In this effort she is working to develop a community of researchers to inform health policy at both the state and national levels.
She conducts research on the factors affecting health insurance coverage, access, and utilization of care from a state policy perspective, and has been successful at translating research results to policy action. Her current area of research is defining and measuring underinsurance and the development of Local Access to Care Programs-a community-based safety-net initiative to meet the primary health care needs of city and county residents.
Dr. Blewett has published her work in Health Affairs, Inquiry, the Journal of Health Services Research, and the Journal of Health Politics Policy and Law, among others. She is a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance, and served as guest editor for a special issue of the Journal of Health Services Research on "State-Level Health Service Delivery, Access, and Practice: Improving Research and Policy." Dr. Blewett has been an active member of AcademyHealth and is the founding chair of AcademyHealth's State Health Services Research Interest Group; a member of the executive planning committee for the 2007 Annual Research Meeting; and a reviewer and panel chair for state health reform abstracts for the 2008 meeting.
Dr. Blewett received a doctorate in health services research, policy, and administration from the University of Minnesota and a master's degree in public affairs from the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.