John Palen, PhD, MPH, PA

John G. H. Palen is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Policy, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Global Health.

• Phone: (202) 994-4342
• Fax: (202) 994-3773
• Email: jpalen@gwu.edu

As a clinical epidemiologist, a health services researcher, a health care policy analyst and a medical provider (a physician assistant), Professor Palen brings skill and commitment to his longstanding effort to strengthen domestic and international HIV/AIDS prevention and care. His work has been guided by a determination to address the physical, social and economic consequences of HIV disease, particularly within low-income and marginalized communities. Prior to joining the SPHHS faculty in 2001, Dr. Palen directed the federal government's Office of Policy and Program Development in the HIV/AIDS Bureau, located in the Health Resources Services Administration. His public service career has also included positions as senior policy analyst for the Office of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, as a Congressional Fellow in the U.S. Senate and as Project Director for the federal government's Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study.

As Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, a position to which he was appointed in 2004, Dr. Palen is the School's chief academic officer, responsible for developing, implementing and evaluating all education programs at the undergraduate, Masters and doctoral levels. He also maintains a half-time teaching schedule and oversees the dissertation research of several doctoral candidates.

Education

Bachelor of Science (Biology/Chemistry), University of Miami, 1980
Bachelor of Science (Physician Assistant Program), George Washington University, 1986
Master of Public Health (Infectious Disease Epidemiology), Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health 1990
Doctor of Philosophy (Health Services Research and Program Evaluation), Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health 1998

Teaching

PubH 282-Applications for Health Policy Analysis, Department of Health Policy
Health Care Delivery and Vulnerable Populations, Department of Health Policy

Research

Dr. Palen's main research interests are focused in three main areas: 1) the development and analysis of system-level factors (financing, operational and legal) that affect access to, and use of, HIV-related health services; 2) the development and analysis of policies and programs that affect the delivery of publicly funded health care services for persons with HIV disease; and 3) the development of operational and evaluation research methods to assess the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS programs.

Community Service

Professor Palen has served on the board of directors of HIV residential housing and hospice care programs and as a volunteer within national medical provider organizations, including the Association of American Physician Assistants. He has provided expert testimony and research support to the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, among other organizations, and frequently reviews manuscripts for national public health and HIV/AIDS journals.

Departments

• Global Health
• Health Policy

Institutes & Centers

• Center for Health Services Research and Policy

Publications

• A resource guide for palliative care services in Ryan White CARE Act programs.
  Palen J. A resource guide for palliative care services in Ryan White CARE Act programs. Washington: Health Resources and Services Administration, HIV/AIDS Bureau; 2005 June.
• An instructional guide to the development of a comprehensive behavioral health care system for Ryan White CARE Act clients: approaches to developing program models, quality management programs, and fiscal support for substance abuse and mental health service programs.
  Palen J, Parrish B, Wilensky S, Levi J, and Lara A. An instructional guide to the development of a comprehensive behavioral health care system for Ryan White CARE Act clients: approaches to developing program models, quality management programs, and fiscal support for substance abuse and mental health service programs. Washington: Health Resources and Services Administration, HIV/AIDS Bureau; 2005 Apr.
• Incorporating mixed methods into HIV program evaluations: a curriculum manual.
  Palen J, Magnus M, Eldred L, et al. Incorporating mixed methods into HIV program evaluations: a curriculum manual. Washington: Health Resources and Services Administration, HIV/AIDS Bureau; 2004 Aug.
• An instructional guide to delivering HIV prevention services in state Medicaid programs.
  Palen J, Wilensky S, Lara A, Hidalgo J, Levi J. An instructional guide to delivering HIV prevention services in state Medicaid programs. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2004 Dec.
• Integrating HIV prevention services into the care system: A legal, financial, and organizational analysis.
  Palen J, Levi J, Wilensky S. Integrating HIV prevention services into the care system: A legal, financial, and organizational analysis. Washington: Kaiser Family Foundation; 2004 Dec.
• The AIDS Drug Assistance Program: Issues associated with capped enrollment and waiting lists.
  Parrish B, Levi J, Hidalgo J, Williams K, Palen J, Lara A. The AIDS Drug Assistance Program: Issues associated with capped enrollment and waiting lists. Washington: Health Resources and Services Administration, HIV/AIDS Bureau; 2004 Nov.
• The AIDS drug assistance program: Assessing the use and distribution of scarce resources.
  Levi J, Hidalgo J, Palen J, Parrish B, Williams K, Lara A. The AIDS drug assistance program: Assessing the use and distribution of scarce resources. Washington: Health Resources and Services Administration, HIV/AIDS Bureau; 2004 Nov.
• Medicaid and public health data sharing activities: A summary report of operational, technical, and legal factors.
  Palen J, Wilensky S, Levi J, Hidalgo J, Lara A. Medicaid and public health data sharing activities: A summary report of operational, technical, and legal factors. Washington: Dept. of Health and Human Services (US), Center for Medicaid and State Operations; 2003 May.
• The financing of HIV/AIDS services in the U.S.: The Ryan White CARE Act.
  Palen J. In: The financing of HIV/AIDS services in the U.S.: The Ryan White CARE Act. Washington: National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine; 2003 Feb.
• Integrating HIV prevention services into primary care: A legal, regulatory and contract analysis of Medicaid and the Ryan White CARE Act.
  Palen J, Wilensky, S, Levi J, Lara A. Integrating HIV prevention services into primary care: A legal, regulatory and contract analysis of Medicaid and the Ryan White CARE Act. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); 2002 Jan.
• Integrating HIV prevention services into primary care: An analysis of financial and organizational factors related to the coverage of services in Medicaid and the Ryan White CARE Act.
  Palen J, Wilson M, Levi J, Lara A. Integrating HIV prevention services into primary care: An analysis of financial and organizational factors related to the coverage of services in Medicaid and the Ryan White CARE Act. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); 2002 Dec.
• Linkage and integration of HIV testing, prevention, and care: A workshop report and recommendations.
  Palen J, editor. Linkage and integration of HIV testing, prevention, and care: A workshop report and recommendations. Washington: FORUM for HIV Collaborative Research, The George Washington University; 2002.
• Financing end-of-life care in the U.S. for person with AIDS.
  Robinson V, Palenicek JG. Financing end-of-life care in the U.S. for person with AIDS. J R Soc Med 2001;94:466-7.