The competitive SPH Alumni Impact Award recognizes one exceptional Master’s or doctoral alum making a significant impact on their community and/or in their field. Laura Keohane, assistant professor of health policy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, is recognized for “her stunning trajectory and increasing impact in research and policy related to aging.”
In just six years since earning her Ph.D. in health services research at Brown, Keohane has had extraordinary impact as a health policy researcher focused on vulnerable older adults, particularly those dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Applying rigorous and creative methods to critical research questions related to care and outcomes, she has established herself as a leader in the field with 30 peer-reviewed publications in leading health policy and medical journals. This important work has informed reports issued by the Office of Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee, and the U.S. Senate Finance Committee.
Professor Keohane is “an obvious rising star in the growing field of health services research in aging,” say her nominators. Her commitment to the frail and poor population of older persons in America testifies to her strong sense of purpose. A passionate advocate for older and disabled adults, she is among the nation’s most creative and impactful early career aging/health services researchers.
The 2022 SPH Alumni Impact Award is yet further testament to Professor Keohane’s growing national reputation and the impact her work is having at the state and national level to improve the lives of older, vulnerable adults.