Cassandra Turner, HILS PhD Student

Cassandra Turner, LMSW

Health Infrastructures and Learning Systems PhD Student
Scientific Computing PhD Student
Research Area Specialist, Dept. of Internal Medicine, Michigan Medicine
Project Manager, VA Center for Clinical Management Research

Biography

Cassie is pursuing a joint PhD in HILS and Scientific Computing. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Social Work degrees from University of Michigan- Ann Arbor. Her professional background includes almost 20 years of experience in consulting, clinical behavioral health, health/nonprofit leadership, and research. She has spent most of her career serving marginalized and minoritized communities. As a Research Area Specialist in the Department of Internal Medicine at Michigan Medicine with a joint appointment at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System Center for Clinical Management Research (CCMR), Cassie contributes to numerous projects focused on the evaluation and implementation of interventions for diabetes prevention and management at the individual and organizational levels.

Cassie is also engaged in health equity scholarship and practice. She serves on the Michigan Medicine Anti-Racism Oversight Committee and provides facilitation support for Michigan Medicine’s Office of Health Equity and Inclusion (OHEI). She also co-leads the IDDEA (Inclusion, Development, Diversity, Equity and Anti-Racism) Core of the VA Ann Arbor (CCMR), which is tasked with the development and implementation of a strategic approach for making CCMR a more equitable and inclusive workplace while also developing a broader Veteran-centered agenda around health equity and anti-racism.

Areas of Interest

Research Interests

Diabetes prevention and management, population health, health equity, implementation science, network science, organizational studies, mixed methods research, health informatics

Published Articles or Reviews

Heisler M., Dyer WT., Finertie H., Stoll SC., Wiley D., Turner, CD., Sedgwick T., Kullgren J., Richardson CR., Hedderson M., & Schmittdiel, JA. Using Peer Support to Aid in Prevention and Treatment in Prediabetes (UPSTART): Results of a pragmatic randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Under Review.

Rodriguez, LA., Thomas, LW., Finertie, H., Turner, CD., Heisler, M., & Schmittdiel, JA. Psychosocial and Diabetes Risk Factors Among Racially/ethnically Diverse Adults with Prediabetes. Preventive Medicine Reports. 2022; 27: 101821. doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101821

Turner CD., Lindsay R., Heisler M. Peer Coaching to Improve Diabetes Self-Management Among Low-Income Black Veteran Men: A Mixed Methods Assessment of Enrollment and Engagement. The Annals of Family Medicine. 2021;19(6):532-539. doi:10.1370/afm.2742

Web Sites