Megan Cole Brahim, PhD
Associate Professor
Boston University School of Public Health
Health Law, Policy & Management

PhD, Brown University
MPH, Yale University
BS, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Pronouns: she/her/hers
Websites
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ORCID ORCID Icon : 0000-0001-8731-4210



Dr. Cole is a Peter Paul Professor in the Department of Health Law, Policy, and Management and co-director of the BU Medicaid Policy Lab. She is a health services researcher who uses econometric methods to study how Medicaid policy and innovative care delivery models affect quality of care, access to care, and racial equity of care for Medicaid and other low-income, safety-net populations, especially those served by federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). Other research examines access to and use of health insurance. Recent work in these areas has focused on mental health, maternal health, and chronic disease populations. Most of this work leverages large datasets, including national Medicaid claims data; All Payer Claims Data (APCD); Electronic Health Record data; and national and statewide patient survey data.

Dr. Cole is Principal Investigator (PI) on an R01 that examines how Medicaid Accountable Care Organization (ACO) models impact quality and equity of care across the prenatal, delivery, and postpartum periods for birthing people. She is also PI on research examining how Medicaid ACOs address unmet social needs (e.g., food insecurity, housing insecurity) of patients. As MPI, she leads work that evaluates how rapid adoption of telehealth during COVID-19 mitigated, or exacerbated, disparities in quality of care among Medicaid-enrollees served by FQHCs, particularly patients with mental health needs, among pregnant patients, and patients with diabetes. Examples of other recent and ongoing work include:

- Examining the impact of Medicaid expansion on coverage, quality of care, access to care, and equity within low-income populations, especially those served by FQHCs
- Evaluating the impact of integrating behavioral health into primary care at FQHCs
- Evaluating how a telehealth navigator intervention may impact disparities in hypertension outcomes for Black patients served by FQHCs
- Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on FQHCs and the role of FQHCs in enabling equitable access to care during the pandemic
- Understanding the role of under-insurance (e.g., high deductible health plans) in access to care for low-income, racial/ethnic minoritized, and other marginalized populations

Dr. Cole completed her PhD in Health Services Research at Brown University School of Public Health and received an MPH in Health Policy from Yale University School of Public Health. She previously worked in research consulting, where she worked with state and federal agencies on Medicaid policy and implementation of the Affordable Care Act. She currently serves as co-editor-in-chief for the Journal of Ambulatory Care Management and serves on the editorial board of Health Services Research. Her work has been covered by outlets including the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR, Vox, US News & World Report, The Hill, and Forbes.


Improving Quality of Care for Low-Income Pregnant People through Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations: A Natural Experiment
08/28/2022 - 04/30/2027 (PI)
NIH/National Inst on Minority Health and Health Disparities
5R01MD017703-02

Initiative for Excellence in Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease in Black Communities
08/01/2021 - 07/31/2024 (Subcontract PI)
Community Care Cooperative Gordon & Betty Moore


Implications of the US 340B Drug Pricing Program for the Availability, Quality of Care, and Equitability of Syndemic (HIV/SUD/MH) health Services (340B AQCESS)
09/01/2022 - 05/31/2024 (Key Person / Mentor)
HHS/Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
1R36HS029147-01

Value and Equity of Telehealth for Low-Income Patients with Chronic Conditions at Federally Qualified Health Centers
01/01/2021 - 04/30/2023 (PI)
The Donaghue Foundation


Examining a newly developed equity-focused telehealth delivery model providing primary care for Medicaid enrollees with chronic conditions
12/15/2020 - 01/31/2023 (PI)
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation


National estimates of the impact of the affordable care act on healthcare utilization, outcomes & quality among hispanics
12/01/2019 - 11/30/2022 (Subcontract PI)
Wake Forest University NIH NIMHD
5R01MD011594-05

Rhode Island Health Care Cost Analysis and Cost Growth Target-Setting
09/01/2019 - 04/15/2020 (Subcontract PI)
Brown University Peter G Peterson Fdn


Rhode Island Health Care Cost Analysis and Cost Growth Target-Setting
07/01/2018 - 06/30/2019 (Subcontract PI)
Brown University Peter G Peterson Fdn




Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Analysis       Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

  1. Lee EK, Donley G, Ciesielski TH, Freedman DA, Cole MB. Spatial availability of federally qualified health centers and disparities in health services utilization in medically underserved areas. Social Science & Medicine. 2023; 328(2023):116009. View Publication
  2. Hanchate AD, Strackman BW, Lin M, Paasche-Orlow MK, Lasser KE, Cole MB. Medicaid expansion associated with no change in emergency department use across racial and ethnic groups. Health Serv Res. 2023 May 18.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37202905
     
  3. Cole MB, Lee EK, Frogner BK, Wright B. Changes in Performance Measures and Service Volume at US Federally Qualified Health Centers During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Health Forum. 2023 Apr 07; 4(4):e230351.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37027165; PMCID: PMC10082403; DOI: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.0351;
     
  4. Kim J, Sheldrick RC, Gallagher K, Bair-Merritt MH, Durham MP, Feinberg E, Morris A, Cole MB. Association of Integrating Mental Health Into Pediatric Primary Care at Federally Qualified Health Centers With Utilization and Follow-up Care. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Apr 03; 6(4):e239990.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37099297; PMCID: PMC10134009; DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.9990;
     
  5. Cole MB, Jones N, Lee EK, Kim JH. The Association of Telehealth Availability and Quality of Care Measures for Patients With Diabetes at Federally Qualified Health Centers: Retrospective Cohort Study. J Med Internet Res. 2023 Mar 02; 25:e40827.View Related Profiles. PMID: 36862476; PMCID: PMC10020900; DOI: 10.2196/40827;
     
  6. Cole MB, Lee EK, Davoust M, Carey K, Kim JH. Comparison of Visit Rates Before vs After Telehealth Expansion Among Patients With Mental Health Diagnoses Treated at Federally Qualified Health Centers. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Nov 01; 5(11):e2242059.View Related Profiles. PMID: 36378314; PMCID: PMC9667322; DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.42059;
     
  7. Auty SG, Cole MB, Wallace J. Association Between Medicaid Managed Care Coverage of Substance Use Services and Treatment Utilization. JAMA Health Forum. 2022 Aug 05; 3(8):e222812. PMID: 36218990; PMCID: PMC9419018; DOI: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2022.2812;
     
  8. Shankar KN, Dugas JN, Flacks J, Brahim MC, Morton S, James T, Mitchell P. High touch, high trust: Using community health advocates and lawyers to address ED high utilizers. Am J Emerg Med. 2022 Oct; 60:171-176.View Related Profiles. PMID: 36037733; DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2022.07.049;
     
  9. Skinner A, Flannery K, Nocka K, Bor J, Dean LT, Jay J, Lipson SK, Cole MB, Benfer EA, Scheckman R, Raderman W, Jones DK, Raifman J. A database of US state policies to mitigate COVID-19 and its economic consequences. BMC Public Health. 2022 Jun 04; 22(1):1124.View Related Profiles. PMID: 35659285; PMCID: PMC9166228; DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13487-0;
     
  10. Ellison J, Cole MB, Thompson TA. Association of Telehealth Reimbursement Parity With Contraceptive Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Apr 01; 5(4):e226732. PMID: 35404462; PMCID: PMC9002337; DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.6732;
     
Showing 10 of 46 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 46 publications over 11 distinct years, with a maximum of 10 publications in 2022

YearPublications
20111
20122
20133
20151
20172
20183
20195
20208
20216
202210
20235


Telehealth Ups Engagement for Medicaid Patients With Mental Health Diagnosis

HealthDay 11/15/2022

First They Get Long COVID, Then They Lose Their Health Care

WebMD 10/13/2022

Federal health centers administer most COVID-19 vaccines to minorities

Healio 1/13/2022

FQHCs have played a key role in enabling COVID-19 vaccine equity among people of color

News Medical 1/10/2022

Obamacare's Medicaid Expansion Helped Americans' Blood Pressure

US News & World Report 9/13/2021

State juggles vaccine distribution as fewer online slots frustrate eligible residents

The Boston Globe 3/4/2021

New BU Lab Studies Medicaid, Where Racism, Poverty, and COVID-19 Meet

BU Today 2/17/2021

New BU Lab Studies Medicaid, Where Racism, Poverty, and COVID-19 Meet

BU Today 2/17/2021

Here’s four reasons why your health insurance will go up in 2021

Boston 25 News 8/6/2020

How Insurance Plans Keep Black Patients From Cancer Care

US News & World Report: 6/29/2020

2018–2019 Career Development Awards Honor Eight Junior Faculty

BU Today 9/13/2018
In addition to these self-described keywords below, a list of MeSH based concepts is available here.

Medicaid
Health Policy
Health Services Research
Health Services Evaluations
Economic Evaluations
Quality of Health Care
Coverage, Insurance
Access to Health Care
Disparities, Health Care
Disparities, Health Status
Equity, Health
Social Determinants of Health
Primary Care
Low-Income Populations
Safety-net Clinic
Safety net Hospitals
Reform, Health Care
Quality Indicators, Health Care
Causality

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