Ashley M. Kranz

Policy Researcher
Washington Office

Education

Ph.D. in health policy and management, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; B.A. in sociology; political science, University of Michigan

Overview

Ashley Kranz is a health policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. She conducts health services research focused on improving access to care, quality of care, and health outcomes of vulnerable populations, including children and adults enrolled in Medicaid. Kranz has worked extensively in the area of oral health and access to dental care, studying strategies to reduce disparities and improve access to dental care for children, including the expansion of preventive oral health services in medical offices. Kranz also studies approaches used in high performing safety net clinics to promote integration across primary care, specialty care, and community-based organizations. Her work has also included identifying strategies to address the clinical and social needs of individuals dually-enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid, documenting obesity interventions for American Indian youth, and evaluating the role of state policies to reduce neonatal abstinence syndrome. Kranz received her Ph.D. in health policy and management from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

  • Promoting Children's Oral Health: Identifying Provider-, Practice-, and Community-Level Characteristics Associated with Delivery of Fluoride Varnish in Medical Offices
  • Evaluation of an Innovative School-Based Initiative to Improve Receipt of Preventive Dental Care among Children Enrolled in Medicaid
  • An Exploratory Analysis of the Association of State Policies with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
  • Role of Non-Dental Providers in Reducing Disparities in Early Childhood Oral Health: Impact of State Medicaid Policies

Selected Publications

Kranz AM, Mahmud A, Agniel D, Damberg CL, Timbie JW. , "Provision of social services and healthcare quality in US Community Health Centers (2017)," American Journal of Public Health, 110(4), 2020

Sorbero ME, Kranz AM, "Perspectives on Opportunities and Challenges for Medicare Advantage Plans to Address Social Determinants of Health via the CHRONIC Care Act," INQUIRY, 56, 2019

Kranz AM, Dick AW, "Changes in pediatric dental coverage and visits following the implementation of the affordable care act," Health Services Research, 54(2), 2019

AM Kranz, E Duffy, AW Dick, M Sorbero, RG Rozier, BD Stein, "Impact of Medicaid policy on the oral health of publicly insured children," Maternal and child health journal, 23(1), 2019

Kranz AM, Rozier RG, Stein BD, Dick AW, "Do oral health services in medical offices replace pediatric dental visits? ," Journal of Dental Research, 2020

Honors & Awards

  • Brook Scholar, RAND Health

Commentary

  • Close up of a grandfather taking his granddaughter to play some basketball in the park, photo by Geber86/Getty Images

    Choosing a Different Path for a Healthier Future After COVID-19

    Today, every American community is sitting at a crossroads, as local governments continue to address the health crisis of COVID-19 while grappling with the financial realities of maintaining operations. While some communities may take a more traditional route of only investing further in health care services, there is an opportunity to take a more holistic approach and address the multitude of factors that have contributed to the devastation of COVID-19.

    Oct 2, 2020 The RAND Blog

Publications