What attracted you to the health metrics field?
After graduating from college, I worked as a Health Policy Fellow at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, where I saw firsthand how high-quality data and research could influence health care decisions at all levels – from local hospital planning to national legislation such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. I thoroughly enjoyed working on the policy side of a research institution; however, I wanted to deepen my understanding of the analytical methods behind the research. This fellowship is a great opportunity to develop my quantitative skills while contributing to important research on the best ways to improve people’s health.
What work are you doing at IHME?
I am part of the US County Performance team, which aims to track health performance at the county level in the United States. Many health policy decisions are made at the local level, yet there are currently very few, if any, county-specific data available to local health officials. Acquiring these data through local surveys and other means can be very costly. IHME has developed a model for small area estimation, which we are applying to national survey data to estimate risk factors and health outcomes in each of the 3,141 US counties.
How do you think your experience at IHME will contribute to your future work?
I am applying to the Master of Public Health program at the University of Washington and plan to continue to work in the field of public health. I hope to one day be in a position where I am making policy decisions or implementing interventions that impact population health. I could see myself doing this at a variety of levels – from a local health department to a large international organization. Ultimately, I think the analytical skills I am developing at IHME will be invaluable in undertaking research and connecting that research to policy or program implementation.
