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NORC at the University Chicago

Petry S. Ubri

Senior Research Scientist
Health Care Programs
Petry has expertise in mixed methods, participatory research and evaluation, and policy analysis.

Petry S. Ubri has more than a decade of experience in qualitative and mixed methods research. She has led and supported numerous studies involving interviews, focus groups, and surveys—often in both English and Spanish—across topics such as Medicaid and CHIP policy, behavioral health, gambling, and public health preparedness. Her work includes directing and managing projects for federal agencies, foundations, and academic institutions, including studies on sensitive topics like intimate partner violence and reproductive health. Ubri has extensive experience in participatory research, working closely with community partners to design and implement studies that reflect lived experiences and inform program improvements. She has contributed to evaluations of health programs and services, including assessments of home and community-based services and organizational initiatives to improve service delivery.

Examples of her recent work includes leading a community-engaged evaluation of Minnesota’s home and community-based services (HCBS) assessment process, supporting the Morehouse School of Medicine’s evaluation of its Network for Community-engaged Primary Care Research (NCPCR), and contributing to NORC’s study on the social and economic impacts of sports betting in Massachusetts. Across these projects, Petry has applied rigorous qualitative and mixed methods to generate findings that help inform policy and practice.

Earlier in her career, Ubri served as a policy analyst at the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured, where she assessed the effects of policies on Medicaid, low-income, uninsured, and immigrant populations.

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Expertise

Education

MSPH

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

BS

Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Project Contributions

Alaska Healthcare Transformation Project

Producing a roadmap to reduce health care costs and improve health outcomes

Client:

Alaska Healthcare Transformation Project

American Cancer Society’s Efforts to Advance Health Equity

A mixed-methods evaluation of efforts to integrate health equity throughout the organization and within selected communities

Client:

American Cancer Society

AstraZeneca Foundation CHANGE Evaluation & Technical Assistance

Supporting the AstraZeneca Foundation’s new health access program

Client:

AstraZeneca Foundation

Community-Engaged Research on Gambling in Massachusetts

Understanding the impacts of gambling and sports betting on communities in Massachusetts

Client:

Massachusetts Gaming Commission

Documentation of Social Need in 2018 Medicaid Data

Analysis of Medicaid T-MSIS data to understand how well recipients’ social needs are documented

Funder:

NORC at the University of Chicago

Evaluation of Minnesota’s Home & Community-Based Services (HCBS) Assessment Process

Community-engaged evaluation to understand Minnesota’s home and community-based services (HCBS) assessment process

Client:

Minnesota Department of Human Services

Evaluation of the National COVID-19 Resiliency Network

Evaluation of a multi-sectoral network addressing the impact of COVID-19 on various communities

Client:

DHHS Office of Minority Health

HRSA Strategy to Address Intimate Partner Violence

Updating the federal government’s strategy for addressing and responding to intimate partner violence

Client:

Health Resources and Services Administration

Improving Language Access in Oregon’s Health Care System

Supporting inclusive care through interpreter access and provider education

Client:

Oregon Health Authority, Health Policy & Analytics Division

Medicaid Managed Care Organization Learning Hub

Working with insurance plans, providers, and patient advocates to improve Medicaid outcomes

Client:

MolinaCares Accord

Medicaid Section 1115 Demonstration Management & Evaluation

Ensured states’ evaluations were scientifically valid and inform progress in meeting CMS goals

Client:

Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Patient-Driven Research Community Learning Network

A learning network to enhance and sustain PDRCs that enable research prioritized by the communities they serve

Funder:

Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)

Public Health Workforce Capacity for Disaster Response

A rapid needs assessment to understand local workforce needs for disaster response and recovery

Funder:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Support for CDC’s 6|18 Initiative

Engaged state health agencies to adopt 6|18 Initiatives that improve population health

Client:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

UCLA Data Center Technical Assistance

Supporting collection, imputation, weighting, analysis, and dissemination of data

Client:

University of California, Los Angeles

Understanding the Importance of Consistent Medicaid Coverage

A pandemic moratorium on Medicaid disenrollment allows for a unique study

Client:

Association for Community Affiliated Plans

Publications

Research Library & Findings