The Muskie School of Public Service is Maine’s distinguished public policy school, combining an extensive applied research and technical assistance portfolio with rigorous undergraduate degree programs in geography-anthropology (GYA) and tourism & hospitality (TAH), and graduate programs in public health (MPH) and policy, planning, and management (MPPM). The School’s faculty and staff bring a practical, innovative approach to health, social, environmental, community, and economic development problems, and a commitment to spanning traditional boundaries among university, government, and nonprofit organizations. The School’s research and public service programs provide faculty and students with real-life experiences that expand and inform the educational experience. The Muskie School is also home to the Catherine E. Cutler Institute for Health and Social Policy.

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Publications from 2024

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Paid Family Leave Programs—Understanding the Consequences for Infant Health, Katherine A. Aherns MPH, PhD; Teresa Janevic PhD, MPH; and Jennifer A. Hutcheon PhD

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Acute health care utilization in the first 24 months postpartum by rurality and pregnancy complications: A prospective cohort study, Katherine A. Aherns MPH, PhD; Kristin Palmsten ScD; Charlie O. Grantham; Heather S. Lipkind MD, MS; and Christina M. Ackerman‐Banks MD

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Identifying Rural Health Clinics Within the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) Analytic Files, Katherine Ahrens MPH, PhD; Zachariah Croll; Yvonne Jonk PhD; John Gale MS; and Heidi O'Connor MS

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Trends in maternal opioid use disorder and neonatal abstinence syndrome in Maine, 2016-2022., Julia Dudley, Sarah M B Gabrielson, Alane B O'Connor, and Katherine A. Ahrens PhD

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Lessons Learned from Efforts to Support Vulnerable Critical Access and Other Rural Hospitals, John Gale MS; Celia Jewell RN, MPH; and Karen Pearson MLIS, MA

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Non-Urgent Use of Emergency Departments by Rural and Urban Adults, Erika Ziller PhD, Carly Milkowski, Zachariah Croll, and Yvonne Jonk PhD

Publications from 2023

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Original Research | Obstetrics| Volume 229, ISSUE 1, P65.e1-65.e15, July 2023 Purchase Subscribe Save Share Reprints Request Association between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and cardiovascular diseases within 24 months after delivery, Christina M. Ackerman-Banks MD; Heather S. Lipkind MS, MD; Kristin Palmsten ScD; and Katherine A. Aherns MPH, PhD

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Association of Prenatal Depression With New Cardiovascular Disease Within 24 Months Postpartum., Christina M Ackerman-Banks; Heather S Lipkind; Kristin Palmsten; Mariah Pfeiffer RN, MPH; Catherine Gelsinger RN; and Katherine Ahrens MPH, PhD

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Using mothers as the denominator, Katherine A. Aherns MPH, PhD

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Prevalence of Testing for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, and Hepatitis C Virus Among Medicaid Enrollees Treated With Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in 11 States, 2016–2019, Katherine A. Aherns MPH, PhD; Michael Sharbaugh; Marian P. Jarlenski; Lu Tang; Lindsay Allen; Anna E. Austin; Andrew J. Barnes; Marguerite E. Burns; Sarah Clark; Kara Zivin; Aimee Mack; Gilbert Liu; Shamis Mohamoud; Mary Joan McDuffie; Lindsey Hammerslag; Adam J. Gordon; and Julie M. Donohue

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Acute health care utilization in the first 24 months postpartum by rurality and pregnancy complications: A prospective cohort study, Katherine Ahrens PhD; Kristin Palmsten ScD; Charlie O. Grantham; Heather S. Lipkind MD, MS; and Christina M. Ackerman-Banks MD

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Mental Health Within 24 Months After Delivery Among Women with Common Pregnancy Conditions., Katherine Ahrens MPH, PhD; Kristin Palmsten; Heather S Lipkind; Mariah Pfeiffer RN, MPH; Catherine Gelsinger RN; and Christina Ackerman-Banks

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Excess deaths associated with COVID-19 by rurality and demographic factors in the United States., Katherine Ahrens PhD; Lauren M Rossen PhD; Carly Milkowski MPH; Catherine Gelsinger RN, MPH; and Erika Ziller PhD

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Duration of Medication for Opioid Use Disorder During Pregnancy and Postpartum by Race/Ethnicity: Results from 6 State Medicaid Programs, Anna E. Austin Department of Maternal and Child Health and Injury Prevention Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States; Injury Prevention Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hil; Christine Piette Durrance; Katherine A. Aherns MPH, PhD; Chen Qingwen; Lindsey Hammerslag; Mary Joan McDuffie; and Marian Jarlenski

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Trends in Use of Medication to Treat Opioid Use Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic in 10 State Medicaid Programs, Anna E. Austin PhD; Lu Tang PhD; Joo Yeon Kim MS; and Katherine A. Aherns MPH, PhD

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Urban-Rural and Socioeconomic Differences in Patient Knowledge and Perceptions of Genomic Tumor Testing, Jessica F. DiBiase MPH; Elizabeth Scharnetzki PhD; Emily Edelman MS; F.Lee Lucas PhD; Petra Helbig MSc; Jens Reuter MD; Paul K.J. Han MD,MA,MPH; Erika C. Ziller PhD; Elizabeth A. Jacobs MD, MAAP; Eric C. Anderson PhD; and MCGI Working Grouup

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Twenty-five Years of the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program: The Past as Prologue, John Gale MS

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Population Health Outcome Measurement Strategies for State Flex Programs, John Gale; Celia Jewell RN, MPH; and Sara Kahn-Troster MPH

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Identifying a Consensus Set of EMS Agency Licensure Elements and Definitions to Support Rural EMS Data Collection, John Gale MS; Celia Jewell RN, MPH; and Karen Pearson MLIS, MA

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Year 3 Evaluation Report: Evaluation of the EMS Supplemental Funding Grants, John Gale MS and Karen Pearson MLIS, MA

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Provision of Postpartum Contraception Before and After the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Maine., Catherine Gelsinger BSN, RN; Kristin Palmsten; Heather S. Lipkind; Mariah Pfeiffer RN, MPH; Christina Ackerman-Banks; Jennifer A Hutcheon; and Katherine A. Ahrens PhD

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Urine drug testing among Medicaid enrollees initiating buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder within 9 MODRN states, Lindsey Hammerslag; Jeffery Talbert; Julie M. Donahue; Michael Sharbaugh; Katherine A. Aherns MPH, PhD; Lindsay Allen; Anna E. Austin; Adam J. Gordon; Marian Jarlenski; Joo Yeon Kim; Shamis Mohamoud; and Marguerite Burns

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Ambulance Deserts: Geographic Disparities in the Provision of Ambulance Services [Chartbook], Yvonne Jonk PhD; Carly Milkowski MPH; Zachariah Croll MPH; and Karen Pearson MLIS, MA

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A Consensus Panel Approach to Estimating the Start-Up and Annual Service Costs for Rural Ambulance Agencies, Yvonne Jonk PhD; Gary Wingrove FACPE, CP-C; Nikiah Nudell MS, MPhil, NRP, FACPE; and Kevin McGinnis MPS

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The most common medications dispensed to lactating persons: An electronic health record-based approach, Kristin Palmsten; Gabriela Vazquez-Benitez; Meghan M. JaKa; Gretchen Bandoli; Katherine A. Aherns MPH, PhD; and Elyse O. Kharbanda

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Weight gain patterns among pregnancies with obesity and small‐ and large‐for‐gestational‐age births, Julie M. Petersen; Jennifer A. Hutcheon; Lisa M. Bodnar; Katherine A. Aherns MPH, PhD; and Martha M. Werler

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Rural-Urban Residence and Sequelae of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy in the First Year Postpartum, 2007 – 2019, Mariah Pfeiffer BSN, RN; Catherine Gelsinger BSN, RN; Kristin Palmsten; Heather S. Lipkind; Christina Ackerman-Banks; and Katherine Ahrens PhD

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Federal Telehealth Policy Changes During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: Associations with Telemental Health Use among Rural and Urban Medicare Beneficiaries, Jean A. Talbot PhD, MPH; Amanda R. Burgess MPPM, MPH; Yvonne C. Jonk PhD; and Heidi O'Connor MS

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Rural Working-Age Adults Report More Cost Barriers to Health Care, Erika C. Ziller PhD; Carly Milkowski MPH; and Amanda Burgess MPPM, MPH

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Engaging At-Risk Rural Residents in Secondary Lung Cancer Prevention., Erika C. Ziller PhD; Jean A. Talbot PhD, MPH; Martha Elbaum; Zachariah T. Croll; Leo B Waterston MA; Neil Korsen MD, MSc; and Paul K J Han MD, MA, MPH

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Rural-Urban Differences in Workers' Access to Paid Sick Leave., Erika Ziller PhD, Carly Milkowski MPH, Zachariah Croll, and Yvonne Jonk PhD

Submissions from 2022

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Maine: A Health-Focused Landscape Analysis, Katherine Ahrens PhD; Amanda Burgess MPPM, MPH; Carly Milkowski MPH; Yvonne Jonk PhD; Louisa Munk MPH; and Erika Ziller PhD

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New York: A Health-Focused Landscape Analysis, Katherine Ahrens PhD; Amanda Burgess MPPM, MPH; Carly Milkowski MPH; Louisa Munk MPH; Yvonne Jonk PhD; and Erika Ziller PhD

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The Northern Border Region: A Health-Focused Landscape Analysis, Katherine Ahrens PhD; Amanda Burgess MPPM, MPH; Carly Milkowski MPH; Louisa Munk MPH; Yvonne Jonk PhD; and Erika Ziller PhD

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New Hampshire: A Health-Focused Landscape Analysis, Katherine Ahrens PhD; Amanda Burgess MPPM, MPH; Carly Milkowski MPH; Louisa Munk MPH; Yvonne Jonk PhD; and Erika C. Ziller PhD

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Vermont: A Health-Focused Landscape Analysis, Katherine Ahrens PhD; Amanda Burgess MPPM, MPH; Carly Milkowski MPH; Louisa Munk MPH; Yvonne Jonk PhD; and Erika C. Ziller PhD

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Maternal Hepatitis C Prevalence and Trends by County, US: 2016-2020, Katherine Ahrens PhD; Lauren M. Rossen PhD, MS; Amanda R. Burgess MPPM, MPH; and Kristin Palmsten ScD

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Community Characteristics and Financial and Operational Performance of Rural Health Clinics in the United States: A Chartbook, John Gale MS, Zachariah Croll MPH, Jamar Croom MS, Louisa Munk MPH, and Yvonne Jonk PhD

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Evaluating State Flex Program Population Health Activities, John Gale MS; Celia Jewell RN, MPH; Sara Kahn-Troster MPH; and Zachariah T. Croll MPH

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An Inventory of State Flex Program Population Health Initiatives for Fiscal Years 2019-2023, Celia Jewell RN, MPH; Sara Kahn-Troster MPH; Zach T. Croll MPH; and John Gale MS

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Patterns of Health Care Use among Rural-Urban Medicare Beneficiaries Age 85 and Older, 2010-2017, Yvonne Jonk PhD, Heidi O'Connor MS, Amanda Burgess MPPM, and Carly Milkowski MPH

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Machine learning‐based placental clusters and their associations with adverse pregnancy outcomes, Julie M. Petersen; Samantha R. Parker; Kimberly A. Dukes; Jennifer A. Hutcheon; Katherine A. Aherns MPH, PhD; and Martha M. Werler

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Rural-urban differences in maternal mortality trends in the US, 1999-2017: Accounting for the impact of the pregnancy status checkbox, Lauren M. Rossen PhD; Katherine A. Ahrens PhD; Lindsay S. Womack PhD; and Sayeedha F.G. Uddin MD, MPH

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Economic Security of Older Women in Maine, Kimberly I. Snow MHSA, Elizabeth Gattine JD, and Sammy-Ellie MacKinnon MSW

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Financial Alignment Initiative: New York Integrated Appeals and Grievances Demonstration. First Brief Report, Kimberly I. Snow MHSA, Elizabeth Gattine JD, Edith G. Walsh PhD, and Amy Chepaitis PhD

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Out-of-Hospital Births and Infant Mortality in the United States: Effect Measure Modification by Rural Maternal Residence, Elora Way; Jenny L. Carwile ScD, MPH; Erica C. Ziller PhD; and Katherine Ahrens PhD

Submissions from 2021

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Rural-urban residence and maternal hepatitis C infection, United States: 2010-2018, Katherine A. Ahrens PhD, MPH; Laura M. Rossen PhD, MS; Amanda R. Burgess MPPM; Kristin K. Palmsten ScD; and Erika C. Ziller PhD, MS

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HIV and Hepatitis C in Rural Areas: Prevalence, Service Availability, and Challenges [Webinar], Katherine Ahrens PhD and Amanda Burgess MPPM

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Rural HIV Prevalence and Service Availability in the United States: A Chartbook, Katherine Ahrens PhD, Amanda Burgess MPPM, Louisa Munk, and Erika Ziller PhD

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Medication for Addiction Treatment and Postpartum Health Care Utilization Among Pregnant Persons With Opioid Use Disorder., Katherine Ahrens PhD, Carole A McBride PhD, Alane O'Connor DNP, and Marjorie C Meyer MD