Edith C. Kieffer, MPH, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, University of Michigan School of Social Work, conducted research addressing health and health care disparities. She has extensive experience planning, conducting and analyzing data from qualitative formative research and intervention research studies in community and health care settings, including randomized clinical trials. Using community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches, she and collaborators have evaluated the effectiveness of Detroit-based community health worker (CHW) programs in improving the health of pregnant and postpartum women (NIH/NIDDK – Healthy Mothers on the Move) and people with, and at risk for, type 2 diabetes (NIH/NIDDK - Community Health Worker Diabetes RCT for Latinos and CDC – The REACH Detroit Partnership). These studies resulted in significant improvements in dietary behaviors, depressive symptoms, glucose control, diabetes-related distress and other positive outcomes.
Kieffer was a co-Investigator for the evaluation of the Healthy Michigan Plan Medicaid expansion. She led qualitative studies around Michigan that explored the experiences of beneficiaries and health care providers, and the impact of Medicaid coverage, including its requirements and incentives, on access to and use of care, beneficiary health and other outcomes.
Kieffer was a founding steering committee member and directed grants supporting the Michigan Community Health Worker Alliance, which is promoting sustainability of CHW programs and careers through policy change and workforce development. She taught courses in health care policies and services and health ethics. She was affiliated with the Detroit Community Academic Urban Research Center, the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation, and the Michigan Center for Diabetes Translational Research.
Research Interests
Ethnic and geographic disparities in health and health services; maternal and child health; multi-level community-based intervention research to promote prevention of diabetes and its complications.
Contact Information
Education
- 1991 PhD Medical GeographyUniversity of Hawaii
- 1978 MPH Maternal & Child Health & Health Svcs Admin & PlanningUniversity of Hawaii
- 1973 BS Social Sciences with Certificate in Ethnic StudiesUniversity of Oregon
News
Activities
Websites
Publications
Honors and Awards
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2018 | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| 2016 | Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation (CHRT) Policy Fellow Program, University of Michigan |
| 2015 | Michigan Community Health Worker Alliance project with Katie Mitchell secured proclamation from Governor Rick Snyder declaring August 2015 as "Community Health Appreciation Month" |
| 2009 | Spencer M, Tabb K, Palmisano G, Kieffer E, Anderson M, Heisler, M.(2009, November) Evaluating the process and ethics of randomizing African American and Latino adults with diabetes in a community health worker intervention. Presentation at: 137th Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association; Philadelphia, PA. |
| 2000 | Lacey Academic Leadership Award, Assn. of Teachers of Maternal and Child Health |
| 1994-1995 | Community Based Public Health Project (W.K. Kellogg Foundation) Mini Grant to conduct a community-based participatory course in community needs assessment |
| 1994 | University of Michigan Career Development Award |
| 1993-1994 | Community Based Public Health Project (W.K. Kellogg Foundation) Mini Grant to develop and conduct a community-based participatory course in community needs assessment |
| 1988 | Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society |
| 1978 | Outstanding Graduate Student Award, School of Public Health, University of Hawaii |
| 1977-1978 | U.S. Public Health Service Traineeship |
| 1973 | Phi Beta Kappa |
Presentations
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2018 | The Impact of Michigan's Medicaid Expansion on Dental Care Utilization, Oral Health and Job-Related Outcomes |
| 2018 | Healthy Mothers on the Move: A Community Health Worker-Led Diabetes Prevention Intervention for Pregnant and Postpartum Latinas |
| 2017 | Szymecko, L. A., Goold, S. D., Beathard, E., Chang, T., Clark, S. J., Haggins, A. N., Kieffer, E. C., Kirch, M., Kullgren, J. T., Lee, S., Olorode, T., Rosland, A. M., Rowe, Z., Sears, E., Solway, E., Tipirneni, R., & Ayanian, J. Z. (2017, June). Medicaid expansion experiences for enrollees with mental health and substance use disorders: A mixed-methods study. Academy Health Annual Research Meeting, New Orleans, LA. |
| 2017 | Goold, S., Szmecko, L., Kim, M., Salman, C., Fendrick, A. M., Kieffer, E., Danis, M., & Rowe, Z. (2017, June). Setting priorities for medicaid: The views of minority and underserved communities. Academy Health Annual Research Meeting; New Orleans, LA. |
| 2017 | Kullgren, J. T., Tipirneni, R., Rosland, A. M., Kieffer, E. C., Haggins, A. N., Chang, T., Clark, S. J., Lee, S., Solway, E., Mrukowicz, C., Beathard, E., Ayanian, J. Z., & Goold, S. D. (2017, June). The impact of medicaid premium contributions on cost-conscious behaviors and health care affordability. Academy Health Annual Research Meeting, New Orleans, LA. |