Mathematica Appoints Health Policy Experts Jessica Heeringa and Gregory Peterson as Senior Fellows

Mathematica is pleased to announce the appointment of Jessica Heeringa and Gregory Peterson as its newest senior fellows. The senior fellow designation recognizes Heeringa and Peterson as highly accomplished leaders in the field of health policy and analytics whose work has had lasting impact for Mathematica’s clients and helped advance the organization’s mission of improving public well-being.

Jessica Heeringa is an expert in Medicaid coverage and health care payment and delivery system reform. Since May 2022, Heeringa has directed a large-scale, multifaceted effort to support the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) and states in preparing for the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while maintaining continuity of coverage. During her tenure at Mathematica, Heeringa has also worked closely with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and state Medicaid agencies to implement and monitor the Maternal Opioid Misuse Model. She previously led a multistate, mixed methods evaluation of Medicaid section 1115 delivery system reform incentive payment demonstrations on behalf of CMCS.

“Jessica’s deep Medicaid expertise is invaluable as Mathematica works to support state and federal leaders in addressing critical challenges throughout the health care system, such as the unwinding of the pandemic’s continuous eligibility provisions,” said Jonathan Morse, senior vice president and managing director, Health Program Improvement Division. “Her work as a senior fellow will be integral to ensuring that we can agilely support our clients’ needs and help advance continued health program innovation and improvement.”

Heeringa joined Mathematica in 2012 and serves in the organization’s Health Program Innovation Division. She holds an M.P.H. in health management and policy from the University of Michigan.

Gregory Peterson has substantive expertise in the effectiveness of care coordination and disease management for people with chronic illnesses. He also studies approaches for helping people who need long-term care services and supports to live independently in their communities, and studies and assesses the effectiveness of different approaches for improving the delivery of primary care. Peterson currently leads a multiyear evaluation of the Extended Medicare Coordinated Care Demonstration, which estimates program impacts on Medicare service use, costs, and quality of care and seeks to understand which program features contribute to improved outcomes. Peterson has also led an assessment of the impacts of waiting periods for Medicaid home- and community-based services on consumers and costs and an evaluation of primary care redesign initiatives funded through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Health Care Innovation Awards.

“Greg has led some of Mathematica’s most meaningful work in expanding understanding of effective health care delivery and improving Medicare, including an evaluation of CMS’s Million Hearts® Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Model and the Maryland Total Cost of Care Model,” said Erin Taylor, senior vice president and managing director, Health Policy Assessment. “As a senior fellow, he will continue to play a crucial role in Mathematica’s work to provide our clients with the clarity they need to improve the U.S. health system and, ultimately, people’s lives.”

Peterson joined Mathematica in 2008 and serves in the Health Policy Assessment Division. He holds a Ph.D. in health policy from the School of Public Policy and Administration at George Washington University and an M.P.A. from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.