Education

Harvard University
PhD, Health Policy and Medical Sociology

University of Michigan
MHSA, Health Services Administration
MPP, Public Policy 

Cornell University
BS, Urban and Regional Planning 

Faculty Bio

Jessica Mittler, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Health Administration. She studies patient-centered care and the transformation it requires for the U.S. health care system. She is particularly interested in understanding and improving patient experiences, patient engagement, and collaboration among people and across sources of care.  Dr. Mittler examines these issues from multiple perspectives and levels (e.g. interpersonal, organizational, market) using mixed methods to produce theoretical and practical insights for policymakers, health systems, providers, patients their families.  Dr. Mittler’s work is published in leading outlets including Health Services Research, Medical Care Research and Review, Health Care Management Review, and The Milbank Quarterly. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate students, and is the recipient of the 2020 College of Health Professions Teaching Excellence Award.

Prior to joining VCU, Dr. Mittler was an associate professor at Penn State University. While there she co-lead the Women’s Leadership Initiative, a year-long program to develop students’ leadership competencies through classroom and experiential learning. Prior to earning her PhD, Dr. Mittler evaluated health care initiatives to improve the financing and organization of health care services as a researcher at Mathematica Policy Research. 

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Patient-centered care

• Patient-Provider relationships

• Organizational change

 

Selected Publications

Rathert C, Mittler JN, Lee Y. Patient-Provider Therapeutic Connections to Improve Health Care: Conceptual Development and Systematic Review of Patient Measures. Health Care Management and Review. 2022; 47(4): 317-329. 

DePuccio MJ, McClelland LE, Vogus TJ, Mittler JN, Singer SJ. Team Strategies to Manage Vulnerable Patients’ Complex Health and Social Needs: Considerations for Implementing Team-Based Primary Care. Journal of Hospital Management and Health Policy. 2021; 5(4): 1-13.

Johnston KJ, Mittler J, Hockenberry JM. Patient Social Risk Factors and Continuity of Care for Medicare Beneficiaries. Health Services Research. 2020; 55(3): 445-456. 

Rathert C, Porter TR, Mittler JN, Fleig-Palmer M. Seven Years after Meaningful Use: 

Physician and Nurse Experiences with Electronic Health Records. Health Care Management Review. 2019; 44(1): 30-40. 

Rathert C, Mittler JN, Banerjee S, McDaniel J. Patient Centered Communication in the Era of Electronic Medical Records: What Does the Evidence Say? Patient Education and Counseling. 2017; 100(1): 50-64.

Mittler, J. Commentary on “Competing Visions for Consumer Engagement in the Dawn of the Trump Administration.” The Journal of Ambulatory Care Management. 2017. 40(4), 276-280.

Rathert C, Mittler JN, McClelland L. Caring Work Environments and Patient-Centered Care. In Avgar, A., &Vogus, T.J., (eds.), The Evolving Landscape: How Employees, Organizations, and Institutions are Adapting and Innovating.  Labor and Employee Relations Association Annual Research Volume. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. 2016: 183-198.

O’Hora, Mittler J. Deciphering the Role of Organizational Culture in Patient-Centered Medical Home Implementation. Academy of Management Proceedings. 2015 (1), 16101.

Hibbard JH, Greene J, Shi Y, Mittler J, Scanlon D. Taking the Long View: How Well Do Patient Activation Scores Predict Outcomes Four Years Later? Medical Care Research and Review. 2015; 72(3): 324-37. 

Alexander JA, Hearld L, Mittler JN. Racial Differences in Patient-Physician Role Relationships and Patient Activation.  Medical Care Research and Review. 2014; 71(5):472-495.

Mittler JN, Martsolf GR*, Telenko SJ, Scanlon DP. Making Sense of “Consumer Engagement” Initiatives to Improve Health and Health Care: A Conceptual Framework to Guide Policy and Practice. The Milbank Quarterly. 2013; 91(1): 37-77.

Mittler JN, O’Hora JL, Harvey JB, Press MJ, Volpp KG, Scanlon DP. Turning Health Reform’s Hospital Readmission Reduction Policies into Results: Early Insights from the Field. Population Health Management. 2013; 16(4): 255-260.

Mittler JN, Volmar KM, Shaw BW, Christianson JB, Scanlon DP. Using Websites to Engage Consumers in Managing their Health and Health Care. The American Journal of Managed Care. 2012; 18(6, Supplement): eS177-eS184.

Hearld L, Alexander JA, Mittler JN.  Fostering Change within Organizational Participants of Multi-Sectoral Health Care Alliances. Health Care Management Review. 2012; 37(3): 267-279. 

Alexander JA, Hearld L, Mittler JN, Harvey J. Patient-Physician Role Relationships and Patient Activation among Individuals with Chronic Illness. Health Services Research. 2012; 47(3 Pt 1): 1201-23.

Mittler JN, Landon BE, Fisher ES, Cleary PD, Zaslavsky AM. Market Variations Intensity of Medicare Service Use and Beneficiary Experiences with Care. Health Services Research. 2010; 45(3): 647-669