Dr. Heather Lee is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Services Administration at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her research focuses on population health, with particular interest in how health care organizations implement evidence-based strategies to improve outcomes for specific sub-populations. She utilizes mixed methods to explore how efforts to address social determinants of health and patients’ social needs are integrated into care delivery, and how partnerships between health care and community-based organizations support these initiatives. Her most recent study examines how hospitals in accountable care organizations address social needs and community-level determinants through internal strategies and external collaborations. In addition to her research, Dr. Lee teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in process improvement and managerial epidemiology, with a strong emphasis on health care quality, measurement, and value-based care. Her work aims to advance implementation science and inform policies that promote equitable, high-quality care across populations.