Through a collaborative co-design process, Ellen helped us gain clarity on our evaluation questions and develop a program evaluation charter that worked for our team and funder while being low burden for our grantees. Her evaluation report illuminated program strengths and valuable opportunities to improve, as well as impact for New Jersey’s safety net providers.

– S. Mathis, Camden Coalition

The Center for Health Care Strategies has had the pleasure of working with Ellen across several projects supporting state Medicaid programs and their community partners in advancing evaluation and measurement efforts. Ellen brings deep expertise and an exceptional ability to translate complex evaluation concepts into practical, action-oriented strategies that meet states where they are. Ellen approaches every engagement with professionalism, intellectual curiosity, and a solutions-driven mindset. Her skill in synthesizing information and co-developing practical tools has made her an invaluable thought partner to our team. Her collaborative style and sharp insights consistently elevate the quality and impact of our work, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to partner with her.

– Center for Health Care Strategies

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Ellen on technical assistance for states regarding the measurement of person-centered planning. Her ability to synthesize information from all angles, navigate complex systems with ease, and engage with state leadership meaningfully around measurement have been instrumental to advancing person-centered practices. Ellen’s unique approach includes open and honest discussions about the “why” of measurement and thoughtful reflections and engagement around what matters most to communities. She’s an expert at getting to the heart of challenges and identifying tangible, actionable strategies for systemic improvement. Ellen brings exceptional insight, experience, and professionalism to everything she does and I will always seek out an opportunity to work with her again!

– Saska Rajcevic, Project Manager at the Human Services Research Institute

Our teams have had the pleasure of working with Ellen across several projects focused on health equity, measuring patient-centered economic outcomes, and advancing patient-centered value in healthcare. Her deep understanding of healthcare measurement—particularly in the area of patient-centered outcomes—was instrumental to the success of our work. 

Ellen brings thoughtfulness and intellectual rigor to every collaboration, diving deep into complex subjects while maintaining a clear focus on actionable outcomes. She is also an exceptional facilitator. Her ability to guide diverse stakeholder groups through nuanced conversations kept participants engaged and ensured that all voices were heard.

From designing engaging workshops to co-developing reports that were both rigorous and practical, Ellen consistently added value to our projects and strengthened our team’s capacity. I would enthusiastically recommend Ellen to other organizations committed to meaningful, equity-centered work in healthcare.

– Melanie Ridley, Chief Program & Development Officer, Center for Innovation & Value Research

Ellen helped us always center the patient first during our measure development project by joining our project team and sharing the latest successful practices in patient-centered measurement. Changes we made based on her feedback included using plain language in communications with the public, holding pre-calls with patients and families prior to large meetings, seating arrangements, defining the role of the panel chairs, and techniques for gaining maximum feedback. These practices ensured that our two new measures of outpatient palliative care focused on what matters most to patients and their families. In addition, she helped us gather lessons learned throughout the measure development process and share that learning through multiple publications.

– Katherine Ast, Director of Quality and Research, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine

Our Moving Needles grant team has worked with Ellen over the past 3 years to design an evaluation strategy, follow that strategy throughout a quality improvement pilot, and gather lessons learned. She is now working with us to write up results for both formal publication and more informal sharing with partners. She has been a key member of the team throughout the process, with both staff and our CDC project officer commenting on the high quality and timeliness of her work. Our project has been successful because of her insights, and my own knowledge has expanded with her as a team member. I would absolutely recommend Ellen to other organizations.

– Elizabeth Sobczyk, Associate Executive Director, Post-Acute and Long-term Care Medical Association