The UNH IOD (UCEDD) Welcomes Amanda Reichard

October 17, 2013

Dr. Amanda Reichard joined the Institute on Disability as an Assistant Research Professor. Dr. Reichard was previously a part of the Research and Training Center on Independent Living at the University of Kansas. There Dr. Reichard worked as a health services researcher using national survey data and state Medicaid claims data to analyze health care access, utilization, and disparities among people with disabilities. Her recent research focuses on health disparities, multiple chronic conditions (MCC), and public health surveillance of people with disabilities.

"My excitement about joining the IOD begins with the amazing opportunity to work and collaborate with talented experts in disability who share a common vision, across disciplines," states Dr. Amanda Reichard. "I especially look forward to growing the health and disability research portfolio, and to translating our findings into meaningful and usable products that will address health disparities that people with disabilities frequently experience."

Dr. Reichard is a member of an NIH expert panel on adults with chronic health care needs and, as a result of this, received an Interagency Personnel Agreement through the NIH to complete related research on high utilizers of health care.

"Dr. Reichard's research interests include disability and health, wellness promotion, and health services research," explains Charles Drum, the IOD Director. "She is an expert in secondary data analysis and has experience conducting health-related intervention research. This is a valuable combination that will contribute significantly to improving the health of persons with disabilities in New Hampshire and beyond." Reichard received her Ph.D. in Education from the University of Kansas and an M.S. from the Harvard School of Public Health.

The Institute on Disability (IOD) at the University of New Hampshire was established in 1987 to provide a university-based focus for the improvement of knowledge, policies, and practices related to the lives of persons with disabilities and their families. Its mission is to promote full access, equal opportunities, and participation for all persons by strengthening communities and advancing policy and systems change, promising practices, education, and research.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.