Ashley M. Kranz

Ashley M. Kranz is a Senior Policy Researcher at the RAND Corporation and a Professor of Policy Analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy. She holds a Ph.D. in Health Policy and Management from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Her research focuses on improving healthcare access, quality, and outcomes for vulnerable populations, particularly those enrolled in Medicaid. She employs quantitative methods to evaluate health policies and programs, with a focus on oral health, pediatric care, and school-based health centers.

Dr. Kranz has led multiple federally funded studies, including NIDCR-funded work on pediatric fluoride varnish application barriers, AHRQ-funded analyses of dental surgical costs, and NICHD-funded evaluations of school-based health centers’ impact on education and health outcomes in California and Oregon. Her work also addresses dual Medicare-Medicaid enrollees, American Indian youth obesity interventions, and strategies to reduce neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Her recent research highlights include examining state-level structural racism’s impact on children’s oral health, Medicaid managed care’s role in pediatric dental emergencies, and racial disparities in healthcare access during the pandemic. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and contributed to policy initiatives like the Equity-First Vaccination Initiative to address vaccination disparities in marginalized communities.

Dr. Kranz collaborates with community health centers, state agencies, and policymakers to translate research into actionable strategies. Her work often bridges clinical care, social determinants, and public health policy, emphasizing equity-centered approaches to healthcare improvement.