PhD in Health Services Research

George �鶹��Ƶ’s Health Services Research PhD students and faculty share policy research at AcademyHealth 2025

Mary Cunningham — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 14:46:55 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ’s Health Services Research PhD students and faculty share policy research at AcademyHealth 2025 Mary Cunningham Wed, 06/18/2025 - 10:46

In This Story

Alison Evans Cuellar, PhD, MBA

Debora Goetz Goldberg, PhD, MHA, MBA

Gilbert Gimm, PhD, FGSA

Y. Alicia Hong, PhD

Jeah Jung, PhD, MPH

Health Services Research PhD students and faculty from the Department of Health Administration and Policy (HAP) in �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Public Health presented their research at the 2025 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting (ARM), held June 7 to 10 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

As the nation’s premier forum for health services research, AcademyHealth’s Annual Research Meeting brings researchers and health system leaders together to examine how policy, payment, and technology affect cost, access, and quality of care.

HAP PhD students and faculty delivered a range of presentations, covering healthcare worker burnout, digital health interventions, and Medicare policy. Their participation underscores HAP's commitment to applied research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and real-world impact.

PhD student presenter, Ge Song, reflected on her experience at the conference, where she presented her recent research on using circadian patterns in vital signs to improve hospital mortality prediction:

“Presenting my findings at the 2025 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting was a rewarding experience. I had the opportunity to connect with clinical researchers who offered thoughtful suggestions, particularly around clinical interpretation and modeling, that will shape the next phase of my analysis.”

Yiwen Li shared her perspective as a first-year doctoral student:

“Attending AcademyHealth ARM 2025 has been a wonderful experience. In my session, I was honored to present our WeCare 2.0 outcome evaluation and share how culturally tailored digital health interventions can support underserved family dementia caregivers. Beyond my own session, I also learned a lot from other presentations focusing on innovative care models and methods addressing health disparities, especially among aging, minority, and high-need populations.”

Why It Matters

Presenting at AcademyHealth is a vital part of advancing the field of health services research. It reflects the mission of �鶹��Ƶ’s Health Services Research PhD program to train future scholars who can generate evidence and effectively communicate findings to improve healthcare delivery and policy. By presenting research in person, HAP students, faculty, and alumni engage with national thought leaders, foster interdisciplinary collaborations, and shape healthcare systems.

“By showing up in person to share our work, the HAP department is contributing to a growing field that aims to improve access to health care services and, in turn, the well-being of families and individuals,” said Gilbert Gimm, director of the Health Services Research PhD program. “It’s also a fun way to build new connections and potential collaborations.”

George �鶹��Ƶ faculty and PhD student presenters at the 2025 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting

Alison Cuellar, PhD, �鶹��Ƶ
Panel Speaker: Opportunities for Improving and Learning from Transparency in Coverage Data
Gilbert Gimm, PhD, �鶹��Ƶ
Poster Presentation: Assessing Cannabis Smoking, Vaping, and Edible Use Among U.S. Adults by Disability Status in 2022
Debora Goldberg, PhD, MHA, MBA, �鶹��Ƶ
Poster Presentation: Exploring Job Satisfaction and Burnout Among Healthcare Workers Using the Surgeon General's Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being
Session Chair: From Burnout to Retention: Bridging Individual Struggles and Systemic Solutions
Y. Alicia Hong, PhD, �鶹��Ƶ
Podium Presentation: Evaluation of Stronger2 Project: A Community-Government-Academic Partnership to Enhance Resilience and Reduce Health Disparities
Jeah Jung, PhD, �鶹��Ƶ
Poster Presentation: Use of Low-Value Cancer Treatments in Medicare Advantage Versus Traditional Medicare
Yiwen Li, MPH, PhD student, �鶹��Ƶ
Podium Presentation: Evaluation of WeCare 2.0: A Digital Health Intervention for Chinese American Dementia Caregivers
Ge Song, PhD student, �鶹��Ƶ
Poster Presentation: Integrating Circadian Rhythms of Vital Signs into In-Hospital Mortality Prediction Models

Beyond the Conference

�鶹��Ƶ’s engagement with AcademyHealth extends beyond the ARM. The university is home to an official AcademyHealth Student Chapter, offering students year-round access to leadership opportunities, national events, and professional development in health services research.

Looking Ahead

Involvement in national conferences such as AcademyHealth, the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA), and the American Public Health Association (APHA) affirms �鶹��Ƶ’s growing presence in research on health policy, informatics, and public health. With each presentation, the HAP department is preparing the next generation of leaders in health services research.

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PhD in Health Services Research

Leading the charge: George �鶹��Ƶ researchers advocate for older adults in Capitol Hill campaign

Mary Cunningham — Fri, 16 May 2025 19:03:22 +0000

Leading the charge: George �鶹��Ƶ researchers advocate for older adults in Capitol Hill campaign Mary Cunningham Fri, 05/16/2025 - 15:03

In This Story

Li-Mei Chen, PhD

Li-Mei Chen, an assistant professor in the Department of Social Work, and Health Services Research PhD student Linda Hayes Bennett participated in the annual Gerontological Society of America’s (GSA) Capitol Hill Advocacy Day on April 29–30, 2025. The advocacy campaign brought together researchers and professionals from across the country to promote aging-related policy priorities and champion additional funding.

Li-Mei Chen (second from the left) and Linda Hayes Bennett (second from the right) with colleagues at the annual Gerontological Society of America's Capitol Hill Advocacy Day. Photo provided.

“As scientists, we adapt to new ways of thinking about health and aging when funding and priorities change. I think the touching stories of how our current work serves and helps older adults in our community and state moved the legislative staff and Congress people we met with,” said Hayes Bennett.

As part of the Virginia delegation, Chen and Bennett met with legislative staff from the offices of Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, Congressmen H. Morgan Griffith and Don Beyer, and Congresswoman Erica Eisenman. They advocated for sustained investment in programs that support older adults, including Medicaid, the Administration for Community Living programs such as Meals on Wheels, and funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). They emphasized the economic and scientific value of NIH support—highlighting that in fiscal year 2023, NIH funding generated an estimated $92.9 billion in economic activity, with every $1 of investment returning $2.50 in economic benefits. Using data from Science Impacts, Chen and Bennett illustrated the potential impact of proposed budget cuts on research progress and job losses.

Chen shared insights from her research, which uses virtual reality to train nursing home direct care staff in relationship-centered dementia care. She noted that many direct care workers receive no formal training in dementia care, and among those who do, 54% struggle with training delivered exclusively in English. Her colleague explained the prevalence rates of dementia by constituency area, and they advocated for the need of dementia care workforce training and research in Virginia.

“It was an honor to stand alongside distinguished colleagues representing the next generation of researchers advocating for this important work,” said Hayes Bennett. “I am grateful to my mentor/advisor Gilbert Gimm for encouraging me to rejoin GSA.”

Fellow gerontology scholars from Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Georgetown University also participated in the event. GSA is the nation’s largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging, with more than 6,000 members—80% of whom receive federal funding, primarily through the NIH and National Institute on Aging (NIA). Chen is a Fellow and long-standing member of GSA, and Bennett is an active member.

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PhD in Health Services Research

Students

Arion Lillard-Green earns a spot in Public Voices Fellowship at AcademyHealth

Taylor Thomas — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 14:32:53 +0000

Arion Lillard-Green earns a spot in Public Voices Fellowship at AcademyHealth Taylor Thomas Mon, 12/11/2023 - 09:32

Congratulations to Arion Lillard-Green, a Health Services Research doctoral student, for earning a spot in the second cohort of the Public Voices Fellowship at AcademyHealth. This fellowship, conducted in collaboration with The OpEd Project, is dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices in public health, research, and social justice. Lillard-Green's inclusion highlights her dedication to health services research. The fellowship's objective is to redefine historical narratives and nurture a more equitable world.

Learn more about Lillard-Green’s desire to bring journalism, theology, and health administration together here.

The Public Voices Fellowship empowers fellows to contribute thought leadership pieces to mainstream media outlets, thereby influencing public discourse on critical issues in health and healthcare. The curriculum delves into themes of authority, equity, innovation, and action in an unfair world. Fellows receive training and coaching from seasoned journalists and editors through The OpEd Project.

AcademyHealth strives to advance impactful and equitable health services research and policy and remains committed to fostering a diverse array of voices that can drive positive change in the landscape of health research.

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AcademyHealth

Health Services Research

PhD in Health Services Research

Patriot Profile: Arion Lillard-Green

Priyanka Champaneri — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 20:43:13 +0000

Patriot Profile: Arion Lillard-Green Priyanka Champaneri Tue, 11/07/2023 - 15:43

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Year: Doctoral Student

Major: Health Services Research

Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky

The thought of hospice care can stir up many emotions, including grief, fear, or dread. But what about peace, comfort, or courage? As a former hospice chaplain, Arion Lillard-Green, MHA Health Systems Management ’21, has probably seen–and felt—all of these. When she started her doctoral program at �鶹��Ƶ, Lillard-Green brought experience from a unique combination of disciplines: journalism, theology, and health administration. Her goal of earning a doctorate in health services research comes from a desire to bring these disciplines together to ask important questions that impact health policy.

Asking Deeper Questions: Lillard-Green studied journalism as an undergraduate because she enjoyed investigating issues and bringing truths to light. She then completed a master’s degree in theology, which pushed her to think more deeply about issues based on theological and philosophical principles. During seminary, Lillard- Green worked as a private caregiver for aging adults alongside hospice clinicians. This inspired her to complete a hospice chaplain residency program, where she spent a year learning the art of spiritual counseling in the hospital setting.

Providing Comfort: Lillard-Green spent 17 years working as a hospice chaplain. This sparked her interest in the health care field. “Although a career in health care wasn’t my initial goal, it somehow found its way into my work,” she says. She gained insight into the issues people face at the end of life: their spiritual and emotional needs and the physical realities of hospice and palliative care.

Facing Difficult Realities: Working in rural West Virginia and in Northern Virginia, she observed disparities in access to and quality of care. She counseled patients who were financially secure and who lived paycheck to paycheck. “The most significant lesson I learned during my time as a clinician is the reality that socioeconomic status determines the way we live, and it determines how we die,” Lillard-Green says.

Support for Her Work: In fall 2023 Lillard-Green earned a spot in the second cohort of the Public Voices Fellowship at AcademyHealth. This fellowship, conducted in collaboration with The OpEd Project, is dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices in public health, research, and social justice.

Rethinking the End-of-Life Journey: Lillard-Green hopes that her research will help capture the degree to which hospice and palliative care providers are meeting the needs of patients and families, along with barriers to access. “We need to find ways to collect better, meaningful data to gain a well-rounded understanding of social risk factors,” she says. “The end-of-life journey should not start at the end of life. Unfortunately, aging and dying well is a privilege that needs to be extended to all persons earlier in the health care continuum.”