Helen Parsons, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor, Division of Health Policy and Management

Helen Parsons

Contact Info

pars0100@umn.edu

Office Phone 612-625-0404

Office Address:
D369 Mayo

Mailing Address:
420 Delaware Street SE
MMC 510
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Associate Professor, Division of Health Policy and Management


PhD, Health Services Research, Policy, and Administration, University of Minnesota, 2011

MPH, Public Health Administration and Policy, University of Minnesota, 2008

AB, Government, Dartmouth College

Summary

My research focuses on the benefits, risks, and results of healthcare interventions so that patients, clinicians and policy makers can make more informed decisions. I have expertise in mixed-methods research, employing a combination of clinical registries, administrative data (e.g., Medicare), surveys and focus groups to understand how adoption of new programs and policies influence reimbursement and health outcomes. Much of my work focuses on cancer survivorship, where I have expertise in implementation and evaluation of large survivorship studies, including the development and use of survey and administrative data to examine health and psychosocial outcomes.My overall goal is to identify effective strategies to improve the quality and value of healthcare.

Expertise

Cancer survivorship; administrative/claims data; health policy; adolescents and young cancer survivors; Medicare/Medicaid; chronic disease; quality of care

Awards & Recognition

The Presidential Distinguished Junior Research Scholar Award, University of Texas Health Science Center (2016)

The Michael Kamin Hart Award of Excellence in Caring for Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer, The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario (2013)

AcademyHealth Outstanding Dissertation Award (2012)

Research

Research Funding Grants

2017-2022, NIH/NCI, "SEER-Medicare Technical Support Services", Investigator

2015-2020, CMS, "Research Data Assistance Center (ResDAC)", Investigator, Director of Data Use

2017-2019, MN Department of Health, "Lung Cancer Screening & Hepatitis C Treatement", Investigator

2018-2020, NORC, "Understanding Important Issues in Ovarian Cancer Survivorship", Consultant

Teaching

Courses

PubH 6780: Analyzing Data for Healthcare Operations and Research
PubH 6571: Quality, Patient Safety, and Performance Improvement