Sarah Brunskill

Sarah Brunskill has dedicated her career to improving health and community services for youth, adults, the elderly, and caregivers, especially in vulnerable communities. With nearly 20 years of experience, she combines clinical expertise with data and analytics to drive impactful outcomes as an accomplished mixed-methods researcher.

Brunskill has extensive experience leading complex evaluations across health care and social services for a diverse range of clients, including federal and state governments, nonprofit organizations, and foundations. Her expertise spans access to care, behavioral health, quality improvement, intervention effectiveness, cooperative care models addressing social determinants of health, and health care transformation. For example, as deputy project director for the Health Access Fund Evaluation, she oversees technical assistance and quantitative activities, working with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation and partners like Uber, PayPal, and Walgreens. In this role, she leads survey design, analysis, and synthesis of key findings on how community-based organizations improve access to care for vulnerable communities. In her role as deputy project director for the California Department of Developmental Services Technology Pilot Program, she leads the evaluation of a remote technology services pilot intended to foster independence, safe community living, and equity for individuals with disabilities needing support. As a subject matter expert and task lead for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Evaluation of the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience Model, she plays a key role in assessing the impact of comprehensive care models on patients with dementia and caregivers using qualitative and quantitative methods.

Brunskill has a wealth of experience working directly with patients, caregivers, and health care providers across various settings. Before joining Mathematica, she served as a clinical manager and researcher at an interdisciplinary geriatric outpatient center within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In this role, she managed a range of specialized clinics, including dementia nurse coordination, neuropsychology, geriatric primary care, and mental health screening and therapy. She also facilitated patient and caregiver support groups. Additionally, Brunskill led program evaluations focused on improving access to health and behavioral health services in rural and underserved communities. 

She holds an M.A. in developmental psychology and a B.A. in psychology from San Francisco State University.