Ph.D. in Health Policy and Management

Why did you choose graduate school at IUPUI?

Fairbanks School of Public Health provides a world-class doctoral curriculum that is focused on health policy and management as well as health information technology, organizational theory, health services research, and other related subfields. I chose to pursue a doctoral degree at the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health because my mentor from a previous graduate program was member of the Fairbanks faculty and his research thrust is health information technology focused. I was drawn to the other internationally renowned health information technology and health services faculty members. Additionally, Fairbanks School of Public Health has relationships with Regenstrief Institute and the five large hospital systems in central Indiana which grants students access to health care research and practice-related opportunities. Having access to these types of mentorship and research resources were important factors in my decision to attend graduate school at IUPUI..

What has been your favorite academic accomplishment since you’ve been here?

My favorite, most cherished academic accomplishment has been publishing my first authored paper in a top medical informatics journal. I’ve learned that publishing is a huge responsibility that requires conveying complex, sound ideas that are comprehensible to all readers. My first authored paper was the product of great mentoring and a very supportive environment that I’ve been lucky to be a part of at Fairbanks School of Public Health.

What do you enjoy most about life in Indianapolis?

I enjoy being able to visit various landscapes. There is a little of everything in and around Indianapolis: lakes, trails, cornfields, and cityscapes. Also, I am originally from the South, so I appreciate experiencing all four seasons here in Indianapolis. Additionally, I love mid-western cities. Indianapolis is a large city close to other cities, like Chicago, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Louisville, and Nashville

Please provide some details about your work/research as a graduate student and/or any activities you are involved in.

My research is conducted at intersection of health policy and informatics. Namely, understanding information and data quality implications of clinical documentation in the context of evolving federal requirements for sharing information between providers and patients. I conduct this research as a US National Library of Medicine Biomedical Informatics and Data Science trainee where our primary focus is population and public health analytics. Additionally, I am a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholar (HPRS). As a member of HPRS, I have been afforded an opportunity to learn not just how to develop important health policies but communicating them to all audiences as well. Importantly, scholars are supported by health policy experts in academic and non-academic settings. I am also active in professional associations including AcademyHealth and the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA).