Jessica Lang

Evaluation, Research, Quality Improvement & Strategy for Health Care Delivery

Greater Boston

About

I help healthcare organizations and public agencies make better decisions through strategic research and evaluation. Over the past 15+ years, I’ve led mixed methods evaluations of large-scale Medicaid and public health initiatives, specializing in programs and policies integrating behavioral health and health-related social needs in the context of value-based payment and care delivery reform. I’m passionate about turning evaluation results into insights that further the triple aim of quality, cost, and access.

Experience

  • Founder and Principal Consultant at Lang Health Insights LLC
    Dec 2025 - Present · 8 mos

    Leveraging my research experience and health policy expertise, I provide evaluation, assessment, measurement and analysis through the life cycle of care delivery initiatives. During program design, I guide clients to synthesize and apply existing evidence, plan for data collection and measurement, and engage stakeholders as key informants. Throughout implementation, I collect and analyze data and provide both rapid-cycle and reflective feedback for program improvement. As a program matures, I provide summative evaluation, documenting impact and offering actionable recommendations for program renewal or future initiatives. I create public-facing and internal reports and materials to engage stakeholders, and support ongoing program improvement and success.

  • Public Consulting Group (Full-time · 6 yrs 1 mo)
    • Director of Evaluation / Associate Manager, Health Practice Area
      Jul 2024 - Oct 2025 · 1 yr 4 mos

      • Spearheads business development and strategy for evaluation services, enhancing service offerings. • Provides expert guidance on CMS policies, including Medicaid waivers and CMMI Models, ensuring compliance and effectiveness. • Collaborates with diverse stakeholders and academic experts to evaluate state health policies, driving impactful insights.

    • Director of Evaluation
      Oct 2019 - Oct 2025 · 6 yrs 1 mo

      Leads a team providing comprehensive evaluation services to government agencies. • Conducts mandated Independent Evaluations for state Medicaid 1115 Waiver Demonstrations in six states • Evaluates programs covering Behavioral Health, Substance Use Disorder (SUD), Social Determinants of Health (SDoH), Housing insecure and Justice-involved populations, managed care plan design, and Medicaid eligibility policies • Designs measurement strategies for health care quality and access initiatives • Applies rigorous and creative methodological approaches from behavioral sciences and health economics to allow for meaningful comparisons when a true control group is not available • Develops custom survey instruments and qualitative data collection approaches tailored to capture key stakeholder perspectives • Plans and executes quantitative analysis of large datasets, including claims and administrative data • Develops public-facing reports with clearly presented findings and actionable recommendations

  • Adjunct Faculty, Graduate Health Administration at Regis College
    Sep 2017 - Sep 2019 · 2 yrs 1 mo

    • Teaches graduate level course: Research Methods in the Health Professions. • Instructs masters degree students in research and evaluation methods, using lectures, interactive group exercises, written assignments, and online learning modules. • Adapted curriculum for the hybrid course format, including development of all group exercises and online modules.

  • Senior Manager for Care Delivery Evaluation at Health Policy Commission
    Nov 2015 - Sep 2019 · 3 yrs 11 mos

    • Responsible for the evaluation of all HPC grant programs, totaling over $80M, which promote sustainable care models and foster healthcare transformation through innovative health care delivery models and payment approaches. • Led evaluation design, implementation, and reporting for programs serving patients with complex needs, behavioral health conditions and high acute care utilization, with a particular focus on telemedicine and opioid use disorder. • Adapts research approach to ensure suitable evaluation in diverse intervention settings, including academic medical centers, community hospitals, primary care practices, and community-based behavioral health centers, and various payment incentive models. • Provides expertise and leadership in developing evaluation strategy, quality and outcome measurement, data analysis, and research interpretation. • Manages a team of program associates and analysts overseeing mixed-methods data collection, quantitative and qualitative analysis, report development, and publication of findings. Trains, mentors, and supervises direct reports and collaborating staff. • Oversees third-party evaluations, including the selection of external evaluators and management of evaluation contracts.

  • Graduate Research Fellow at Ariadne Labs for Healthcare Innovation
    Jan 2015 - May 2015 · 5 mos

    Conducted mixed-methods investigation of the impact of hospital operational factors on c-section rates, as part of MPH degree program.