Kenton J. Johnston joined the Department of Medicine in the Division of General Medical Sciences as an Associate Professor in July 2022. He is also Associate Director of the Center for Health Services & Policy Research (CHSPR) and Director of the Medicare Innovation Research Lab (Medicare IRL). His PhD training is in health services research and health economics from Emory University. Prior to academia, he worked in medical informatics at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. Dr. Johnston’s research focuses on Medicare, value-based payment, managed care, risk adjustment, and vulnerable populations.
He has published widely on these topics in journals such as JAMA, Annals of Internal Medicine, JAMA Internal Medicine, JAMA Health Forum, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Health Services Research, and Health Affairs. His research has been featured in popular news outlets such as the New York Times and Boston Globe. Dr. Johnston is funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Mental Health to assess the impact of Medicare value-based and alternative payment models on patients with dementia and mental health conditions and on the clinicians who serve them. His research interests are health services research, health economics and health policy.