Biography
Deanna Barath, Ph.D., earned her doctorate in Health Policy and Management from the University of Maryland in 2022. Dr. Barath is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Public Health Program and serves as the Director of Community Outreach and Council on Education for Public Health Accreditation Coordinator. She started her career as a public health advocate, where she helped FSU become a tobacco-free campus. She worked for the Florida Department of Health at the local and state level, and last served as the Statewide Health Programs Administrator. She was primarily responsible for the enhanced integration of health programs within the department, across agencies, partners, and stakeholders – particularly for endeavors that improved the health of children and health equity. She helped to develop and launch the Florida Healthy Babies initiative which stimulated local efforts to reduce the infant mortality racial disparity using best practices. She also provided guidance to local health departments on the community health assessment and improvement planning processes, strategic planning, and the state’s integrated approach to PHAB accreditation.
If your agency/organization is looking for public health training, please reach out to Dr. Barath.
Education
PhD, Health Policy and Management
University of Maryland, 2022
Master of Public Health
Florida State University, 2014
Bachelor of Science, Exercise Science
Florida State University, 2010
Courses Taught
PHC 5155: Health Services Organization and Policy
PHC 5151: Health Politics and Policy Analysis
PHC 4157: Health Policy and Society
Awards & Honors
2022 Dean’s Graduate Scholar, UMD School of Public Health
2017-2021 Health Policy Research Scholar (HPRS), Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
2019 Graduate Student Achievement Award, APHA Health Administration Section
2019 Outstanding Abstract, APHA Health Administration Section
2018 Diversity Scholars Network, AcademyHealth
Research Activities
Building a culture of health through evidence-based community interventions and policies that improve health equity for underserved populations.
Selected Publications
Chen J. Benjenk I. Barath D. Anderson A. C. & Reynolds C. F. 3rd. (2021, May). Disparities in Preventable Hospitalization Among Patients with Alzheimer Diseases. Am J Prev Med, 60(5), 595-604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.12.014
Chen J. Amaize A. & Barath D. (2020, Nov 12). Evaluating Telehealth Adoption and Related Barriers Among Hospitals Located in Rural and Urban Areas. J Rural Health. https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12534
Jimenez T. Restar A. Helm P. J. Cross R. I. Barath D. & Arndt J. (2020, Aug). Fatalism in the context of COVID-19: Perceiving coronavirus as a death sentence predicts reluctance to perform recommended preventive behaviors. SSM Popul Health, 11, 100615. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2020.100615
Barath D. Amaize A. & Chen J. (2020, Jul). Accountable Care Organizations and Preventable Hospitalizations Among Patients with Depression. Am J Prev Med, 59(1), e1-e10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.01.028
Jing R. Barath D. Zhang H. Chen J. & Fang H. (2020, Dec). Changes in Sleep Duration Associated with Retirement Transitions: The role of naps. J Sleep Res, 29(6), e12975. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.12975
Barath D. & Chen J. (2019, Dec). Integrating Local Health Departments to Reduce Suicide-Related Emergency Department Visits Among People with Substance Use Disorders – Evidence from the state of Maryland. Prev Med, 129, 105825. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.105825
Boudreaux M. Barath D. & Blewett L. A. (2019, Jan 1). Recent Changes in Health Insurance Coverage for Urban and Rural Veterans: Evidence from the First Year of the Affordable Care Act. Mil Med, 184(1-2), e76-e82. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usy053
Chen J. Novak P. Barath D. Goldman H. & Mortensen K. (2018, Feb). Local Health Departments’ Promotion of Mental Health Care and Reductions in 30-Day All-Cause Readmission Rates in Maryland. Med Care, 56(2), 153-161. https://doi.org/10.1097/MLR.0000000000000850
