Rockville, MD, Oct. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Abt Associates announced today that Dr. Jean O’Connor, a public health practitioner and lawyer, has joined the company as a principal associate in the Health and Environment Division. O’Connor will focus on projects with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) around social determinants of health and building equitable, resilient, healthy communities. She will apply her experience in implementation science and as a policy researcher to support CDC clients in designing, evaluating, and scaling policies and programs to improve health outcomes. She also will support projects at the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to move evidence-based prevention strategies to practice in healthcare settings.
O’Connor brings more than two decades of experience working at the federal and state level with communities, policy makers, healthcare providers, and private sector leaders. She develops, evaluates, and improves programs, systems, and policies that support better health outcomes.
Before joining Abt, O’Connor served in senior roles in state public health agencies, at CDC, as a consultant, and in a federally qualified community health center. She has helped develop new programs and strategies related to chronic disease, alcohol, tobacco and other substance use, and emergency preparedness and response.
“Jean’s extensive experience in health policy, social determinants of health, and equity strengthen our ability to provide clients such as CDC, HRSA, and CMS the insights they need to improve Americans’ health,” says Dr. Christopher Spera, senior vice president, Health and Environment.
O’Connor has published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and developed programs, toolkits, model policies, and training strategies to support improved health and reduced rates of chronic diseases in community settings. Her work has also included developing national reports and strategies, such as the Healthy People 2020 law and policy report on nutrition and weight status and the first version of the National Health Security Strategy.
O’Connor is an adjunct professor of behavioral sciences at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory and a part-time associate professor of health policy and management at the University of Georgia. She also is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and was named as a Fulbright specialist is global health and in law in 2018. She holds a DrPH in health policy and management from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a J.D. in public health law from Emory University.
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About Abt Associates
Abt Associates is a global consulting and research firm that uses data and bold thinking to improve the quality of people's lives. From combatting infectious disease and conducting rigorous program evaluations, to ensuring safe drinking water and promoting access to affordable housing - and more - we partner with clients and communities to tackle their most complex challenges.
