RAND at AcademyHealth 2026

Seattle Convention Center

All presenters/speakers are RAND affiliates unless otherwise noted.

Saturday, May 30

2:15 - 3:30 p.m.

Pursuing HSR Careers Outside of Academia

605-606, Level 6, Podium Presentation

Chair:
Sarah Greene, M.P.H., F.A.M.I.A., National Academy of Medicine

Speakers:
Jamie Pina, Ph.D., M.S.P.H., RTI International
Claire Allen, M.P.H., Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute
April Joy Damian, Ph.D., M.Sc., P.M.P., Moses Weitzman Health System/Weitzman Institute
Dmitry Khodyakov, Ph.D.

4:00 - 5:15 p.m.

Advancing Housing Security for Those at Risk through Evidence and Action

612, Level 6, Podium Presentation

Chair:
Jessica Barth, Ph.D., O.T.R./L, M.S.C.I., Department of Veterans Affairs

Speakers:
Bo Kim, Ph.D., Center for Health Optimization and Implementation Research, VA Boston Healthcare System
Michael Green, Ph.D., UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, VA Greater Los Angeles
Sonya Gabrielian, M.D., M.P.H., University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine
Sarah Hunter, Ph.D.

Potential Spillover Effects on Diagnostic Delay for Cancer during the NHS-Galleri Trial: A Quasi-Experimental Difference-In-Differences Study

615-617, Level 6, Podium Presentation

Sean Mann, M.Sc.
Pedro Nascimento de Lima, Ph.D.
Joshua Eagan, M.A.
Agne Ulyte, Ph.D., RAND Europe
Beth Ann Griffin, Ph.D., M.S.

State Spending Growth Benchmarks and Hospital Revenue, Hospital Prices, and Premiums

4C-3, Level 4, Podium Presentation

Christine Eibner, Ph.D.

Weighting for Sound Policy Research: Synchronizing Estimands with Model Specifications

615-617, Level 6, Podium Presentation

Bijan Niknam, Ph.D., RAND-USC Schaeffer Opioid Policy Tools and Information Center (OPTIC), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Matthew Eisenberg, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
Beth Ann Griffin, Ph.D., M.S.
Elizabeth Stuart, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Sunday, May 31

8:00 - 9:15 a.m.

Association between Pediatric Dental Visits and Medical Fluoride Varnish Applications

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Ashley Kranz, Ph.D.
Yuji Mizushima, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute
Annie Yu-An Chen, Ph.D., Charles River Associates
Kun Li, Ph.D., Amazon
Andrew Dick, Ph.D.
Kimberley Geissler, Ph.D., UMass Chan Medical School - Baystate

Association of Coverage-Promoting Policies with Buprenorphine Treatment Initiation and Continuation during Medicaid Unwinding

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Rachel Landis, Ph.D., M.P.P.
Kandice Kapinos, Ph.D., University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Phoebe Levine, B.S., Mathematics/Economics, UCLA
Bradley Stein, M.D., Ph.D.

Changes over Time In Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders In Medicaid, 2016-2022: Variation across Maternal Characteristics and States

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Shannon Donofry, Ph.D.
Laura Faherty, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.H.P., Maine Medical Center
Marie Hayes, Ph.D., Medical University of South Carolina
Mark Sorbero

Characteristics of Providers Who Enter the Federal Independent Dispute Resolution Process Under the No Surprises Act

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Annetta Zhou
Petra Rasmussen, Ph.D.
Ruolin Lu, M.Ed.
Jodi Liu, Ph.D.

Charting a Path Forward for Medicare Advantage: Expert Consensus on Policy Priorities and Tradeoffs

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Dmitry Khodyakov, Ph.D.
Erin Taylor, Ph.D.
Christine Buttorff, Ph.D.
Hannah James, Ph.D., M.S.
Melony Sorbero, Ph.D., M.S., M.P.H.
Rachel Reid, M.D., M.S.
Michael Dworsky, Ph.D.

From Evidence to Practice: Integrating Trauma-Focused Therapy for PTSD into Primary Care for Underserved Communities

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Lisa S. Meredith, Ph.D.
Eunice Wong, Ph.D.
Andrea Cassells, M.P.H., Clinical Directors Network, Inc. (CDN)
Ariana Korn, Ph.D.
Denise Sloan, Ph.D., Boston University School of Medicine

Perinatal Cannabis-Related Disorders In Medicaid, 2016-2022

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Marie Hayes, Ph.D., Medical University of South Carolina
Rachel Landis, Ph.D., M.P.P.
Shannon Donofry, Ph.D.
Mark Sorbero
Laura Faherty, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.H.P.

Shifting Care Toward Low‑Intensity Settings In California’s Global Payment Program: Divergent Trends for Behavioral and Non‑Behavioral Health Services

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Shiyuan Zhang, M.Ed.
Justin Timbie, Ph.D.
Petra Rasmussen, Ph.D.
Emily Shamban, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Abbey Shirley, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Katherine Kahn, M.D., David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Specialty Care Utilization Among Puerto Rico Medicare Beneficiaries Permanently Migrating or Accessing Mainland Services, 2016–2022

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Justin Timbie, Ph.D.
Petra Rasmussen, Ph.D.
Ruolin Lu, M.Ed.
Mariela Torres-Cintron, Dr.P.H., Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Ciencias Médicas
Alexandra Mendoza-Graf, Ph.D.
Ilka Rios, D.M.D., Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Ciencias Médicas
Ivonne Jiménez-Velázquez, M.D., Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Ciencias Médicas
Gilberto Ramos Valencia, Dr.P.H., Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Ciencias Médicas

Supply-Side Responses to the Medicaid Institution for Mental Disease Exclusion Waiver: Evidence from California

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Yuji Mizushima, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute
Jonathan Cantor, Ph.D.
Ryan McBain, Ph.D.
Hao Yu, Ph.D., Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Christine Buttorff, Ph.D.
Petra Rasmussen, Ph.D.
Mallika Bhandarkar, M.P.H.
Mekdes Shiferaw, B.A.
Erin Duffy, Ph.D., M.P.H., USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics

The Unaffordability of Affordable Care Act (ACA) Insurance Coverage

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Cheryl Damberg, Ph.D.
Risha Gidwani, Dr.P.H.

Variation In State Tele-Buprenorphine Prescribing Policies By Provider Type

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Jessica Sousa, M.S.W., M.P.H., L.C.S.W.
Rachel Landis, Ph.D., M.P.P.
Ben Senator
Shona Olalere, Assistant Policy Researcher
Jessica Rigsby, J.D., C.H.C., Ophelia Health
Lexie Minarik, Ophelia Health
Phoebe Levine, B.S., Mathematics/Economics, UCLA
Desiree’ Anderson, J.D., Ophelia Health
Arthur Robin Williams, M.D., M.B.E., New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Division on Substance Use Disorders, Ophelia Health
Laura Faherty, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.H.P., Maine Medical Center

2:00 - 3:15 p.m.

Comparing Organization-Focused and State-Focused Financing Strategies on Evidence-Based Practice Sustainment: Outcomes from Two Federal Policy Approaches In Youth Substance Use Treatment

619-620, Level 6, Podium Presentation

Alex Dopp, Ph.D.
Sarah Hunter, Ph.D.
Mark Godley, Chestnut Health Systems
Philip Pantoja
Bing Han, Ph.D., Kaiser Permanente Southern California
Michelle Bongard, M.S.
Jonathan Cantor, Ph.D.
Mekdes Shiferaw, B.A.
Kendal Reeder, University of California, Los Angeles
George Timmins
Sapna Mendon-Plasek
Grace Hindmarch, B.S.P.H., University of California, Los Angeles
Danielle Schlang, M.A.
Lora Passetti, Chestnut Health Systems
Gregory Aarons, Ph.D., UC San Diego
Jonathan Purtle, Dr.P.H., New York University

3:45 - 5:00 p.m.

Designing and Implementing High-Quality Delphi Panels

4C-4, Level 4, Podium Presentation

Dmitry Khodyakov, Ph.D.

5:15 - 6:30 p.m.

Changes In Maternal Health Disparities during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Sara Heins, Ph.D.
Sujeong Park, Ph.D., Penn State Harrisburg
Sarah Kilpatrick, M.D., Cedars-Sinai
Priya Batra, M.D., M.S., F.A.C.O.G.
Chloe Bird, Ph.D., Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Rachel Landis, Ph.D., M.P.P.

Constructing a Statewide Database of Time-Limited Vaccination Opportunities before, during, and after COVID-19: A Rigorous, Reproducible, and Transparent Web-Scraping Approach

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Lia Pak, B.A.
Laura Faherty, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.H.P., Tufts University School of Medicine, Maine Medical Center, MaineHealth
Allegra Abbruzzese
Maggie Hieber
Yoony Lee
Alejandro Roa Contreras
Logan Robinson
Ashley Gromis, Ph.D.

Identifying Delays In Cancer Diagnosis for Patients Age 50 and Under: Comparing Patient Reports to Electronic Health Records

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Anagha Tolpadi, M.S.
Claire O'Hanlon, Ph.D.
Carl Berdahl, M.D., M.S., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Rebecca Anhang Price, Ph.D.
Joshua Pevnick, M.D., M.S.H.S., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

6:00 - 6:25 p.m.

Solve It Together: Spillover Due to Constraints on Care Delivery: An Unrecognized Threat to Trial Validity?

Skybridge, Level 4, Podium Presentation

Sean Mann, M.Sc.

Monday, June 1

8:00 - 9:15 a.m.

Accuracy of Patient-Reported Cancer Site and Stage on an Electronic Survey

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Shreya Ramayya, M.D., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Joshua Pevnick, M.D., M.S.H.S., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Claire O'Hanlon, Ph.D.
Rebecca Anhang Price, Ph.D.
Yelba Castellon-Lopez, M.D., M.S.H.P.M., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Nishita Jain, M.D., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Tanya Bhardwaj, M.D., M.B.A., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Brandon T Truong, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Carl Berdahl, M.D., M.S., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Bridging Gaps In Care: Quality and Equity Outcomes Under California’s Global Payment Program for Uninsured Patients

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Petra Rasmussen, Ph.D.
Justin Timbie, Ph.D.
Shiyuan Zhang, M.Ed.
Emily Shamban, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Abbey Shirley, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Katherine Kahn, M.D.

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Amy Mahler, Ph.D.
Stephanie Rennane, Ph.D.
Rosanna Smart, Ph.D.
Bradley Stein, M.D., Ph.D.

Defining Mental Disorder: Differences In Primary Care Providers’ and Psychiatrists’ Conceptions of Illness

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Skye Miner, Ph.D.
Joshua Breslau, Ph.D., Sc.D.
Charles Engel, M.D., M.P.H.
Stacey Yi, M.P.H.
Luke Matthews, Ph.D.

Integrating Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports into California’s Safety Net: Lessons from Early Implementation within the Global Payment Program

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Katherine Kahn, M.D.
Petra Rasmussen, Ph.D.
Shiyuan Zhang, M.Ed.
Emily Shamban, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Abbey Shirley, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Justin Timbie, Ph.D.

Patient Factors Contributing to Delays In Cancer Diagnosis

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Claire O'Hanlon, Ph.D.
Carl Berdahl, M.D., M.S., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Anagha Tolpadi, M.S.
Joshua Pevnick, M.D., M.S.H.S., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Brandon Truong, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Rebecca Anhang Price, Ph.D.

Strategies to Improve Diffusion of Emergency Department Care Innovations In Future Public Health Emergencies

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Claire O'Hanlon, Ph.D.
Carl Berdahl, M.D., M.S., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Jessica Sousa, M.S.W., M.P.H., L.C.S.W.
Mallika Bhandarkar, M.P.H.
Shira Fischer, M.D., Ph.D.
Peter Mendel, Ph.D.

Tracking Costs and Fidelity of Applying Human-Centered Design to Evidence-Based Practice Implementation

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Alex Dopp
Sean Munson, University of Washington
Tricia Aung, M.S.P.H., M.S., University of Washington
Kathryn Bruzios, Ph.D., University of Washington
Brittany Blanchard, Ph.D., University of Washington
Caitlin Mayotte, M.S., University of Washington
Vaughan Collins, M.S.W., University of Washington
Ryan Allred, B.A., University of Washington
Katie Osterhage, University of Washington
Aaron Lyon, University of Washington

1:45 - 3:00 p.m.

Changes over Time In Perinatal Substance Use Disorders In Medicaid, 2016–2022: Variation By Substance Type, Maternal Race/Ethnicity, and Age

607, Level 6, Podium Presentation

Rachel Landis, Ph.D., M.P.P.
Mark Sorbero
Laura Faherty, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.H.P., Maine Medical Center

Impact of Cost-Sharing and Price Transparency on Prescription Drug Use and Adherence

611, Level 6, Podium Presentation

Erin Taylor, Ph.D.

State Capacity and Policy for Maternal Health: QCCs and Medicaid Expansion

4C-1, Level 4, Podium Presentation

Chair: Sarah Kilpatrick, M.D., Cedars-Sinai

Panelists:
Kortney James, Ph.D., R.N.
Rachel Nesbit, Ph.D.
Sujeong Park, Ph.D., Penn State Harrisburg

Transforming Medi-Cal: Interim Findings from California’s Calaim Evaluation

602-603 Level 6, Podium Presentation

Katherine Kahn, M.D.
Justin Timbie, Ph.D.
Melissa Labriola, Ph.D.
Nadereh Pourat, Ph.D., University of California at Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health

3:30 - 4:45 p.m.

Final Evaluation Results from the Part D Senior Savings Model

4C-2, Level 4, Podium Presentation

Erin Taylor, Ph.D.
Dmitry Khodyakov, Ph.D.
Preethi Rao, Ph.D.
Lane Burgette, Ph.D.
Asa Wilks, M.P.P.
Sarah Dalton, M.A.
Catherine Cooke, Pharm.D., Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging
Christine Buttorff, Ph.D.
Zachary Predmore, Ph.D.
Stacie Dusetzina, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University
Shiyuan Zhang, M.Ed.
Alice Kim, M.P.H.
Monique Martineau

Five Considerations for Designing and Evaluating Prescription Drug Models: Lessons from the Part D Senior Savings Model

4C-2, Level 4, Podium Presentation

Dmitry Khodyakov, Ph.D.
Christine Buttorff, Ph.D.
Zachary Predmore, Ph.D.
Sarah Dalton, M.A.
Erin Taylor, Ph.D.

5:00 - 6:15 p.m.

Building State Capacity for Maternal Health Improvement: A National Analysis of Quality Care Collaboratives

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Kortney James, Ph.D., RN
Lucy Shearer, B.A.
Mallika Bhandarkar, M.P.H.
Sujeong Park, Ph.D., Penn State Harrisburg
Sarah Kilpatrick, M.D., Ph.D., Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Chloe E. Bird, Ph.D.
Rachel K. Landis, Ph.D., M.P.P.
Priya Batra, M.D., M.S., FACOG

Identifying Delays In Cancer Diagnosis for Patients Age 50 and Under: Comparing Patient Reports to Electronic Health Records

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Anagha Tolpadi, M.S.
Claire O'Hanlon, Ph.D.
Carl Berdahl, M.D., M.S., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Rebecca Anhang Price, Ph.D.
Joshua Pevnick, M.D., M.S.H.S., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Impacts of Medicaid Expansion on Maternal Health Outcomes: Evidence from Administrative and Survey Data

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Amanda Bonheur, Ph.D.
Sujeong Park, Ph.D., Penn State Harrisburg
Sarah Kilpatrick, M.D., Ph.D., Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Priya Batra, M.D., M.S., F.A.C.O.G.
Chloe Bird, Ph.D., Tufts Medical Center
Kandice Kapinos, Ph.D., University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Sara Heins, Ph.D.
Rachel Landis, Ph.D., M.P.P.

Knowledge, Access, and Choice of Contraceptives Among U.S. Veterans

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Skye Miner, Ph.D.
Elaine Li
Daniel Shinnick, M.S.
Michael Robbins
Julia Rollison, M.P.H., Ph.D.

RE-Aiming for Better Maternal Health: Nurse Leader Experiences with Quality Care Collaborative Toolkits across Ten States

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Mallika Bhandarkar, M.P.H.
Gabriela Alvarado, M.D., M.Sc., M.A., Ph.D.
Priya Batra, M.D., M.S., FACOG
Sarah Kilpatrick, M.D., Ph.D., Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Sujeong Park, Ph.D., Penn State Harrisburg
Rachel K. Landis, Ph.D., M.P.P.
Chloe E. Bird, Ph.D., RAND, Tufts University School of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center

Toward a National Assessment of Perinatal Quality Care Collaboratives

Hall 4AB, Level 4, Poster

Rachel Nesbit, Ph.D.
Rachel Landis, Ph.D., M.P.P.
Sujeong Park, Ph.D., Penn State Harrisburg
Sara Heins, Ph.D.
Priya Bhatra, M.D., M.S., F.A.C.O.G., Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Sarah Kilpatrick, M.D., Ph.D., Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Chloe Bird, Ph.D., Tufts Medical Center
Kandice Kapinos, Ph.D., University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Tuesday, June 2

10:15 - 11:30 a.m.

Impact of Utilization Management Policies for Prescription Drugs

602-603, Level 6, Podium Presentation

Miranda Yaver, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, Discussant
Christine Buttorff, Ph.D., Chair