What we deliver

• Excellence. Our work adheres to the highest standards of academic rigor, with an emphasis on methodological soundness, precision, reproducibility, and presentation.
• Objectivity. Our findings and conclusions are based on evidence and not influenced by our personal opinions and affiliations, or those of our funders.
• Impact. We produce evidence that has direct implications for current health care policy issues at the state and national levels. Our work provides actionable insights for decision-makers across the health care system – including clinicians, hospital and state administrators, policymakers, and legislators.

Our mindset

• Collaboration. Our impact depends on authentic commitment to partnerships inside and outside the Center
• Autonomy. We set our own research agenda independently of our funders and OHSU. Our faculty and staff are encouraged to work autonomously within a collaborative framework.
• Innovation. We continually test the use of innovative methods and novel approaches for enhancing our research, partnerships, and workplace environment.
• Flexibility. We tailor our approach (including staffing, infrastructure, and methodology) to suit each project's specific needs and objectives, quickly adapting to changing circumstances. Our employees maintain a work schedule that accommodates their individual needs without compromising output or accountability.
• Equity, Diversity & Inclusivity. We embrace individual differences and offer all employees equitable opportunities, respect, acceptance and support in both words and actions. We provide a safe environment for employees to work and socialize, and we value diverse points of view.

How we work

• Generosity. We cultivate kindness and trust in our interactions with each other, clients, and other outside parties, recognizing the constraints and challenges that we each face as humans and institutions.
• Curiosity. We believe in the power of data and in the value of partnerships. We do not shy away from asking new questions or from critically evaluating previously held conclusions and beliefs.
• Everyone is a leader. Our faculty and staff are encouraged to exhibit leadership by showing initiative in every aspect of their work and proactively contributing to the management and strategic direction of the Center.

Statistical methods

We use state-of-the-art statistical and econometric approaches to isolate the effects of health care programs and policies.

Economic lens

We understand the economic incentives and regulatory issues that affect health care delivery systems, and these factors underpin our research and analyses.

Health care cost and quality metrics

We have coded and validated over 100 metrics of health care access, quality and cost, including metrics developed by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), "home grown" measures tailored to specific projects, and standardized expenditure measures. Our metrics library enables us to evaluate health care policies and programs from every angle.

Big data analysis

Supported by the computing power of a leading academic medical institution, our team has developed the infrastructure, processes, and expertise to successfully manage and analyze large, complex datasets:

• National Medicaid data: We are among the first institutions to receive CMS’ national repository of state Medicaid data for research use. The Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) Analytic Files (TAF) comprise comprehensive Medicaid and CHIP claims data, including information on beneficiary eligibility, enrollment, service use, and spending. The 30+ TB TAF data represent a critical resource for understanding and evaluating access, quality and cost of healthcare for more than 80 million Americans.
• State Medicaid data: We have extensive experience with administrative claims direct from Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and Idaho, including medical, pharmacy, enrollment, dental, long-term care and nursing home claims. State-specific data extracts often include additional detail over composite datasets.
• Federal Medicare data: We have expertise with Medicare fee-for-service, Medicare Advantage encounter records, and assessment data (e.g., Minimum Data Set 3.0), and use these data to understand the effects of Medicare value-based payment systems. We also link these datasets with national Medicaid data to evaluate health care utilization, outcomes and expenditures among dually eligible individuals.
• Multi-payer data: We have used Oregon's All-Payer Claims Database to create common measures of efficient care across Medicaid and commercial insurance members, and to evaluate quality of care for dually eligible members.
• Survey and electronic health record (EHR) data: Our experience with survey data includes Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) and a specialized survey of behavioral health needs in South Dakota.

Accessible communication

We make complex concepts accessible to a wide range of audiences.

See our faculty and staff