Amanda L. Brewster

Amanda L. Brewster is an Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Public Health and co-Director of the Center for Health Management and Policy Research. Her research focuses on inter-organizational relationships, healthcare and social services coordination, and strategies to address social determinants of health. She holds a PhD in Health Services Research from Boston University (2015), an MSc in International Health Policy from the London School of Economics (2006), and a BS in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from Yale University (2003).

Her work employs qualitative and mixed-methods approaches, organizational network analysis, and longitudinal data analysis. Key research areas include cross-sector collaboration between healthcare organizations and social services, quality improvement in healthcare systems, and partnerships between Area Agencies on Aging and healthcare providers. Recent studies, including one published in Health Affairs, demonstrate that such partnerships reduce healthcare use and Medicare spending for older adults by $136 annually per beneficiary while minimizing avoidable nursing home admissions.

Brewster’s research is supported by grants like The Commonwealth Fund and has been presented at conferences such as the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting. She teaches courses on health policy theories, methods, and organizational management. Her work emphasizes leveraging community resources to improve population health, particularly during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her advocacy for integrating social services into healthcare systems has been featured in media outlets like HealthDay and Vox. Brewster advises doctoral candidates, including Jennifer Frehn, and contributes to policy discussions on healthcare equity and aging populations.