The department often focuses its research on the nuances of Medicaid programs and subsequent policies regarding affordability, delivery of care and overall health outcomes. Assistant Professors Carrie Fry, PhD, and Kevin Griffith, PhD, have used insurance claims and hospital discharge data to measure access to opioid use disorder, mental health and, more recently, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on excess mortality and other areas.
Dr. Fry has also been recognized for leveraging her research into developing potential new statistical models.
With the addition of new faculty and grants, the department has significantly enhanced its ability to research specific Medicaid challenges, notably the opioid epidemic, maternal health, infectious disease surveillance and developmental disabilities.