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Meaghan Hunt

Pronouns: She/Her

Senior Research Scientist
Meaghan leads mixed-methods health policy evaluations that improve care access for underserved families.

At NORC, Meaghan serves as a senior research scientist, leading mixed-methods evaluations of health policy programs aimed at improving access to quality care for underserved communities. With over 12 years of experience, she specializes in designing and managing large-scale data collection and analysis efforts. Her expertise spans both qualitative and quantitative methods, including programming and fielding surveys, conducting interviews, and synthesizing data from policymakers, clinicians, health systems, and patients. Meaghan’s proficiency with data tools such as R, Stata, Python, NVivo, and Dedoose allows her to handle complex datasets and generate actionable insights. She leverages her background in health policy analysis and data science to guide impactful evaluations, including projects focused on domestic violence shelters, Medicaid waivers, and health disparities. Her ability to work with diverse stakeholders ensures that her research informs equitable, data-driven solutions in health care delivery.

Meaghan's work at NORC is exemplified by several high-impact projects. As the project manager and analytic lead for the EmPWR evaluation, she oversees a mixed-methods analysis of human-centered design changes in New York City domestic violence shelters. Her role involves synthesizing qualitative and quantitative data to generate process maps and insights that shape service improvements. Meaghan also leads the analytic effort for the ACO REACH Model evaluation, where she manages a comprehensive mixed-methods database and leads qualitative data collection, including interviews with health care leaders. Another standout project is her work on the Minnesota 1115 Substance Use Disorder Waiver evaluation, where she ensures compliance with federal benchmarks while assessing the program’s impact on service delivery. Across these projects, Meaghan’s ability to handle complex datasets, coupled with her expertise in health policy and equity, demonstrates her capacity to deliver research that drives meaningful change in health care systems.

Before joining NORC, Meaghan held key roles at Abt Associates, where she honed her skills in health policy evaluation and data analysis. As a senior analyst, she led projects evaluating Medicaid innovations, including the Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program, where she oversaw the qualitative analysis of technical assistance initiatives aimed at improving care for vulnerable populations. Meaghan also directed the evaluation of the NYC Well Hotline, managing data collection and secondary data analysis to assess the hotline’s effectiveness in supporting mental health services. Additionally, she played a pivotal role in evaluating home and community-based services (HCBS) for adults and children with disabilities in Minnesota, examining disparities in access to care. Across these projects, Meaghan consistently demonstrated her ability to lead complex evaluations, manage multi-disciplinary teams, and deliver data-driven insights that improved program outcomes and informed health policy decisions.

Education

MPP

Northeastern University

Graduate Certificate-Data Analytics

Northeastern University

BA

Boston University

Project Contributions

Evaluation of Minnesota’s Home & Community-Based Services Assessment Process

Community-engaged evaluation to understand disparities in Minnesota's home and community-based services (HCBS) assessment process

Client:

Minnesota Department of Human Services

Evaluation of the ACO REACH Model

Evaluating the ACO REACH model that is transitioning Medicare from fee-for-service to value-based care

Client:

Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services