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Lauren Isaacs

Senior Research Scientist
Lauren has expertise in qualitative study design, data collection, analysis, reporting, evaluability assessment, and project management.

Lauren is a senior research scientist who supports projects for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). Her research focuses on subjects including access to health care; telehealth; chronic disease; and payment and delivery system reform.

For the CMS Office of Minority Health, Lauren supports efforts to optimize health outcomes and close gaps in coverage across CMS programs and policies. For the CDC Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, she has worked on projects related to populations disproportionately affected by cardiovascular disease.

For MedPAC, she manages annual focus groups with Medicare beneficiaries and clinicians about topics including coverage choices, access to care, care coordination, and changes to health care delivery, as well as interviews with providers, health systems, health plans, and other respondents. Lauren has worked on projects related to mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency for the CDC Foundation, the CDC Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support (CSTLTS), and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) National Nursing Home COVID-19 Coordinating Center.

Prior to joining NORC, Lauren worked with older adults in settings including a continuing care retirement community and a nursing and rehabilitation center.

Isaacs has a range of research presentations and publications, including examining the needs of diverse older adults and caregivers during public health emergencies, with insights from the COVID-19 pandemic (2021), and a case study on the CDC Foundation’s COVID-19 emergency response pilot project, focusing on knowledge brokering for older adults and caregivers (2023).

Education

MPH

Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

MSW

Columbia School of Social Work

BA

Northwestern University

Project Contributions

Older Adults & Caregivers in Public Health Emergencies

A study of the needs of older adults and caregivers in public health emergencies and resources to help them

Client:

CDC Foundation

Promoting a Team-Based Hypertension Control Method

Determining if the Hypertension Management Program is effective in health care settings

Funder:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention

Promoting a Team-Based Hypertension Control Method

Determining if the Hypertension Management Program is effective in health care settings

Funder:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention

Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation Support for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Providing research, monitoring, and evaluation services to support CDC’s legacy Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support (CSTLTS)

Client:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Provider Resiliency Evaluation

Rigorous evaluation of three programs addressing health care workforce burnout and mental health

Client:

Health Resources & Services Administration

Improving Health Through Quality Improvement

Helping ensure health quality in Medicare and Medicaid services

Client:

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health

Improving Health Through Quality Improvement

Helping ensure health quality in Medicare and Medicaid services

Client:

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health

REDIRECT: Evaluation of Practices in Health Care Settings

Exploring practices in health care setting by identifying multi-level strategies to address systemic barriers and promote access to quality care.

Funder:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention