Buffett Institute Fellowship supports UNMC student’s research

When Shreya Roy began her graduate studies in the Department of Health Services Research and Administration at UNMC’s College of Public Health, she was surprised at the racial and socio-economic disparities she witnessed in Nebraska. What stood out in particular to the native of India were the disparities for young children in terms of access to health care and education.

Roy determined that whatever work she did would bring light to these disparities and try to reduce them. She earned a Master of Science in biochemistry and molecular biology and is currently doing doctoral work in public health to focus on those very disparities she first observed.

Roy believes every child needs a support system composed of family, health care, and education. “I saw some children may not have access to these support systems,” she said, “and this hinders their normal development, which in turn affects their health and educational outcomes into adulthood. They don’t get the right start in life.”

Roy hopes her research will shine a light on the ways health care policies can support and help these children. She was awarded a prestigious fellowship from the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska for 2018-19. The Buffett Institute Graduate Scholars Fellowship is funding a one-year effort for Roy to study how Medicaid expansion for adults under the Affordable Care Act affects children’s health and educational outcomes.

The Buffett Institute is a four-campus, multidisciplinary research, practice, policy, and outreach center devoted to improving the development and learning of children from birth through age 8. The institute works collaboratively with university partners, communities, agencies, schools, and families to implement evidence-based, high-quality systems and practices designed to help children reach their greatest potential. One such example is the Graduate Scholars program, which awards one-year fellowships worth up to $25,000 to a maximum of four doctoral students each year. The Buffett Institute is now accepting applications for 2019-20.

Roy’s study is looking at a nationally representative sample of children, ages 2 to 8, and examining whether Medicaid expansion for adults results in more preventive health care for their children, and whether that translates to better learning outcomes in early childhood. Additionally, the study will describe a model for pediatric care coordination for health care providers, schools, and early-intervention programs to improve the outcomes of children from low-income families.

Mentored by Fernando Wilson, Ph.D., an associate professor in the UNMC Department of Health Services Research and Administration at UNMC’s College of Public Health, Roy’s work dives into the heart of a current and contested issue in American politics — health care coverage. Medicaid expansion, which was approved by Nebraska voters in November, has been controversial across the country.

“A lot of the argument is over the cost,” Dr. Wilson said. “But we may need more discussion around the benefits, about the value of covering people who can’t afford to purchase insurance on their own because they fall near or below the poverty line.”

Dele Davies, M.D., senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean for graduate studies at UNMC, said, “Research fellowships such as the Buffett Institute Graduate Scholars Fellowship are critical in enabling our graduate programs to be among the most competitive in the nation. We are grateful to the Buffett Institute Graduate Scholars Fellowship for supporting Shreya in this very important work.”

Once she completes her Ph.D., Roy will join the Oregon Center for Children and Youth with Special Needs as a research associate. In this position, she will work on the assessment and evaluation of “medical homes” for children with special health care needs.