Roshani Dahal, MPH

Area of Emphasis:  Clinical Outcomes Research

Advisor:  Helen Parsons, PhD MPH

About Me

I am a fourth-year doctoral candidate in Health Services Research, Policy, and Administration at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. My dissertation examines access to care, treatment delivery, survival rates, and quality of care for Medicare-Medicaid dual enrollees with cancer, focusing on older adults enrolled in Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs). My research interests include public insurance programs, cancer treatment and survivorship, healthcare quality, health outcomes, and addressing health disparities among low-income populations.

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. I gained valuable experience in evaluating home- and community-based services waiver programs and assessing quality of healthcare services for managed care enrollees.  My work aligns with the growing emphasis on equity-focused quality improvement in healthcare.

My long-term goal is to assist states and federal agencies in adopting evidence-based health policies that prioritize healthcare quality improvement and achieve health equity, particularly for people enrolled in public programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

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

Selected Publications. (See PubMed list)

• Martin S, Dill J, Demeritte D, Geressu H, Dahal R, Kirkland C, Hunt S, and Parikh R. (2024). A Scoping Review of Health Equity Interventions in Governmental Public Health [Health Equity Science]. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice. DOI: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000001947

• Bucy TI, Mulcahy JF, Shippee TP, Fashaw-Walters S, Dahal R, Duan Y, and 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 HE, Han LF, Ogarek J, Dahal R, Gozalo PL, Taljaard M, and 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 KA, Dahal R, Sloan FA. (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 PL, Davidson HE, Han LF, Taljaard M, and 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: https://doi.org/10.1177/174077451562597

• Miller SC, Dahal R, Lima JC, Intrator O, Martin E, Bull J, and Hanson L. (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