em balkan

My aim is improve health access & outcomes for marginalized populations by directly impacting policy.

My 13+ years of experience in the health policy space, background in social work and advocacy, and methodologic skills uniquely position me to conceptualize and conduct research on policy-relevant questions.

Since joining Brown in 2022, I have developed skills in conducting methodologically rigorous, mixed-methods health services research. My specific research interests include Medicare Advantage, access to healthcare and Medicaid benefits, social determinants of health, and health equity, with a particular focus on those living with cancer and the transgender community.

My training has equipped me with conceptual and quantitative tools to examine research questions using descriptive (e.g., linear and logistic regression, conditional logit models) and quasi-experimental (e.g., difference-in-difference) methods. My research experience has primarily included large, longitudinal datasets. For example, I created algorithms to examined the impact of a Medicare policy change on access to gender-affirming surgery using logistic regression, which combined several thousand inpatient and outpatient claims over five years.

Prior to Brown, I worked at The Medicare Rights Center and the New York City Council. In both roles, I monitored, researched, and analyzed health policy, including federal, state, and city policies and data. I worked collaboratively with various stakeholders, including New York City and State Departments of Health, hospital representatives, legal advocates, New York State Medicare counselors in the Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program (HIICAP), CMS and SSA staff, and individuals with lived experience. For example, at The Medicare Rights Center, I worked in coalition with other City and State-based health policy experts to promote state-level changes to long-term care and low income programs. At the New York City Council, I conferred regularly with the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), New York City Health + Hospitals, and other stakeholders throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the City was responding appropriately to the needs of New Yorkers.

From 2019 to 2022, I worked at Columbia University’s School of Social Work as an Adjunct Lecturer.