Dorothy Hung, Ph.D., M.A., M.P.H.

Assistant Investigator, Health Policy Research

Dorothy Hung, Ph.D., is an assistant investigator at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute (PAMFRI), and a current recipient of the K02 Career Development Award funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Her research focuses on organizational approaches to achieving high-quality, high-value care delivered in ambulatory and hospital settings. This includes study of: 1) system redesign to enhance work processes; 2) change management and organizational culture/climate, teamwork, and staff participation in decision making; and 3) implementation of innovative models for delivering preventive and chronic care. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals including the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Medical Care, Health Services Research, and The Milbank Quarterly.

Dr. Hung’s current research includes evaluation of industry-based “Lean” thinking and techniques applied to health care. She is studying the impact of Lean on quality, cost, and operational outcomes in outpatient care, and its use in improving hospital discharge processes and workflow in the emergency department. Additionally, her current research includes an evaluation of a community-based transitional care program to facilitate transitions from hospital to home among high-risk elderly patients. This includes evaluation of program impacts on hospital readmissions, patient self-efficacy and confidence navigating the health system, as well as study of contextual factors that bear on implementation efforts.

Prior to joining PAMFRI, Dr. Hung was on faculty at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. She earned a Ph.D. in Health Services and Policy Analysis, and an M.A. in Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley. She also holds a master degree in Public Health from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor degree from Stanford University.