Description of Research Expertise

Dr. Long’s research focuses on social determinants of health and health care especially as they pertain to socioeconomic and racial disparities. Dr. Long’s current work focuses on interventions to support behavioral change in low-income patients with chronic diseases. She recently completed two studies funded by NIH evaluating the effectiveness of peer mentoring and financial incentives to improve glucose control in African Americans with poorly controlled diabetes. Both studies were randomized controlled trials (RCT). She is also the PI of a RCT evaluating how best to create sustainable peer mentor models for the VA. This study is being funded by VA HSR&D. Most recently she received a PCORI grant to evaluate the effectiveness of using Community Health Workers (CHWs) to help low income patients with multiple chronic diseases improve their health. Dr. Long is also actively engaged in the training of Health Services and Policy Researchers at Penn, until July 2015, she was the Director of Penn’s Master of Science in Health Policy Research (MSHP) and PI of Penn’s NRSA Generalist Training Grant. Currently she Co-Directs the Penn Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program, and will be a co-Director of the new National Clinician Scholars Program.

Description of Clinical Expertise

Dr Long is boarded in and practices general internal medicine.