FOCUS
Lastascia’s research interests include investigating the intersection of Medicaid policy and maternal racial and geographic health disparities. She will approach research with a Reproductive Justice framework. Her research will be aimed at addressing structural and systemic barriers that are detrimental to meaningful change within health systems, healthcare organizations, governments, regulatory entities, and payers. She also intends to utilize community voices, which are often missing from health services research. Some examples of her research interests include: evaluating the impact of Medicaid expansion on maternal health after the ACA, perinatal substance use and mental healthcare availability/access in the Medicaid population, innovative payment models for care delivery that improve reproductive health outcomes, and understanding how organizations effectively implement changes that address health inequities.
MORE ABOUT LASTASCIA
Lastascia is equipped to investigate maternal health inequities and structural factors that impair policy changes from occurring. With over a decade of experience in reproductive health as a nurse and a certified nurse-midwife, she has accumulated a wealth of knowledge and experience that she brings to her work.
