[{"id":223,"date":"2026-05-14T17:35:29","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T17:35:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/?p=223"},"modified":"2026-05-14T17:35:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T17:35:31","slug":"class-of-2026-gati-wambura-extends-her-reach-as-a-global-health-citizen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/2026\/05\/14\/class-of-2026-gati-wambura-extends-her-reach-as-a-global-health-citizen\/","title":{"rendered":"Class of 2026: Gati Wambura extends her reach as a \u2018global health citizen\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ati Wambura grew up in Kenya, spent time living in Thailand, earned her bachelor\u2019s degree in the United States and completed her master\u2019s in Britain. With her Ph.D. this spring from Virginia Commonwealth University, she will bring her global perspective to health policy and research that can transcend borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cComing back to the U.S. was important, because my love for public health started here,\u201d said Wambura, whose doctoral studies in healthcare policy and research<\/a> have been through the VCU School of Public Health\u2019s<\/a> Department of Health Policy. \u201cI got to learn about public health systems that are beyond what I knew before, and kind of fed into my identity as a global health citizen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an undergraduate at DePauw University in Indiana, Wambura studied biochemistry and considered medical school. A lecture on public health inspired a new path, and she earned her master\u2019s at the University of Bradford in England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of my interest surrounded sexual and reproductive health,\u201d she said. \u201cBut I really wanted to come back to Kenya to pursue a career in public health.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Wambura did, working in part through the national government in her native country. Her focus then shifted to studying infectious diseases \u2013 including rabies, which kills hundreds of Kenyans annually, and how vaccination programs and nationwide surveillance could reduce its impact. She also researched aflatoxin, antimicrobial resistance, water quality, sanitation and hygiene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much of that research came through the Kenya Medical Research Institute<\/a>, whose U.S. partners include the Centers for Disease Control and Infection and Washington State University. Wambura spent some time with WSU, implementing her research, before arriving at VCU in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was always asking myself about how policy affects outcomes \u2026 but I didn\u2019t have the knowledge to become an independent researcher,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen my friend told me about VCU and the program here, I thought it would be a perfect fit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her arrival coincided with the throes of COVID-19, which Wambura said bolstered class discussions that examined the role of research scientists and health policy. And the pandemic didn\u2019t slow her academic pursuits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to leading the student chapter of AcademyHealth<\/a>, Wambura researched colorectal cancer through a grant from the American Cancer Society. She explored the impact of ACOs \u2013 accountable care organizations \u2013 that aim to provide patient-centered, lower-cost health care to Medicare and Medicaid recipients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That work influenced Wambura\u2019s dissertation, which also incorporated her longtime passion for maternal health as well as her Kenyan roots. The project focused on maternal and neonatal health outcomes as they relate to healthcare delivery and payment systems \u2013 in this case, looking at ACOs in the United States and the free maternal service policy in Kenya, which aims to reduce maternal and infant mortality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wambura noted that her goal was not to compare the programs or the two countries. It was meant to explore women going through very similar circumstances but living in very different countries with vastly different healthcare systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She thinks of the two as \u201csame-same, but different,\u201d a commonly used phrase in Thailand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI just wanted to embody my identity in my \u2018why\u2019 as a researcher, and use my knowledge in both to learn [and] just understand the two systems,\u201d Wambura said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That mindset remains as she graduates from VCU to continue her public health journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat I\u2019ve learned throughout my time is that we\u2019re all more alike than we are different,\u201d Wambura said. \u201cThat\u2019s what has fully encompassed my work as a research scientist \u2013 understanding that we\u2019re more similar than we are different. We\u2019re all battling similar things, just in different systems and different contexts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Haley Tenore. Article originally published by\u00a0VCU News<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ati Wambura grew up in Kenya, spent time living in Thailand, earned her bachelor\u2019s degree in the United States and completed her master\u2019s in Britain. With her Ph.D. this spring from Virginia Commonwealth University, she will bring her global perspective to health policy and research that can transcend borders. \u201cComing back to the U.S. was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2005,"featured_media":224,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[124,121,20,123,125,126,122],"class_list":["post-223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-news","tag-academyhealth","tag-gati-wambura","tag-healthcare-policy-and-research","tag-kenya","tag-maternal-health-outcomes","tag-neonatal-health-outcomes","tag-vcu-school-of-public-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2005"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=223"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":221,"date":"2026-04-30T15:13:50","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T15:13:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/?p=221"},"modified":"2026-05-11T15:17:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T15:17:17","slug":"andrew-barnes-ph-d-recognized-for-advancing-societal-well-being","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/2026\/04\/30\/andrew-barnes-ph-d-recognized-for-advancing-societal-well-being\/","title":{"rendered":"Andrew Barnes, Ph.D., recognized for Advancing Societal Well-being"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Andrew Barnes, Ph.D., professor of health policy, is the inaugural recipient of the VCU ARIA \u2013 Excellence in Research for Advancing Societal Well-being.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

VCU Annual Research Impact Awards<\/a> (VCU-ARIA) recognize outstanding academic and scientific research achievements by faculty and postdoctoral fellows, celebrating discoveries, innovative research, and contributions to specific fields. These institutional awards are determined through a process that includes both self-nominations or nominations by others and committee selection to honor excellence in research, scholarship, and creative activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"headshot<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Barnes\u2019 research intersects health policy and substance use, focusing on Medicaid policies to improve opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and informing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on tobacco regulation to achieve its public health mission. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing the inaugural recipient for this research award is deeply meaningful to me,\u201d Barnes said. \u201cI came to VCU almost 15 years ago with a vision to partner with state agencies here to leverage evidence to inform better, fairer policies. The extent to which even a small part of that dream has been achieved is due in large part to building relationships across government agencies, universities, and communities around a common purpose, to make positive changes in society.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2016, Barnes\u2019 research team, co-led by Peter Cunningham, Ph.D., professor and interim chair of the Department of Health Policy<\/a>, established a partnership with Department of Medical Assistance Services<\/a> (DMAS), Virginia\u2019s Medicaid program. Together, they engaged Virginia Medicaid policymakers, members and providers to identify problems and provide actionable, evidence-based policy solutions. In 2025, this partnership became the VCU Office of Medicaid Evaluation<\/a>, and Barnes was named director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs founding Director of the OME, Dr. Barnes has built an enduring state\u2013university partnership with DMAS that is unmatched in the Commonwealth,\u201d said Monica Swahn, Ph.D., M.P.H., professor and dean of the VCU School of Public Health<\/a>. \u201cThrough his research, Dr. Barnes has illuminated complex policy processes, strengthened VCU\u2019s research enterprise, and tangibly improved the lives of Virginians.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to Barnes\u2019 impact on Medicaid research, he has contributed to scholarship in tobacco regulatory science, assisting state and federal policymakers predict intended and unintended consequences of tobacco-related legislation. Since tobacco products kill 480,000 U.S. adults and 10,000 Virginia adults every year, these efforts are critical to advancing public health. In all, Barnes has contributed to 50+ policy briefs and reports about Virginia, US, and international health policy priorities. He is a prolific researcher and a dedicated mentor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis award is well-deserved and is a testament to his many accomplishments and contributions to research at VCU,\u201d said Cunningham. \u201cDr. Barnes thoroughly integrates his research with teaching and mentorship of Ph.D. students. Under his mentorship, they learn and reinforce research skills by participating in the analysis, and often lead specific project tasks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation<\/a> hosted an award ceremony and luncheon for recipients and their families on Monday, April 27.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Written by Maggie Christ.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Andrew Barnes, Ph.D., professor of health policy, is the inaugural recipient of the VCU ARIA \u2013 Excellence in Research for Advancing Societal Well-being. VCU Annual Research Impact Awards (VCU-ARIA) recognize outstanding academic and scientific research achievements by faculty and postdoctoral fellows, celebrating discoveries, innovative research, and contributions to specific fields. These institutional awards are determined through […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2005,"featured_media":222,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[26,119,120,102,54,118],"class_list":["post-221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty-news","tag-andrew-barnes","tag-health-policy-faculty","tag-monica-swahn","tag-office-of-medicaid-evaluation","tag-peter-cunningham","tag-vcu-annual-research-impact-awards"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2005"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=221"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":219,"date":"2026-04-21T15:07:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T15:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/?p=219"},"modified":"2026-05-11T15:11:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T15:11:50","slug":"community-connection-at-the-center-of-national-public-health-week-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/2026\/04\/21\/community-connection-at-the-center-of-national-public-health-week-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Community, connection at the center of National Public Health Week 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Community, mentorship, service and global health were the focus of NPHW 2026 at VCU School of Public Health, organized by the Public Health Student Association (PHSA).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observed each April, National Public Health Week<\/a> recognizes the field\u2019s role in improving health, preventing disease, and strengthening communities. At VCU, the PHSA organized daily events to highlight the various specialties and impact of public health and our community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ground-breaking research<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To begin the week, Monica Swahn, Ph.D., M.P.H., professor and dean of the VCU School of Public Health presented her work in a kickoff session focused on \u201cGlobal Health and AI.\u201d As the opening event of the week, the session established a clear framing: innovation in public health is not defined by novelty alone but by whether it advances meaningful and equitable health improvement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[Dean Swahn] brought a powerful perspective to Global Health, reminding us that innovation means nothing without equity and intention,\u201d said Arooj Abidi, M.B.B.S., M.P.H., candidate and president of the PHSA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matthew S. Krauchunas, Ph.D., assistant professor in the VCU College of Health Professions<\/a>, extended that conversation by examining artificial intelligence in health care, including its potential applications as well as concerns related to privacy, responsibility, and ethical implementation. Together, the presentations situated innovation within a broader public health framework that values both technological progress and institutional accountability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning from the experts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tuesday was focused on mentorship and professional development through a PHSA-hosted speed networking event that brought together students and faculty around shared research interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event created direct opportunities for students to engage with faculty mentors, exchange ideas, and identify areas of scholarly alignment. Beyond networking in a narrow sense, the session emphasized how professional trajectories in public health are often shaped by sustained relationships, intellectual community, and access to mentorship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFast-paced, candid, and genuinely impactful, this is what public health leadership development looks like in real time,\u201d Abidi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By structuring the event around conversation rather than formal presentation, PHSA highlighted a core feature of public health training: leadership is developed not only in classrooms but also through dialogue, connection, and guided opportunity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public health spirit & professional legacy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On Wednesday, the PHSA marked the day by showing their public health spirit along with faculty and students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

PHSA hosted Karl E. Peace, Ph.D., an accomplished biostatistics alumnus, who delivered a talk titled \u201cFrom Baker County Dirt to Public Health Fame.\u201d In the talk, Peace reflected on his early life in poverty and on the arc of a career that has influenced public health through research, education, and philanthropy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHis story is a powerful reminder that where you start does not define where you can go and how one career can shape science, policy, and lives,\u201d Swahn said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program linked personal narrative with professional legacy, underscoring that public health careers are built not only through technical expertise but also through perseverance, public commitment, and long-term contribution to the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community impact in action<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Thursday was another incredible day as events turned outward to community-based public health practice, where students were engaged directly with organizations across Virginia, gaining real-world insight into maternal health, cancer support, community health work, and perinatal collaboration. The conversations were practical and grounded in the realities of doing public health work on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PHSA invited representatives from the Virginia Community Health Worker Association<\/a>, CancerLINC<\/a>, CARITAS<\/a>, Doula Association of Virginia<\/a>, and the Virginia Neonatal Perinatal Collaborative<\/a> to highlight how partnerships and community-driven strategies continue to shape meaningful health outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We wrapped the week with a community service event, planting seedlings in the Stockton Community Garden to support healthier, more sustainable urban greenspaces in Richmond, Virginia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the final event of the week, PHSA wrapped with the community service event at the Stockton Community Garden, translating discussion into action as students planted seedlings in support of healthier, more sustainable urban green space in Richmond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event also reinforced a broader principle that ran throughout the week: public health is not confined to policy or program design. It is enacted through everyday practices that strengthen the conditions in which communities live and thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student spotlight: Jocelyn Espinoza<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jocelyn Espinoza, M.P.H. student and service chair of PHSA, is one of ASPPH\u2019s This is Public Health! Ambassadors. As part of her role, she took over the Instagram page<\/a> during NPHW to highlight her community work, VCU Public Health and the power of mentorship. Learn more about Espinoza and her community-engaged work on our blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy goal with the takeover was to show what public health looks like in real life \u2013 community partnerships, mentorship, and the small everyday moments where students grow into practitioners,\u201d said Espinoza. \u201cBeing able to highlight the work happening in the VCU School of Public Health, and the support systems that shaped my journey, felt really meaningful!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

National Public Health Week 2026 at VCU School of Public Health demonstrated the breadth of public health as both a field of study and a mode of practice, and all the events positioned students not as observers of public health but as emerging participants in its work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you to all who joined us to celebrate public health this week and all month long! We continue the focus on public health research with our Student Showcase on Wednesday, April 29 and invite everyone in our community to join. Get the details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Written by Maggie Christ. Arooj Abidi and Sonia Riaz contributed to this article.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Community, mentorship, service and global health were the focus of NPHW 2026 at VCU School of Public Health, organized by the Public Health Student Association (PHSA). Observed each April, National Public Health Week recognizes the field\u2019s role in improving health, preventing disease, and strengthening communities. At VCU, the PHSA organized daily events to highlight the various specialties […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2005,"featured_media":220,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[104,116,117,111],"class_list":["post-219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-news","tag-health-policy-students","tag-national-public-health-week","tag-public-health-student-association","tag-sonia-riaz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2005"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=219"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":214,"date":"2026-03-04T15:00:23","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T15:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/?p=214"},"modified":"2026-05-11T15:06:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T15:06:53","slug":"the-school-of-public-health-mourns-ph-d-candidate-akpene-tetteh-m-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/2026\/03\/04\/the-school-of-public-health-mourns-ph-d-candidate-akpene-tetteh-m-s\/","title":{"rendered":"The Department of Health Policy mourns Ph.D. candidate Akpene Tetteh, M.S."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Healthcare Policy and Research Ph.D. student, Akpene Tetteh, M.S., passed away unexpectedly on February 12, 2026.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A native of Ghana and a truly exceptional student, Akpene Tetteh, M.S., was on track to complete her Ph.D. this summer, in an unprecedented three years. The\u00a0Department of Health Policy\u00a0and School of Public Health are heartbroken by the sudden loss of Akpene who was an especially studious and valued member of our community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Akpene was working on her dissertation at the time of her passing. It  aimed to improve health outcomes among diabetic adults in the United States by targeting barriers to treatment and prevention along the diabetes continuum of care. Her research examined opportunities to improve screening rates for diabetic retinopathy, especially among high-risk groups, and aimed to improve health outcomes among diabetic adults in the United States by targeting barriers to treatment and prevention along the diabetes continuum of care. But what really stood out for those who worked with her every day was her commitment to her work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe was often the first to arrive and the last to leave, reflecting a work ethic and determination that many of us witnessed every day,\u201d said her advisor, Bassam Dahman, Ph.D., a professor of health policy.  \u201cShe will be well remembered by the faculty and collaborators who worked alongside her for her dedication to research, her commitment to improving diabetes care among underserved communities, and the perseverance with which she pursued her goals. She was developing into a strong and thoughtful researcher, and it was a privilege to serve as her advisor and witness her growth.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Akpene\u2019s research combined her 10-plus years of professional experience in the pharmaceutical industry contributing to global projects, and her academic training in Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science and Industrial Chemistry at the University of Cape Coast in her native Ghana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Wednesday, February 25, Akpene was posthumously awarded the Carter G. Woodson Award for Academic Excellence by the VCU Department of African American Studies. Peter Cunningham, Ph.D., professor and interim department chair presented the award to members of Akpene\u2019s family, who accepted it on her behalf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Akpene will be deeply missed by her fellow students, faculty and staff here at VCU. Not only will her memory live on through them, but so will her contributions to the field of health policy and her thoughtful and earnest approach to her research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Written by Maggie Christ. Drew Necci contributed significantly to this article.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Healthcare Policy and Research Ph.D. student, Akpene Tetteh, M.S., passed away unexpectedly on February 12, 2026.\u00a0 A native of Ghana and a truly exceptional student, Akpene Tetteh, M.S., was on track to complete her Ph.D. this summer, in an unprecedented three years. The\u00a0Department of Health Policy\u00a0and School of Public Health are heartbroken by the sudden […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2005,"featured_media":215,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,3],"tags":[114,115,20,54],"class_list":["post-214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-department-news","category-student-news","tag-akpene-tetteh","tag-bassam-dahman","tag-healthcare-policy-and-research","tag-peter-cunningham"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2005"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=214"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":211,"date":"2026-02-20T13:27:04","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T13:27:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/?p=211"},"modified":"2026-02-20T13:27:05","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T13:27:05","slug":"public-health-students-team-up-with-vpha-for-legislative-advocacy-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/2026\/02\/20\/public-health-students-team-up-with-vpha-for-legislative-advocacy-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Public health students team up with VPHA for Legislative Advocacy Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Health Policy students in the VCU Public Health Student Association partnered with Virginia Public Health Association to support public health legislation. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The VCU School of Public Health<\/a> (SOPH) leveraged its proximity to the Virginia State Capitol this winter when Healthcare Policy and Research<\/a> Ph.D. students and members of the VCU Public Health Student Association<\/a> (PHSA) organized a joint Legislative Day with the Virginia Public Health Association<\/a> (VPHA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The collaboration began last fall when Grant Frazier, M.P.H., PHSA\u2019s Health Policy Liaison, connected with VPHA\u2019s Ben Barber<\/a> to explore ways students could engage in current policy efforts. VPHA provided the technical support and structure students needed to move from interest to action. As Barber put it, \u201cThey wanted to speak up in support of health policy and learn how to do so effectively in their capacity as students. VPHA was able to provide technical assistance and the opportunity to make it happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preparation for the day included a virtual briefing hosted by VPHA. Barber guided participants through the advocacy process, offering talking points, addressing common concerns about advocacy, and explaining the basics of how Virginia\u2019s government works. That orientation gave students a clear framework for the meetings they would hold with legislators and staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Thursday, February 5, despite icy conditions and weather delays, the group gathered at One Capitol Square for breakfast and a final review of the day\u2019s agenda before walking to the General Assembly Building. There, students met with representatives and legislative staff to discuss budget amendments aimed at strengthening core public health services and infrastructure across the state. The proposed measures focused on communicable disease prevention and control, local community health services, and public health information technology\u2014areas affected by federal funding cuts the previous summer that reduced Virginia\u2019s public health capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese initiatives are essential for supporting disease prevention, improving data systems, and ensuring timely responses to public health threats across the state,\u201d said Zhanna Alexeyeva, M.P.H., a Ph.D. student in health policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
From left, Grant Frazier, M.P.H., Michael Muhoozi, M.H.S.R., Sonia Riaz, M.D., M.P.H., Holly Hazard, Legislative Assistant to Senator Barbara Favola, and Zhanna Alexeyeva, M.P.H.<\/em><\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Meetings followed a coordinated format. Frazier introduced the team and outlined the proposed budget amendment, and students added depth through personal experience and subject expertise. Alexeyeva, along with classmates Sonia Riaz, M.D., M.P.H., and Michael Muhoozi, M.H.S.R., each contributed perspectives that personalized the policy discussion and underscored the real\u2011world implications of the proposed funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSpeaking directly with legislators showed me that time is limited, so it is essential to explain the problem, its significance, and the potential impact of proposed policies clearly and concisely,\u201d Alexeyeva explained. \u201cAt the same time, working with my team highlighted the value of preparation and coordination, allowing us to present our points confidently and reinforce each other\u2019s messages.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event also reinforced an ongoing partnership between VCU and VPHA. Barber, the immediate past president of VPHA, has long supported VCU Public Health and its students. He previously participated in the DMV Alumni Chapter<\/a>\u2019s Careers in Public Health Panel<\/a> and continues to contribute time and expertise to student development. SOPH is a sustaining organizational member of VPHA, a relationship that provides faculty, students, and staff with opportunities to participate in the Annual Conference and other VPHA events throughout the year. That institutional connection exemplifies the collaboration and community engagement central to public health practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students praised the \u201cstructured and supportive environment\u201d VPHA provided. Riaz, who serves as PHSA Communications Chair, reflected on the experience: \u201cThis experience illustrated that advocacy requires not only \u2018speaking up\u2019 but also deliberate, strategic communication rooted in teamwork and consistency. It also reinforced the idea that students can make significant contributions when they receive adequate preparation and support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Frazier echoed that sentiment, thanking VPHA for its leadership and practical support. \u201cVPHA was an incredible partner,\u201d he said. \u201cTheir leadership in public health is unmatched, and I have to give a shoutout to Ben and his team for making this event go above and beyond what I thought it would be. VCU PHSA is looking forward to building off this experience for future educational opportunities and advocacy days.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barber described the day as a success on two levels. \u201cIt was a big success,\u201d he said. \u201cIn my eyes, our goals were two\u2011fold. Our short term goal was to advocate for support for a central public health infrastructure in Virginia.\u201d He added that the longer\u2011term aim\u2014empowering the next generation of public health leaders to translate science into effective advocacy\u2014was also advanced as students gained confidence and practical skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many participants, the experience was transformative. Some had never been inside the General Assembly Building or spoken directly with a policymaker. Riaz said the day deepened her commitment to sustained involvement in health policy, noting that clinicians and public health professionals must help shape the upstream policies that determine health outcomes. Muhoozi encouraged peers to get involved early: \u201cDon\u2019t wait until you feel like an \u2018expert\u2019 to get involved. Policy isn\u2019t just about knowing every statistic; it\u2019s about showing up. Participating in days like this with organizations like VPHA provides a safety net where you can learn the ropes of advocacy in a supported environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frazier summed up the practical value of the experience: \u201cThis experience has provided a valuable framework for advocating for health policy, not only during the General Assembly, but at any time. It reinforced that we can choose to be advocates no matter the occasion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Written by Maggie Christ; originally published at VCU School of Public Health blog<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Health Policy students in the VCU Public Health Student Association partnered with Virginia Public Health Association to support public health legislation.  The VCU School of Public Health (SOPH) leveraged its proximity to the Virginia State Capitol this winter when Healthcare Policy and Research Ph.D. students and members of the VCU Public Health Student Association (PHSA) organized a joint Legislative Day with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2005,"featured_media":212,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,3],"tags":[110,109,105,104,103,108,112,111,107,106,113],"class_list":["post-211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-department-news","category-student-news","tag-ben-barber","tag-general-assembly","tag-grant-frazier","tag-health-policy-students","tag-healthcare-policy-and-research-students","tag-legislative-advocacy-day","tag-michael-muhoozi","tag-sonia-riaz","tag-vcu-public-health-student-association","tag-virginia-public-health-association","tag-zhanna-alexeyeva"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2005"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/212"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":207,"date":"2025-12-10T18:55:28","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T18:55:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/?p=207"},"modified":"2025-12-10T18:55:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T18:55:29","slug":"vcu-launches-the-office-of-medicaid-evaluation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/2025\/12\/10\/vcu-launches-the-office-of-medicaid-evaluation\/","title":{"rendered":"VCU launches the Office of Medicaid Evaluation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Based in the School of Public Health, the center\u2019s research will help policymakers address issues related to health care access, quality and cost for members of Medicaid<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Public Health<\/a> has established the Office of Medicaid Evaluation<\/a> (OME) to more formally provide analysis and guidance on state and federal Medicaid programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The OME officially launched on July 1 this year, but VCU\u2019s collaboration with the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services<\/a> has long been extensive. Since 2016, a team of VCU researchers has worked closely with DMAS to evaluate policy and program changes in treating substance use disorder, using managed care to provide long-term services, expanding the breadth and duration of coverage for Medicaid populations, and supporting maternal and child health initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, the team will operate as the OME to continue its objective, nonpartisan research to inform policies that impact the nearly 1.5 million children and adults covered by Medicaid in Virginia. Establishing the OME as a formal center will help elevate its partnership with DMAS and further highlight the researchers\u2019 focus on critical issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In July, Andrew Barnes, Ph.D.<\/a>, professor of health policy at the School of Public Health, was named director of the OME. He leads a research team of health services, economics and policy experts from across VCU, other universities and state and federal agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By providing rigorous and objective analysis of state and federal Medicaid programs, the team helps policymakers address questions and issues related to health care access, quality and cost for members of Medicaid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith public financing for health insurance coverage programs receiving so much attention at the national level, such evidence is especially needed now to learn from experience and inform contemporary policy decisions,\u201d Barnes said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that VCU\u2019s long standing relationship with DMAS, which is Virginia\u2019s Medicaid agency, as well as federal partners makes the OME well-positioned to elevate its role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSitting across from the Capitol, the VCU School of Public Health is the ideal place to listen and share with our legislators and state agencies to advance our common purpose to improve the health and well-being of the commonwealth,\u201d Barnes said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Peter Cunningham<\/a>, Ph.D., professor and interim chair of VCU\u2019s Department of Health Policy and principal investigator of the Addiction and Recovery Treatment Services program, said establishment of the OME reflects the value of its mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is long overdue that the work we do with DMAS be given greater recognition within our school, the university as well as the state government,\u201d he said. \u201cWe believe that elevating our work with Medicaid can continue to solidify our role as one of the go-to teams in the state for analysis and evaluation of state health policies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Maggie Christ, originally published at VCU School of Public Health’s blog<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Based in the School of Public Health, the center\u2019s research will help policymakers address issues related to health care access, quality and cost for members of Medicaid. The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Public Health has established the Office of Medicaid Evaluation (OME) to more formally provide analysis and guidance on state and federal Medicaid programs. The OME officially […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2005,"featured_media":210,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[26,102,54,10,29],"class_list":["post-207","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-department-news","tag-andrew-barnes","tag-office-of-medicaid-evaluation","tag-peter-cunningham","tag-virginia-department-of-medical-assistance-services","tag-virginia-medicaid"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2005"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=207"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":205,"date":"2025-12-04T14:23:53","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T14:23:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/?p=205"},"modified":"2025-12-04T14:23:54","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T14:23:54","slug":"class-of-2025-dani-montoya-embraces-public-health-and-perseverance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/2025\/12\/04\/class-of-2025-dani-montoya-embraces-public-health-and-perseverance\/","title":{"rendered":"Class of 2025: Dani Montoya embraces public health and perseverance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Growing up in Oxnard, California, Dani Montoya saw the social inequalities affecting her largely Mexican American community. She initially felt that becoming a doctor would be an ideal way to help others, but she ended up favoring data over diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of my people, good people in my life, recommended that I go into public health,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Montoya took the guidance to heart and graduates this month with her Ph.D. in health care policy and research<\/a> from Virginia Commonwealth University\u2019s School of Public Health<\/a>. She was drawn to VCU by both its financial support and the program\u2019s focus on community-based participatory research, with professors and students committed to serving a greater good in policy and practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is really an outstanding program, especially for individuals who want to feel well-rounded in being a public health professional,\u201d Montoya said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her lab projects included participating in health-related research of Black women of reproductive age, as well as working with Virginia\u2019s Department of Medical Assistance Services<\/a> to assess Medicaid programs that serve women with substance use disorders. And her personal research focused on the Hispanic community\u2019s predisposition to type 2 diabetes, including the impact of place, culture and care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuality of care is great on its own, but I also wanted to look at things like segregation. How does that affect these really big ideas?\u201d Montoya said. \u201cAnd I think that\u2019s something that I think a policy person is really able to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She noted that Hispanics and Latinos are often treated as a single homogenous group, when in fact there are many communities with unique characteristics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat is really kind of understudied,\u201d she said, emphasizing the need for more granular data to understand disparities. \u201cWe don\u2019t do a lot of research on race among Hispanics, and that\u2019s a hard topic \u2026 specifically because we have a hard time labeling Hispanics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Montoya also has explored acculturation, which is assimilation into a different culture. Immigrants\u2019 health can be affected by adjustment to the American diet, segregation, the doctors they see and the general stresses of establishing lives in a new country. She worked on several papers that examined such elements and potential links to diabetes, finding that income level, education and insurance status were notable factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t find any differences when it came to race between Hispanics, but it\u2019s important that I did it,\u201d she said. \u201cIf we don\u2019t look at these differences, we won\u2019t know and we won\u2019t be able to describe any disparities that we see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Montoya also examined how Hispanic and Black diabetes patients had more thorough screenings from Hispanic and Black doctors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of history of medical racism, of minorities having difficult times interacting with our health system,\u201d she said. \u201cHaving a racially or ethnically concordant provider could be a way for the health system to increase trust for communities that have a hard time trusting the medical system.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Montoya\u2019s Ph.D. has special resonance because undiagnosed ADHD was part of her framework in life. In addition to moments of self-doubt, she had instructors over time who told her \u201cmaybe science isn\u2019t for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut I felt like I just needed to persevere,\u201d Montoya said. \u201cMy whole education journey is mostly a story of just persevering grit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peter Cunningham<\/a>, Ph.D., professor and interim chair of the Department of Health Policy<\/a>, applauds such resolve. He served as Montoya\u2019s academic advisor and dissertation chair, and while she had to adjust to the Ph.D. program, her dissertation and oral defense were among the strongest he has ever seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe really is a role model for students who may at times seriously doubt their ability to complete their degree programs,\u201d Cunningham said. \u201cShe taught me that even just a little encouragement and show of confidence can go a long way in helping students to overcome their early struggles. Not only can they complete the degree, but they can finish strong, as Dani did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Amelia Heymann. Article originally published by VCU News<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Growing up in Oxnard, California, Dani Montoya saw the social inequalities affecting her largely Mexican American community. She initially felt that becoming a doctor would be an ideal way to help others, but she ended up favoring data over diagnosis. \u201cA lot of my people, good people in my life, recommended that I go into […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2005,"featured_media":206,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[101,68,20,54,97,9,10],"class_list":["post-205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni-news","tag-dani-montoya","tag-department-of-health-policy","tag-healthcare-policy-and-research","tag-peter-cunningham","tag-school-of-public-health","tag-substance-use-disorder","tag-virginia-department-of-medical-assistance-services"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2005"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=205"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":202,"date":"2025-08-05T14:58:42","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T14:58:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/?p=202"},"modified":"2025-07-30T15:34:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T15:34:14","slug":"primary-care-shortage-affects-44-of-virginias-neighborhoods-and-almost-3-8-million-residents-new-vcu-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/2025\/08\/05\/primary-care-shortage-affects-44-of-virginias-neighborhoods-and-almost-3-8-million-residents-new-vcu-study-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"Primary care shortage affects 44% of Virginia\u2019s neighborhoods and almost 3.8 million residents, new VCU study finds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Rural communities are particularly hard-hit, and the research could point to workforce initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearly half of Virginia\u2019s neighborhoods don\u2019t have enough nearby primary care physicians for their residents, with rural communities being hit hardest by workforce shortages, according to a new study led by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using anonymized health care claims data, the research team found that 44% of census tracts in the state lacked adequate access to primary care services, affecting nearly 3.8 million Virginians. The findings, published in the Annals of Family Medicine<\/a>, could help inform workforce interventions in targeting neighborhoods most in need of expanded primary care access. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researchers leading this study were supported by funds from the National Institutes of Health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPrimary care physicians are the foundation of any health care system, with the ability to provide care across the spectrum of people\u2019s lives,\u201d said Hannah Shadowen, Ph.D., an M.D.-Ph.D. student at VCU\u2019s School of Medicine<\/a> and School of Public Health<\/a> and lead author of the new study. \u201cNot only do they help treat acute medical problems, they also play an important role in helping patients manage chronic health issues like diabetes and hypertension.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet health care workforce shortages have worsened in the United States, and the need for primary care physicians is expected to keep growing. According to estimates from the Association of American Medical Colleges, by 2032 the United States will be short by more than 55,000 primary care physicians in meeting the health care needs of Americans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Residents in areas with limited health care options often need to travel farther for medical appointments, and they consequently are less likely to utilize primary care services. This is a serious public health concern, as inadequate access to primary care results in more hospitalizations and emergency department visits, shorter lifespans and greater health inequities for communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn order to develop interventions that effectively address primary care shortages, we need to better understand which communities are facing the biggest barriers to access,\u201d said Alex Krist<\/a>, M.D., a professor in the VCU School of Medicine\u2019s Department of Family Medicine and Population Health<\/a> and one of the study\u2019s co-authors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By evaluating patient claims data collected in 2019 through the Virginia All-Payer Claims Database, Krist, Shadowen and their colleagues determined the number of physicians actively providing primary care in Virginia, the locations of their practices and the number of patients seen by each physician. The researchers also included obstetrician-gynecologists, internal medicine physicians and pediatricians seen by patients for wellness visits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The researchers identified primary care provider deficiencies by calculating the total patient capacity of all physicians within a 30-minute drive of each census tract and compared this number with the census tract\u2019s population size. (Hannah Shadowen)<\/code><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile some studies estimate how many patients a provider should be able to see annually, this data really speaks to the actual capacity of each provider and the type of care they can give to the community,\u201d Shadowen said. \u201cRather than giving a prediction on health care shortages, this data provides a realistic depiction of the primary care workforce in Virginia and where the shortages are felt most prominently.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research team then calculated the total patient capacity of all primary care physicians within a 30-minute drive of each census tract and compared this number with the census tract\u2019s population size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research team also assessed various demographic factors to better understand whether certain community characteristics were associated with primary care access. The factors included age, insurance coverage, income level, medical needs, disability rates, education level, rurality, and racial and economic segregation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The data showed that 4,850 physicians provided primary care services in 2019, with each seeing 1,368 patients on average. The researchers\u2019 analysis revealed that about 44% of Virginia\u2019s census tracts did not have adequate access to primary care physicians. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also found that structural and geographic factors were the strongest predictors of whether a community had enough primary care physicians in Virginia. In particular, rural communities experienced significantly less primary care access compared with suburban or urban neighborhoods. On average, the primary care capacity of rural census tracts was approximately 725 patients fewer compared with that in suburban tracts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study authors say a number of factors may be behind this disparity. For example, the majority of primary care residencies are located in urban or suburban areas, and other research shows that physicians are more likely to practice where they receive residency training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese findings show that more work needs to be done to increase Virginia\u2019s rural primary care workforce,\u201d Shadowen said. \u201dFor example, expanding residency programs in rural settings or establishing incentive programs like loan repayment benefits could potentially help with closing these gaps in health care access.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researchers also found that census tracts with higher proportions of Black residents had greater access to primary care services than those with predominantly white residents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis may be due to the fact that predominantly Black neighborhoods in Virginia tend to be in urban areas, which this study has shown typically have a greater number of primary care physicians,\u201d Shadowen said. \u201cThese trends could also be the result of local and national efforts to address the health needs of historically marginalized neighborhoods, such as Federally Qualified Health Centers and pathway programs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researchers noted that having access to primary care does not always mean that these services are being utilized. Their next studies are focused on better understanding how access to care influences the likelihood of seeing a primary care physician in Virginia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shadowen and Krist conducted this study alongside researchers from VCU\u2019s School of Medicine and School of Public Health: Jennifer L. Gilbert, Psy.D.; Benjamin Webel; Jong Hyung Lee, Ph.D.; Scott M. Strayer, M.D.; Jacqueline B. Britz, M.D.; Adam Funk; Roy T. Sabo, Ph.D.; and Andrew J. Barnes, Ph.D. They also collaborated with Lauryn S. Walker, Ph.D., from the Virginia Center for Health Innovation; Michael Topmiller, Ph.D., from HealthLandscape; and Andrew Mitchell, Ph.D., from the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Article originally published by VCU News<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top Photo: Insights from a new study could inform future strategies for targeting neighborhoods most in need of primary care services. (Getty Images)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rural communities are particularly hard-hit, and the research could point to workforce initiatives. Nearly half of Virginia\u2019s neighborhoods don\u2019t have enough nearby primary care physicians for their residents, with rural communities being hit hardest by workforce shortages, according to a new study led by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University.  Using anonymized health care claims data, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2005,"featured_media":204,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,2,3],"tags":[98,89,99,7,95,97,100,96],"class_list":["post-202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-department-news","category-faculty-news","category-student-news","tag-alex-krist","tag-annals-of-family-medicine","tag-department-of-family-medicine-and-population-health","tag-hannah-shadowen","tag-primary-care-physicians","tag-school-of-public-health","tag-virginia-all-payer-claims-database","tag-workforce-shortages"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2005"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=202"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":200,"date":"2025-06-27T13:53:56","date_gmt":"2025-06-27T13:53:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/?p=200"},"modified":"2025-06-27T13:53:57","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T13:53:57","slug":"where-doctors-arent-new-study-shows-why-primary-care-shortages-persist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/hbp\/2025\/06\/27\/where-doctors-arent-new-study-shows-why-primary-care-shortages-persist\/","title":{"rendered":"Where doctors aren\u2019t: New study shows why primary care shortages persist"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Austin Littrell, Medical Economics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearly half of Virginia’s neighborhoods lack adequate access to primary care. That’s the conclusion of a new study published in the Annals of Family Medicine<\/em><\/a>, which used all-payer claims data to map how and where patients in the state can reach a doctor within 30 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers found that 44% of census tracts in Virginia lacked adequate access to primary care physicians (PCPs), leaving about 3.8 million people with too few local options. But the study’s implications stretch well beyond Virginia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than tying access to health needs or insurance coverage, the researchers found that structural and geographic factors \u2014 not population need \u2014 were the strongest predictors of whether a community had enough physicians. That distinction could reshape how workforce policy<\/a> is approached across the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Primary care continues to be a critical element for ensuring community health and health equity<\/a> in Virginia, and this work illuminates the characteristics most associated with inadequate workforce,” the study’s authors wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A deeper look at structural access<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The research team, led by Virginia Commonwealth University, used the 2019 Virginia All-Payers Claims Database<\/a> to estimate how many patients each PCP saw, then calculated how far that care could extend \u2014 specifically, who could reach a doctor within 30 minutes by car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also examined dozens of community-level factors: age, insurance coverage, disability rates, education levels, rurality and racial and economic segregation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their key finding? Structural forces mattered most. Rural and segregated communities \u2014 in different ways \u2014 faced the most limited access. And crucially, access wasn’t correlated with health need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, areas with high rates of diabetes or disability didn’t necessarily have fewer doctors. Instead, rural areas consistently had lower access, while majority-Black neighborhoods had greater access than majority-White ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The geography of segregation and care<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Across much of the U.S., segregation often limits access to health care. But in Virginia, researchers found that neighborhoods with higher proportions of Black residents had significantly better access to primary care than those with more White residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That may reflect federally funded clinic locations, or the impact of programs like the National Health Service Corps, which places physicians in underserved communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It may also reflect who chooses to serve these areas. Previous research<\/a> has shown that Black physicians are more likely to practice in Black communities, and their numbers have grown modestly in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, the researchers caution against over-interpreting this finding. In sensitivity analyses, the association between segregation and improved access didn’t always hold. Policy, not just demographics, is likely influencing these patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why rural areas keep falling behind<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

One result that didn’t come as a surprise is that rural communities had the least access to primary care. On average, census tracts in rural areas had capacity for 725 fewer patients compared with suburban tracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That tracks with long-standing national trends. Most residency programs are located in urban or suburban areas, and physicians often stay where they train. Meanwhile, rural practices may pay less, offer fewer supports and require physicians to cover a broader range of services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although incentive programs exist, the study suggests they haven’t been enough to shift the distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rethinking what “access” really means<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The study also challenges how policymakers define and measure access. Health needs didn’t reliably predict physician availability. Variables like diabetes prevalence, disability rates and even hospital proximity were not strongly linked to whether a neighborhood had a sufficient number of PCPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only one clinical factor \u2014 local depression rates \u2014 was positively associated with access, and even that effect was small.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By contrast, rurality and regional geography showed clear and consistent associations. Some enabling factors like education level and marital status also had modest links to physician access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Implications far beyond Virginia<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Although this was a Virginia-based study, the findings speak to national trends. The U.S. faces a growing primary care shortage and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) projects<\/a> a shortfall of up to 48,000 PCPs by 2034.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet most current strategies to address the gap focus on community need \u2014 areas with poor health outcomes or high uninsurance rates. This study suggests that may not be enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If need doesn’t predict access, then the way we identify shortages<\/a> and deploy resources may need to change. For example, the federal Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designation still relies heavily on population-to-physician ratios, without factoring in geography or drive time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This study used a more nuanced approach \u2014 measuring real-world physician capacity, drive-time access and neighborhood-level characteristics \u2014 to paint a clearer picture of where gaps exist and why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To close those gaps, researchers suggest rethinking how and where the primary care workforce grows. That could include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n