Center for Health Services Research
Fostering collaborative research on pharmacotherapy and chronic disease management.
Overview
The Center for Health Services Research, led by director, Dr. Stephen Crystal, fosters interdisciplinary research on a range of topics across health services, systems, and policies. The Center employs a population health perspective to examine the complex factors and processes within health care systems and communities that shape the use of health services and treatments. Research often centers on vulnerable populations, including those subjected to disadvantage and stigma as well as those receiving publicly funded health care through Medicaid and Medicare. Deep expertise in the utilization of large health care datasets (e.g., nationally representative health care claims with linkages to the National Death Index and community health resource and socioeconomic data) supports the Center’s mixed methods research strategy that informs health care practices and policies to improve population health outcomes.
In the News
“At the Center for Health Services Research, we are dedicated to advancing interdisciplinary studies that inform and improve health care delivery and policy in areas such as opioid use treatment, long-term care, and disability health services. Our collaborative efforts aim to address complex health challenges and enhance outcomes for diverse populations.”
Stephen Crystal, PhD
Distinguished Research Professor, School of Social Work
Board of Governors Professor, Rutgers University
Our Research
Recent research has examined how policy, community, provider, and patient factors influence the use of medications for opioid use disorder, with a focus on disparities and overdose risks. Studies explore behavioral health services for justice-involved individuals, the impact of state policies on safe antipsychotic use in children, and oversight of psychotropic medications in foster care. Other work evaluates how policy changes, like the Affordable Care Act, affect pharmacotherapy and chronic care. Additional areas include HIV care systems, nursing home quality, dementia care, and improving outcomes for people with severe mental illness. This research informs efforts to enhance care and policy effectiveness.
Our Partnerships
The Center’s multidisciplinary approach to research has resulted in important, long-standing collaborations with both internal and external partners. Internal partners include academic units within Rutgers University such as the departments of Sociology, Economics, and Statistics; Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences; the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy; the School of Nursing; Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; the School of Public Health; the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology; the School of Social Work; and the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. External partners include Columbia University’s Department of Psychiatry; RWJBarnabas Health; multiple state Medicaid, mental health, and child welfare agencies; the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA); the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and many other federal agencies.
Core Members
Stephen Crystal, PhD, MA
Min Hee Kim, PhD, MSW, MA
Jennifer Miles, PhD
Elizabeth M. Stone, PhD, MSPH
Research Staff
Natalia L. Herman, MPH, MCM
Hannah Pomales
Contact Us
Email: chsr_admin@ifh.rutgers.edu
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