Senior Policy Consultant and Practice Area Lead, Health Program Analysis and Evaluation
B.S., communication, Texas Christian University; M.A., management, Webster University; M.H.A., healthcare administration, Baylor University; Ph.D., public policy/health policy, George Mason University.
Dr. Karen Metscher has more than 22 years of experience with the Military Health System, federal, state and nonprofit health organizations. She currently leads a portfolio of Altarum projects conducting a spectrum of research activities, including survey design, implementation, analysis, and reporting; research design, execution, and publication; data extraction, management and analysis; and health policy consultation.
She has worked on the front lines of health care delivery in the federal and not-for-profit sectors, bringing broad health systems knowledge and experience to the research and analyses upon which she currently focuses. As a senior leader with a wide range of healthcare organizations, Dr. Metscher focused on critical areas including strategic planning, policy development , marketing, performance improvement, quality assurance, product line development, staff and community education, leadership development, patient satisfaction and resource management.
Through a military career which included two combat tours, Dr. Metscher also gained unique experience and perspective on the unparalleled challenges facing the military and veteran’s health systems. With a particular interest in behavioral health factors impacting military/veteran populations, Dr. Metscher was a contributing author to the benchmark research Invisible Wounds of War: Psychological and Cognitive Injuries, Their Consequences, and Services to Assist Recover, a comprehensive study of the post-deployment health-related needs associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, and traumatic brain injury.
Additionally, Dr. Metscher has worked on and researched the role of health in international development. Working under the U.S. Department of State as the Senior Consultant for Health to the Iraqi Minister of Health, she managed the U.S investment in the strategic development of the Iraqi Health Sector during the early stages of post-conflict recovery during Operation Iraqi Freedom. In further research on the critical role that health plays in less- and least- developed countries, she conducted and published research on the impact that population health measures have on fertility changes, a critical policy issue for international development studies.
Dr. Metscher currently serves as a senior policy consultant and practice area leader for health program analysis and evaluation with Altarum Institute. Previous positions include adjunct researcher with the RAND Corporation; research associate with the Center for the Study of International Medical Policies and Practices (CSIMPP) at the School of Public Policy, George Mason University; senior consultant for health in the Iraqi Reconstruction Management Office with the U.S. Department of State; and more than 20 years as a Medical Service Corps officer in the United States Army Medical Department.
Dr. Metscher is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, and has a bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University, a master’s degree in management from Webster University, a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Baylor University and a doctorate in public policy/health policy from George Mason University.
Areas of Expertise
Health Policy Analysis
Military and Veterans Health