From Inquiry to Insight in 2023

As we reflect on our work in 2023, we are inspired by our partners in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors whose leadership and vision enable us to work together in pursuit of an equitable and just world where evidence drives decisions for global impact. Together we advanced equity through inclusion, used evidence to drive impact at scale, harnessed real-world data for better health outcomes, and catalyzed momentum for climate resilience.

Advancing equity through inclusion

At Mathematica, we know that the way to drive equitable outcomes begins with modeling inclusive practices internally. This better positions us to work with our clients and partners more collaboratively and equitably. Our capacity to address inequities is enhanced when we work in partnership with communities.
The most significant challenges facing society today are also the most complex. They can't be addressed by a single organization or sector, which is why we don't go it alone. As 2023 comes to a close, we are inspired by our partners in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. And as we move into the new year, we are excited to continue working together to take on new and lingering challenges as we collectively seek to promote an equitable, just, and evidence-driven world.
— Paul Decker, president and chief executive officer at Mathematica
Group of women having a discussion at a community meeting

Equitable and culturally responsive research means engaging with impacted communities as participants and partners in the research.

This graphic uses a growing tree to symbolize distinct levels of the determinants of health equity, starting with ideological “soil” and ending with health and well-being, or the “fruits.” Culturally oppressive ideologies such as racism, sexism, and heterosexism overlap in the soil in which the tree grows, and intersect in all other parts of the tree. In turn, they affect structural determinants of health, social determinants of health, quality and use of services, and finally, health and well-being experienced by individuals. We focus on racism, sexism, and heterosexism to provide a clear illustration, recognizing that this is an oversimplification of intersectionality and how it operates. Systems of oppression not pictured here include, but are not limited to, classism, ageism, ableism, fatphobia, ethnocentrism, colorism, and cisgenderism.

Incorporate intersectionality to amplify the impacts on health equity.

Image of a tablet on a table with graduation hat and data icons popping out of the screen

Ensure education and workforce data systems answer our questions rather than shape what we ask.

Doctor talking with patient

Primary care plays critical role in advancing health equity.

a group of people sitting on the floor

Wage digitization has the potential to increase financial inclusion and women's economic empowerment in low- and middle-income countries.

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Using evidence to drive impact at scale

When organizations incorporate evidence-building into their strategies, culture, and processes, progress is possible at a much larger scale. This year we collaborated with our partners to use evidence and evidence-building tools and technologies to advance equity and enhance well-being.
School Girls in the KIPP Middle School Program

Attending KIPP middle and high schools helped students persist and graduate from a four-year college.

male doctor speaks with a businesswoman

Maryland saved Medicare more than $780 million using the state’s new Total Cost of Care Model for payments.

A group of people listening to a lecturer

We can enhance the protection and safety of migrants in other countries by learning from the United Kingdom’s Ethiopia Migration Programme.

Woman with a boxed meal giving to a motorist in line for free meals

Federal child nutrition program waivers helped increase access to meals despite pandemic disruptions.

The future of literacy in Latin America: How evidence from LAC Reads can help close early reading gaps

USAID and the International Rescue Committee are using evidence to develop effective, education-based strategies to address violence and crime in Latin America and the Caribbean.

We wanted to make sure that the evidence was going to be used. We don't always have the time to actually spend working with the key stakeholders who are going to use the evidence to implement it, and to help them think about how to put it into action in their activities and interventions. And so that's what we are working to do now.
— Melissa Chiappetta, senior education advisor with the Office of Regional Sustainable Development within USAID's Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean

Real-world evidence for better health

Health data are more abundant and available than ever before. They also tend to be inconsistent, siloed, and disorganized, making it difficult to extract valuable insights that could help lower cost and improve well-being. Harnessing vast data sources, advanced analytics, and our deep health care policy experience, we work with our clients and partners to surface real-world evidence that minimizes risk on their data journey, enables exploration, and fosters innovation.
a building with a dome and persony icons

Public policy can help inform how artificial intelligence is used to advance health equity.

Bringing diverse voices to the table and people from communities that are most affected to define what we should actually be looking for as outcomes at endpoints, and then that's a real opportunity for having this conversation as we're developing these tools.
— Deliya Banda Wesley, senior director of health Equity at Mathematica
Health Care Price Transparency

Health care price transparency benefits consumers even when they don’t price shop.

Illustration of various medical icons on a photo of a stethoscope and a digital tablet.

Medicare drug prices could decrease substantially under the Inflation Reduction Act, a new simulation suggests.

People climbing a high in the trees ladder

It won’t be easy to overcome all the obstacles that threaten access to coverage and care in Medicaid, but recent changes in federal and state Medicaid policies hold promise for removing the highest hurdles.

digital health abstract image

Mathematica provides support to further CMS’s goal of improving health care access, quality, outcomes, and equity for children and adults served by Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

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Catalyzing momentum for climate resilience

Challenges from extreme weather, rising temperatures, diminished air quality, and other environmental issues intersect with nearly every facet of daily life—from physical and mental health, to food security, energy, employment, and so much more. These challenges require collaborative and creative problem solving to adapt. We are working with our partners across sectors to uncover data-driven insights that inform climate solutions and investments, catalyzing momentum for climate resilience for all communities—especially disadvantaged communities that are at disproportionate risk.
Building in a major flood

Human services agencies are using evidence to understand and address the housing, income support, transportation, employment, and education needs of people affected by disaster displacement.

As we know, the U.S. has been dealing with a shortage of affordable housing for decades, and it gets more critical after a disaster.
— Maria Caridad "Cari" Palerm, regional relocation specialist at U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Catalyzing State Medicaid Leadership on Climate Change Mitigation

Pioneering efforts by some state Medicaid agencies offer ideas for how state health systems can lower their emissions.

Laptop on a table showing the ClimaWATCH dashboard.

A new data-based tool called ClimaWATCH helps communities focus resources to address heat-related health impacts and inequities.

Resilience Measurement

We can learn from early efforts to align the climate and evidence communities on defining and measuring climate resilience.

Electrification in Africa

With the right policies in place, universal electrification in Africa is possible, and can incorporate renewable energy infrastructure to minimize new carbon dioxide emissions.

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2024 and beyond

As we look ahead to 2024, our mission to improve public well-being has never felt more important. We face an uncertain future with new risks posed by climate change and emerging public health threats. But across the globe, our partners in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors give us hope. Their drive to tackle the most serious and confounding problems of the day—from racism and poverty to infectious disease outbreaks and extreme heat—inspire us and enable us to join the fight by shedding light on which solutions work best and for whom. Together, we will continue striving for an equitable and just world where people are at the center and evidence drives decisions.

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Our experts can help you make smart, sustainable decisions. From local to global challenges in health, human services, and international development, we’re here to improve public well-being and make progress together.

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