Douglas D. Bradham, DrPH, MA, MPH

Department Chair

Research Interests
Complete Biosketch

Phone:   316-293-2627
Fax:       316-293-2695
E-mail:  dbradham@kumc.edu

Research Interests

• Health Services
• Health Economics
• Veterans’ Services
• Elderly
• Multiple Sclerosis

Complete Biosketch

Dr. Douglas D Bradham was trained as a Health Economist at the University of North Carolina’s School of Public Health, graduating in 1981 after completing his dissertation entitled "A Cost Structure Analysis for Subsidized Rural Primary Care Practices", comparing the economic efficiency of solo-, group- and nurse practitioner-practices in designated rural primary care clinics.  This was part of the DHEW-funded National Rural Primary Care Evaluation, and led to changes in public policy.  Dr. Bradham then began his academic research career, in 1981, in Gainesville at the University of Florida’s School of Medicine, where his research focused on the elderly and their use of health services, rural primary care, veterans’ health services and the policy implications of his economic investigations.  He transferred to the new College of Public Health, at the University of South Florida in Tampa in 1986 where he continued to examine the elderly and veterans’ use of health care.  He was promoted to Associate Professor later that year and began a series of projects funded by the Governor’s Office on Aging, the Veterans Health Administration and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  He was asked by the Abe Foundation in Tokyo to participate in an International Workgroup focused on evaluating the Japanese government’s new policy of subsidized “Long Term Care for All”, which would later lead to two book chapters. 

In 1992, Dr. Bradham relocated to Wake Forest University School of Medicine to develop skills in applying health economics within randomized clinical trials at the Department of Public Health Sciences.  His research began to include more physical exercise, medical, surgical and pharmacologic interventions and their comparative effectiveness, outcomes and cost-effectiveness.  This work led to his recruitment to the University of Maryland School of Medicine at Baltimore and the Baltimore VA in 1996.  He lead the development of a health services research team spanning both institutions, that evolved to a Division of Healthcare Outcomes Research in the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine.  His successful implementation of numerous projects for VA and NIH lead to tenure in 2003.  His research expanded to include several national and international clinical trials focused on chronic diseases with VA sponsorship.  He was also appointed Associate Director of the VHA MS Center of Excellence in Baltimore, where he developed and implemented an agenda focused on rehabilitation outcomes and health services improvements for veterans with multiple sclerosis. 

During this academic research career Dr. Bradham has authored or co-authored more than 88 peer-reviewed articles and technical reports; co-edited a special compendium on Applications of Health Economics in the VA; and serves as an editorial board member for two international peer-reviewed medical journals.  He has served as a Technical Advisory Board member for several research centers across the country and consulted with numerous non-profit organizations and national research organizations including: VHA, NIH, CMS and others. 

Dr. Bradham is an avid teacher.  He has taught graduate courses in: Introduction of the Health System, Policy and Management, Health Services Management, Healthcare Marketing, Long Term Care, Rural Health, Health Policy, Health Economics and Cost-effectiveness in Prevention in each academic home through the years since 1981.  He has supervised: numerous Master’s Theses, 12 Dissertations, 3 Post Doctoral Fellows, and mentored 11 junior faculty members through their Career Development projects.  Dr. Bradham has taught and served as the Concentration Director for Health Policy and Management in MPH, MA and PhD programs, while serving on Curriculum Committees and other academic roles in these academic institutions. 

In March of 2008, Dr. Bradham joined the talented faculty of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health as the Kansas Health Foundation’s Distinguished Professor and Chair, in the Kansas University School of Medicine in Wichita.  Dr. Bradham’s research with the VA continues through his appointment as a Health Economist and Investigator at the Wichita-based Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center.  This group of dedicated public health researchers trained in social sciences, environmental health and the public health sciences of epidemiology and biostatistics will form a foundation of an emerging School of Public Health in Kansas.