Hannah O. James

ABOUT ME

I am a PhD Candidate in my fourth year of the PhD program in Health Services Research (with a concentration in Health Economics) at Brown University School of Public Health in the Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice. 

My research interests are centered on payment policy and opportunities to improve the value of health care spending. I have a particular interest in affordability as a determinant of access to care, and policies that can improve the functionality and experience of the health system for patients and providers. I am committed to the improvement of health equity through evidence-based policy, and enjoy working at the intersection of research, policy, and practice. 

Prior to my doctoral studies, I was as Senior Research Associate on the Research and Cost Trends team of the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission.  At the HPC, my work concentrated on understanding and evaluating cost trends in the Commonwealth, and has spanned topics from workforce issues, to rising medication costs, and provider price variation.