing Household Conflict When You’re Stuck at Home Together
Dr. Bitton's social distancing counsel from "Not a Snow Day" included in this article on Thrive Global.
Oprah Magazine: My Husband Refuses to Take Social Distancing as Seriously As I Do
Asaf Bitton, MD, MPH, speaks with Oprah Magazine about how to properly practice social distancing.
The New York Times: Being Together While Staying Apart
The New York Times reporter interviewed Dr. Bitton, who provided more clarity to the concept of "social distancing" in one comment.
Forbes: Why Reaching Out To Older People In Social Isolation Is An Imperative
Dr. Asaf Bitton discusses the importance of a comprehensive approach to address the disproportionate effects that safety measures have on those who may be more vulnerable and isolated.
Advisory Board: ‘Any half-measure approach won’t work’: The urgent, painful need for social distancing
A Q&A with Dr. Bitton and Steven Berkow, Advisory Board Vice President of Provider Research, about social distancing and how health care leaders should respond.
The New York Times: Deciding How Much Distance You Should Keep
A New York Times article on the genesis of Dr. Bitton's original social distancing post and tips for staying safe.
WGBH: Why Aggressive Social Distancing Now Is Critical To ‘Flattening The Curve’ Later
In this video interview, Dr. Bitton talks with Jim Braude of WGBH about social distancing.
The New Yorker: How to Practice Social Distancing
Dr. Bitton speaks with the New Yorker, elaborating on details on how to social distance in a thoughtful Q&A.
PBS: If U.S. doesn’t ‘flatten the curve,’ severe cases of COVID-19 will overrun health system
Dr. Bitton speaks with PBS NewsHour's Judy Woodruff about the importance of social distancing to flatten the curve.
Harpers Bazaar: How to Help Your Community During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Harpers Bazaar references Asaf Bitton's social distancing guidance.
