Recent graduate, Fangli Geng, of the Decision Science track of the Health Policy PhD program, received the 2025 AcademyHealth Outstanding Dissertation Award. The award recognizes Geng’s significant contributions to the fields of health services research and health policy.
Her dissertation, “Assessing Value and Optimizing Decision-Making in Post-Acute Care across Diverse Populations,” focuses on post-acute care (PAC), which plays a critical role in the recovery and rehabilitation of millions of older adults discharged from U.S. hospitals each year. As one of the largest sources of geographic variation in Medicare spending, PAC systems require optimization to ensure efficient, high-value, equitable, and patient-centered care.
Geng’s dissertation investigates how PAC can better align with patient and caregiver needs, improve health outcomes, and adapt to evolving payment models. Through three interconnected studies, she addresses the preferences, outcomes, and Medicare payment implications of PAC. Her work combines patient preference data, Medicare claims, and provider characteristics to inform reforms that advance efficiency, quality, and equity.
Geng is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Services, Policy & Practice at the Brown University School of Public Health. Her research focuses on health policy issues related to aging in the U.S. and China, with an emphasis on designing patient-centered, high-value, and equitable care delivery models that cater to the diverse needs of older adults and their families.
Learn more: Read the AcademyHealth press release, AcademyHealth Announces 2025 Award Recipients
Learn more: Read the dissertation, Assessing Value and Optimizing Decision-Making in Post-Acute Care across Diverse Populations
Learn more: Read the article, Increased Medicare Advantage Penetration Is Associated with Lower Postacute Care Use for Traditional Medicare Patients
Learn more: Read the article, Preferences for Postacute Care at Home vs Facilities
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