Professional Role and Responsibilities
Alicia Cowley, MD, MBA, serves as Director of Clinical Content at Phreesia, a leading healthcare technology company based in the New York City Metropolitan Area. Since joining Phreesia in 2020 as their first-ever physician on staff, she has played a pivotal role in driving the company’s quality and value-based care initiatives. Her leadership focuses on launching digital tools and clinical content that enhance patient activation, improve medication adherence, facilitate vaccination uptake, and close care gaps for outpatient populations. She also works to elevate health equity by addressing patient stigmas and promoting inclusive preventive care education.
Her current responsibilities include:
- Leading value-based medicine and life sciences innovation projects.
- Developing clinical content strategy to support digital patient engagement.
- Collaborating with clinical teams and data scientists to leverage health data for improved patient outcomes.
- Moderating expert webinars on difficult-to-address clinical topics, such as urinary incontinence screening.
- Advocating for practical approaches to identify and engage patients in taking an active role in their healthcare.
Relevant Experience and Background
Prior to Phreesia, Dr. Cowley held clinical and academic roles, including:
- Attending Physician and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at NYU Langone Health.
- Healthcare Practitioner Director of Activation at OMD USA, working across pharmaceutical clients including Boehringer Ingelheim.
- Medical student intern at the World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva during the 2014 Ebola crisis, emphasizing her experience with global public health emergencies.
Her clinical background is as an internist with experience as a hospitalist, which enhances her credibility and insight into both patient care and health system workflows.
Education and Academic Achievements
- MD from NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
- MBA from NYU Stern School of Business.
- Bachelor of Arts, cum laude in Neurobiology from Harvard University.
Her academic distinctions include multiple research fellowships and scholarships, such as:
- Egbert Van Delden Scholarship (NYU Stern) for outstanding academic performance.
- National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Summer Research Grant.
- Completion of a Program for Research in Science and Engineering (PRISE) Fellowship at Harvard.
- Numerous awards for medical humanism and diversity mentorship.
Publications and Thought Leadership
Dr. Cowley has contributed to a variety of clinical and business publications and presentations, including:
- COVID-19 related outpatient care gaps and implications for healthcare delivery.
- Research on fluid balance in hospitalized heart failure patients using large ICU datasets (MIMIC-III).
- Hyperspectral imaging of retinal pigment epithelium fluorophors.
- Gender equality and women's empowerment principles in business leadership.
- Digital health and patient activation strategies through journals, conferences, and professional blogs.
She actively participates in industry panels and conferences such as FiercePharmaWeek and the DTC Healthcare Conference, where she discusses the intersection of healthcare technology, marketing, and clinical content.
Recognitions and Awards
- Named to Medical Marketing & Media’s (MM+M) Women to Watch 2024, recognizing her significant impact in healthcare marketing.
- Third place in the NYU Health Tech Datathon (2019) for innovative clinical data science solutions.
- 2nd place in the NYU-Deloitte MBA Case Competition (2013).
- American Academy of Dermatology Diversity Mentorship Award.
- NYU Department of Medicine Clerkship Award for Outstanding Essay in Medical Humanism.
Language Proficiencies
- Native or bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish, enabling effective communication across diverse patient populations.
Digital Presence and Influence
- Maintains an active LinkedIn profile ([linkedin.com/in/alicia-cowley-md-mba](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-cowley-md-mba)) with over 1,000 followers and frequent posts sharing clinical insights and healthcare innovations.
- Engages in digital forums and webinars to educate about clinical content strategies and patient engagement best practices.
- Prominent advocate for breaking stigma in clinical conversations, especially in women's health areas such as urinary incontinence.
Company Context — Phreesia
Phreesia offers patient intake and engagement solutions, emphasizing:
- Digital tools that facilitate self-scheduling, patient activation, and clinical content delivery.
- Solutions that support vaccination campaigns and closing preventive care gaps, which align directly with Dr. Cowley’s areas of focus.
- Phreesia has collected over 4 million COVID-19 screenings across 47 states plus D.C., demonstrating strong national operational capabilities—an ecosystem Dr. Cowley leverages for clinical content strategy.
Summary: Alicia Cowley’s combined clinical expertise, advanced business training, and leadership role at Phreesia uniquely position her to influence and drive digital healthcare innovation aimed at improving patient engagement, medication adherence, and preventive care delivery. Her academic rigor and recognized contributions in healthcare marketing enhance her as a credible and influential leader within Phreesia and the broader healthcare technology landscape.
