In a prime example of research informing policy, a team of LDI researchers helped West Virginia develop a medical education system that met state needs in terms of numbers and distribution of physicians. A team of researchers led by Bill Pierskalla developed the first comprehensive planning methodology for statewide medical education systems, and worked with state officials to analyze policy alternatives. In 1985, the West Virginia state legislature implemented these recommendations and passed a bill that combined fee increases with a revolving loan program for physicians who stayed in-state to practice.

The study, Policy Decision Modelling of the Costs and Outputs of Education in Medical Schools, received the Health Application Section Spotlight Prize from the Operations Research Society of America on May 15, 1984, and was published in the journal Operations Research in 1987. The plaque hangs proudly on the second floor of the Colonial Penn Center.