Donglan "Stacy" Zhang - College of Public Health UGA

Donglan “Stacy” Zhang

Health Policy & Management

Assistant Professor

Health Policy & Management

Donglan “Stacy” Zhang, Ph.D. completed her doctorate in Health Services Research at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and served as a Prevention Effectiveness Fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Zhang’s research focuses on improving access to health care, health care delivery systems, and quality of care, especially for cardiovascular disease and stroke. Her research produces evidence to reduce health disparities by addressing geographic barriers for accessing medical care and healthy food, understanding multilevel social determinants of health, and advancing knowledge in rural patient care and minority health. Her research in this area is funded by an NIH R01 grant to compare different clinical interventions and community-based interventions to help support local decision-makers and physicians to make evidence-based decisions, particularly in rural communities and for vulnerable populations. Her research is also supported by USDA, CMB, and several local foundations. She serves as a Consultant in the Expert Work Group for a Health Resources and Services Administration Telehealth Focused Rural Health Research Center Program and is active in the Georgia Annual Health Services Research Day Planning Committee. Dr. Zhang received the UGA College of Public Health Excellence in Research Award in 2021.

Education

PhD, UCLA, 2014, Health Services Research
MA, Fudan University, 2009, Health Economics
BA, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 2006, Healthcare Administration

Areas of Expertise

Dr. Zhang’s areas of expertise are health services research, policy impact analysis, and policy simulation. Her recent work focuses on reducing health disparities and assessing the role of new services delivery models such as telemedicine and mobile health in resource-constrained areas.

Honors, Awards, and Achievements

UGA College of Public Health Excellence in Research Award
Nominee, UGA College of Public Health, 2021 ASPPH Early Career Research Excellence Award
Best Paper Award, China Health Policy and Management Society (US-based)
Early Career Travel Stipend Award, American Heart Association
Travel Award for the Systems Approaches to the Obesity Epidemic, Johns Hopkins Global Center on Childhood Obesity

Course Instruction

HPAM 8300: Research Methods in Health Policy
HPAM 7010: Introduction to Health Policy and Management

Research Interests

1. Geographic and Racial Health Disparities
2. Health Services Delivery Innovation
3. Health Policy Simulation and Policy Impact Analysis
4. Social Determinants of Health
5. Economic Burden of Diseases and Economic Evaluation

Selected Publications

Zhang, D., Li, G., Mu, L., Thapa, J., Li, Y., Chen, Z., Shi, L., Su, D., Son, H., & Pagan, J.A.. Trends in Medical School Application and Matriculation Rates Across the United States From 2001 to 2015: Implications for Health Disparities. Academic Medicine. 2021;96(6): pp.885-893.

Zhang, D., Son, H., Shen, Y., Chen, Z., Rajbhandari-Thapa, J., Li, Y., Eom, H., Bu, D., Mu, L., Li, G., & Pagán, J.A. Assessment of changes in rural and urban primary care workforce in the United States from 2009 to 2017. JAMA network open. 2020;3(10): pp.e2022914-e2022914.

Zhang, D., Ritchey, M. R., Park, C., Li, J., Chapel, J., & Wang, G . Association Between Medicaid Coverage and Income Status on Health Care Use and Costs Among Hypertensive Adults After Enactment of the Affordable Care Act. American journal of hypertension. 2019;
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Zhang, D., Shi, L., Ido, M. S., Green, D. E., Li, Y., Su, D., & Hess, D. C. Impact of Participation in a Telestroke Network on Clinical Outcomes: Evidence from the Georgia Coverdell Acute Stroke Registry. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. 2019;12(1): e005147.

Zhang, D., Wang, G., Zhu, W., Thapa, J., Switzer, J., Hess, D., Smith, M., & Ritchey M. Expansion of Telestroke Services Improves Quality of Care Provided in Super Rural Areas. Health Affairs. 2018;37(12): 2005-2013.