Andrea Carden
Research Analyst

Andrea Carden is a research analyst in The Hilltop Institute's acute care policy unit. She is part of a team of researchers responsible for monitoring HealthChoice, Maryland's Medicaid managed care program. She is currently conducting research on state oral health policies and programs, as well as providing planning support for Hilltop's upcoming annual symposium. Her professional interests focus on health disparities and access to care for vulnerable populations.

Prior to joining The Hilltop Institute in her current capacity, Ms. Carden was a graduate research assistant (GRA) in the acute care policy unit. In this capacity she drafted analyses of summary data for the HealthChoice Program evaluation and the Medicaid ER Study, analyzed waiver denials and eligibility changes within the older adult waiver tracking system, and conducted literature reviews on recent oral health initiatives and school-based oral health programs. Ms. Carden has also gained experience through GRA positions with Cape Fear Healthy Carolinians and the University of North Carolina Wilmington Public Administration Department. Ms. Carden was also a health policy intern with Families USA, where she contributed research for publication and conducted an extensive survey of state Medicaid agencies.

Ms. Carden has presented research results at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, as well as a conference sponsored by the University of North Carolina Wilmington Department of Public Administration. She also contributed to a Families USA publication titled The Great Divide: When Kids Get Sick, Insurance Matters.

Ms. Carden holds a master of public administration degree from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and a bachelor of arts degree in communication/journalism from Wake Forest University. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in public policy at UMBC, with a concentration in health policy.