Jenny McDonnell, PhD, MPH, is a tenure-track assistant professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy. She joined the program this summer.

Q: How do you hope to use your research interests to inform health policy and improve patient care?

A: In a perfect world, patients would have universal access to the treatment modalities that best meet their needs. But the unfortunate reality is that health care providers must often make difficult decisions about how to allocate costly or limited treatments. My research explores how these treatment allocation decisions unfold, focusing on the multi-level factors that shape health care providers’ decision-making processes. In one project, for example, I explore how dialysis social workers and nurses make kidney transplant referral decisions and how they make sense of these decisions in relation to their broader environment. I find that while these decisions are scaffolded by a complex regulatory landscape (e.g., federal policy or organizational protocols), dialysis providers can (and do) appeal to broader societal norms, values, and logics to justify making referral decisions that deviate from organizational, clinical, and policy guidelines. By improving our understanding of why and how these deviations happen, I hope to help inform the development of meaningful policies and interventions aimed at addressing inequities in access to care.

In related projects, I’ve taken a similar person-in-environment approach, where I explore how institutional environments and larger sociocultural forces shape how providers perceive and respond to different patient characteristics. My aim with this line of research is to determine how stigmatizing labels are constructed and justified, how they are applied to patients, and how they impact patients’ health care experiences and outcomes. In future research, I hope to expand this work beyond the context of kidney transplant to look at decision-making and labeling processes in other treatment domains.

Q: Which university programs, centers, or resources are you most interested in using for your research?

A: I love working with people across different fields who bring fresh perspectives and approaches to addressing tough research questions! Though my background is in sociology, I’ve found a home in public health and health services research where interdisciplinary scholarship is prioritized and supported. For me, interdisciplinary research collaborations inspire a higher level of creativity, rigor, and impact than I could achieve working alone or within my own disciplinary boundaries. So, it’s exciting to be part of a scholarly community here at Iowa where folks enthusiastically share ideas and work together to solve problems!

I’m particularly looking forward to tapping into many of the resources Iowa offers for supporting collaborative research. It’s really exciting to see the valuable work coming out of the Center for Health Policy and Research, RUPRI, the Implementation Science Center, the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, and other centers at Iowa. I can’t wait to learn more about the different lines of research my peers are engaged in and to build meaningful cross-disciplinary collaborations! 

Q: As you begin your teaching role at Iowa, what are some key ideas or strategies you’re excited to bring into the classroom to engage students in meaningful learning?

A: Kind of going back to my point above, but I strongly believe that classroom communities benefit from the diverse experiences and perspectives of their members. As a first-generation student, I was very fortunate to have professors and mentors who taught me to view my unique lived experiences and perspectives as strengths. Now, I aim to help students feel empowered to pursue their unique goals and to understand their value within and beyond the classroom. For me, this involves helping students build the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to actively engage in the classroom and, eventually, to pursue their larger career goals. So, one of my larger goals as a teacher (in addition to imparting in students a well-rounded understanding of course material) is to prepare students to critically engage with complex topics and effectively communicate their ideas.

Q: Have you discovered a favorite spot on campus or in town yet?

A: I’m still learning my way around, but I plan to scope out all of the local cafes and bookstores before the semester starts! I’ll have to report back with my favorites.