Roshani Dahal, MPH

Area of Emphasis:  Clinical Outcomes Research

Advisor:  Helen M. Parsons, PhD MPH

About Me

I am a PhD candidate in Health Services Research, Policy, and Administration at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. My dissertation examines the impact of Medicare-Medicaid dual enrollment on cancer care among older adults, a critical area of study given the growing population of dual-eligible beneficiaries.

Prior to my doctoral studies, I worked at the Minnesota Department of Human Services, where I learned how state legislative policies shape state Medicaid programs and services. In my role, I examined quality of care for Medicaid managed care enrollees. I also gained valuable experience in evaluating home- and community-based services waiver programs and assessing quality of healthcare services for managed care enrollees.  My work experience aligns with the growing emphasis on equity-focused quality improvement in healthcare.

My long-term research and career goal is to inform public policy by improving healthcare quality and equity for low-income and publicly insured populations, who face persistent healthcare disparities and significant gaps in cancer prevention, timely diagnosis, treatment quality, and survivorship outcomes.

Education

Master of Public Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Bachelor of Science, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Research Interests

public insurance programs (Medicare and Medicaid); dual-eligibles or dual enrollees; Medicare Advantage; health policy; cancer care; health care quality; performance measurement; access and barriers to care; clinical outcomes; health disparities

Publications. (refer to PubMed and Google Scholar)

• Dahal, R., Nikpay, S., Huckfeldt. P. J., & Parsons, H. M. (2026). Growth of Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans Following Permanent Authorization. American Journal of Managed Care. (forthcoming)
• Kirkland, C., Dahal, R., Coetzer-Liversage, A., Weiss, N. M., Polamreddy, M., Edmiston, A., McCall, T. C., & Leider, J. P. (2025). Navigating the Student to Employee Lifecycle to Enhance Recruitment and Retention in Local Health Departments. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice. 31(6):1026-1035. DOI: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000002192.
• Debbarma, A., Dahal, R., & Dowd, B. E. (2025). Effective Roles of Primary Care Clinics in Lowering Total Cost of Care among Commercially Insured Populations: A Systematic Review. Medical Care Research and Review. 82(4):287-300. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1077558725132363.
• Martin, S., Dill, J., Demeritte, D., Geressu, H., Dahal, R., Kirkland, C., Hunt, S., & Parikh, R. (2024). A Scoping Review of Health Equity Interventions in Governmental Public Health [Health Equity Science]. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice. 30(4):479-489. DOI: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000001947.
• Bucy, T. I., Mulcahy, J. F., Shippee, T. P., Fashaw-Walters, S., Dahal, R., Duan, Y., & Jukowitz, E. (2023). Examining Satisfaction and Quality in Home- and Community-Based Service Programs in the United States: A Scoping Review. The Gerontologist. 63(9):1437-1455. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnad003.
• Gravenstein, S., Davidson, H. E., Han, L. F., Ogarek, J. A., Dahal, R., Gozalo, P. L., Taljaard, M., & Mor, V. (2018). Feasibility of a Cluster-Randomized Influenza Vaccination Trial in U.S. Nursing Homes: Lessons Learned. Journal of Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics. 14(3):736-743. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2017.1398872.
• Acquah, K. A., Dahal, R., & Sloan, F. A. (2017). 1918 Influenza Pandemic: In-Utero Exposure in the United States and Long-Term Impact on Hospitalizations. American Journal of Public Health. 107(9):1477-1483. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2017.303887.
• Gravenstein, S., Dahal, R., Gozalo, P. L., Davidson, H. E., Han, L. F., Taljaard, M., & Mor, V. (2016). A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Relative Effectiveness of Two Licensed Influenza Vaccines in U.S. Nursing Homes: Design and Rationale. Clinical Trials: Journal of the Society of Clinical Trials. 13(3):264-74. DOI: 10.1177/1740774515625976.
• Miller, S. C., Dahal, R., Lima, J. C., Intrator, O., Martin, E., Bull, J., & Hanson, L. C. (2016). Palliative Care Consultations in Nursing Homes and End of Life Hospitalizations. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 52(6):878-883. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2016.05.017.

Contact:  daha0007@umn.edu