Barbara Bokhour

Dr. Barbara Bokhour is a Professor at UMass Chan Medical School in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, with additional appointments in the T.H. Chan School of Medicine, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine. Her research focuses on patient-centered care, health services research, and the implementation of whole health approaches, particularly within the Veterans Health Administration.

Dr. Bokhour earned her BS in Occupational Therapy from Tufts University, followed by an MA in Psychology and PhD in Education/English/Psychology from Clark University in Worcester, MA. Her educational background spans multiple disciplines, which informs her interdisciplinary approach to healthcare research.

Her research primarily centers on whole health approaches, patient-centered care, and complementary and integrative health therapies within the Veterans Health Administration. She examines how these approaches affect patient outcomes, particularly for veterans with chronic pain, PTSD, and other complex conditions. Dr. Bokhour has been instrumental in developing and assessing the Veterans Affairs Whole Health System of Care, which shifts focus from "What's the matter with you?" to "What matters to you?" Her work spans health services research methodology, implementation science, and evaluation of healthcare transformation initiatives, with a particular emphasis on measuring patient well-being and the effectiveness of whole-person care approaches.

Analysis of Dr. Bokhour's recent publications (2024-2025) reveals a strong focus on measuring and implementing whole person care, with particular attention to veterans' well-being, chronic pain management, PTSD treatment, medication deprescribing, and social determinants of health. Her work frequently employs mixed methods approaches and pragmatic trials to evaluate real-world healthcare interventions. There's a clear trajectory toward developing comprehensive assessment tools for well-being and implementing patient-centered approaches across diverse clinical settings, including HIV specialty care and management of chronic conditions.

Dr. Bokhour has received recognition for her contributions to transforming the Veterans Health Administration's care delivery model to a whole health approach. Her research has been supported by multiple VA grants focused on patient-centered care and health services transformation. She has published extensively in high-impact journals including JAMA Internal Medicine, Medical Care, and the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

As a mentor and collaborator, Dr. Bokhour works extensively with interdisciplinary teams across the VA system, focusing on implementation science, qualitative methodology, and health services research. Her collaborative network includes researchers in psychology, medicine, nursing, and public health, all working toward transforming healthcare delivery to better serve veterans and other patient populations. Her work demonstrates a consistent commitment to improving healthcare through patient-centered approaches and whole health implementation.