(Hybrid) Health Economist (Research Scientist) - Health Affairs Institute

About the role

The Health Affairs Institute within the WVU Health Sciences Center provides organizational leadership for collaborative activities involving the Health Sciences Center, the West Virginia Department of Health Services (DOHS) and other partners. These include, among others, providing data analytic support, program evaluation expertise, technical assistance, and project management support for the DOHS and other partners.

Responsibilities

• Work with the state to leverage their data and support analytic and policy needs
• Conduct relevant policy and evaluation research
• Participate in interdisciplinary research and evaluation teams
• Provide oversight of associated data analysts
• Design and conduct economic analysis of state programs and interventions
• Provide guidance to the teams on evaluations and support policy development efforts of DoHS
• Conduct hands-on data work and produce insights that drive operational improvements
• Translate complex data into clear, actionable insights for government and industry partners
• Develop economic models to determine the efficient allocation of resources available to healthcare payers and providers
• Develop knowledge repository of industry best practices and innovations
• Proactively provide analytic guidance for financial and economic outcomes of policies and policy changes
• Conduct sensitivity analyses and stress testing on models to develop robust understanding on the range of potential outcomes under multiple scenarios
• Generate executive presentations for stakeholders
• Promote and shape HAI best practices concerning automation and documentation
• Contribute to department initiatives around automation, Machine learning, AI use, and tooling improvements
• Lead training modules as directed by the Director of Health Analytics
• Maintain compliance with all applicable laws and regulations governing the responsible conduct of research and data security
• Execute Health Economic Outcomes Research (HEOR) evidence generation including; cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis and budget impact models
• Analyze Medicaid and commercial claims data using SQL, SAS, R, or Python to identify trends, cost drivers, and utilization patterns
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including data scientists, policy analysts, and state partners
• Support grant proposals and project scoping with economic insights
• Oversee/provide mentorship to other analysts as directed by the Director of the Center for Measurement and Health Data Analytics
• Prepare reports as required by the University, the Health Sciences Center administration, and external agencies
• Communicate results of analytic projects and program evaluations with relevant staff of the West Virginia Department of Human Services
• Conduct or direct special projects as assigned
• Act in other matters and capacities as delegated by the Director of the Center for Measurement and Health Data Analytics for the Health Affairs Institute

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in Economics, Health Economics, Public Policy, Biostatistics, or related field
• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience with proven track record of HEOR in the following: Relevant disciplines are those that demonstrate a high level of technical and mathematical ability, such as mathematics, economics, physics or computer science
• Proficiency in SQL, SAS, R, or Python for data manipulation and modeling
• Strong applied econometric skills and experience with large datasets
• Strong communication skills and ability to present findings to non-technical stakeholders
• Experience working with state agencies or healthcare organizations preferred
• Ability to communicate policy implications clearly and concisely
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment
• Experience in government, consulting, or applied research settings preferred
• Record of research and achievement in health outcomes and policy research (health services research, public health informatics, health policy, clinical outcomes)
• Experience conducting research/evaluation within the academic and governmental sectors
• Experience in conducting geo-spatial analysis and experience and predictive analytics using machine learning are desired

Skills and Abilities

• Proven track record of publishing in peer-reviewed journals
• Ability to perform and formulate health economic outcomes research and develop innovative approaches to conduct economic evaluations of program outcomes
• Strong verbal and written communication skills including presentation skills to varied audiences
• Extensive knowledge in the United States healthcare systems
• Extensive knowledge and experience in utilizing large health databases for research, program evaluation, and policy development
• Extensive knowledge in machine learning and in geo-spatial analysis is desired
• Ability to project and maintain a positive and collaborative attitude
• Record of accomplishments in the area of health data analytics
• Strong ability to communicate goals, methods, and results of research initiatives with key stakeholders
• Demonstrated proficiency in the use of standard software packages such as SAS or R
• Good knowledge in handling mortality data
• Experience working with Medicaid Claims data
• Training and facilitation skills
• Strong understanding of Data Security and Compliance – particularly with HIPAA and PHI data access and storage