For the Nourish Pittsburgh grant proposal, I developed a program designed to expand access to culturally relevant food and nutrition education for food-insecure communities across Allegheny County. The proposal outlined partnerships with local farmers and food suppliers, along with community workshops on nutrition practices, and incorporated measurable health outcomes to track program impact. The project emphasized program sustainability and operational feasibility, aligning with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank's broader organizational goals. 

This project analyzed the systemic and structural factors contributing to Pittsburgh's high maternal mortality rate among Black women, 97% higher than comparable U.S. cities. Working with co-writers, we examined how historical redlining, environmental conditions, and healthcare access gaps intersect to affect health outcomes. Using a public health framework, we developed a three-tiered set of recommendations focused on expanding community-based health clinics, improving health literacy programming, and establishing targeted data collection to guide future interventions. This project strengthened my skills in policy evaluation, data-driven recommendation development, and systems analysis.

Through comparative health systems analysis, I examined how the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) allocates healthcare resources and manages the challenges of rationing care. Focusing on elective surgery waiting lists and cancer treatment drug availability, I analyzed the operational and system-wide effects of resource distribution decisions. I proposed improvements through the implementation of comprehensive electronic health record systems and expanded value-based care models, drawing on evidence-based strategies from Denmark, Estonia, and the United States to identify approaches that could improve efficiency and patient outcomes within the NHS. This work strengthened my understanding of resource management, comparative health systems analysis, and data-informed policy design. 

Focusing on racial health disparities, I examined the systemic inequities contributing to the disproportionately high infant mortality rates among Black communities in the United States. Through analysis of policy failures, limited postpartum Medicaid coverage, implicit bias, and social determinants of health—such as economic instability and structural racism—I identified key factors affecting maternal and infant outcomes. Applying the Institute of Medicine's Six Aims for Improvement and the RE-AIM framework, I evaluated policy effectiveness and developed recommendations to expand postpartum Medicaid coverage and require implicit bias training for healthcare providers. This project strengthened my skills in policy evaluation, quality improvement framework application, and evidence-based program design.