WISE Indiana (Wellbeing Informed by Science and Evidence in Indiana)
A partnership between the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute’s Monon Collaborative and the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) to engage Indiana’s nationally-recognized academic experts to evaluate and inform Indiana practices, programs and policies. This partnership aligns with and furthers the visions of both organizations by facilitating timely, high-quality evidence-informed research, evaluation and analysis to the benefit of all Hoosiers.
Current Projects
The WISE Indiana partnership supports a part-time medical research librarian to conduct comprehensive searches of the scientific literature and prepare annotated bibliographies in response to key questions from FSSA divisions and business units. This task order directly supports FSSA’s vision of evidence-informed decision making.
WISE Indiana recently partnered with Indiana FSSA’s Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL). OECOSL oversees early child care, education and out-of-school-time programs in Indiana communities. WISE Indiana is engaging with a content expert to provide research knowledge and data expertise to advance policy goals and use evidence to improve practices.
The Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning’s (OMPP) coverage and benefits team receives inquiries to add services, tests, and procedures to the Indiana Health Coverage Programs. WISE Indiana collaborated with this team to provide literature reviews and expert consultation as requested to help inform coverage decisions.
WISE Indiana, in conjunction with OECOSL, is conducting an objective evaluation of business and mental health support programs that are being implemented by the division’s technical assistance and training partner. Findings and recommendations will inform how the early childhood and childcare workforce are engaged in future efforts.
WISE Indiana is assisting the Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) with implementing and analyzing responses to the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey among 1915i waiver participants. Feedback and results will be used to support program guidance and decision-making.
Intensive outpatient treatment (IOT) has been traditionally covered by Indiana Medicaid as an in-person service. In the last year, a telehealth option of the service is being covered by Indiana Medicaid on a trial basis. DMHA and OMPP have asked WISE Indiana to evaluate the evidence on IOT delivery via telehealth to determine whether to continue offering the telehealth option.
The Division of Aging (DA) has engaged an expert consultant to provide research knowledge and data expertise to help establish an improved and aligned state approach to home health and private duty nursing for waiver participants, leverage robust data collection strategies for members and caregivers to inform HCBS strategy and policies to strengthen HCBS in Indiana, and provide support on related projects to enhance long term care services and supports in Indiana.
WISE Indiana is working with dentists and oral health researchers to evaluate current Indiana dental policies and provide recommendations to support improved dental care outcomes for Medicaid beneficiaries.
The Office of Healthy Opportunities (OHO) sought an external evaluation and assessment of HCBS-funded efforts related to addressing social determinants of health and reducing health disparities among the primary population for FSSA’s managed long-term services and supports (mLTSS): individuals ages 60 and over, as well as individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This project will inform initial and ongoing decision making for services benefitting key vulnerable populations and additional minoritized communities within those groups.
WISE Indiana worked with Indiana University’s Center for Survey Research and Indiana University Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science to implement and analyze the HCBS CAHPS Survey in 2021. DA has asked this team to repeat this implementation and compare the outcomes to the previous year.
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Past Projects
The WISE Indiana COVID-19 Rapid Response Team was developed to assist in the Indiana Department of Health’s need for rapid and evidence-informed responses to complex questions about the pandemic and best practices for state response. This project facilitated rapid response and access to relevant and emerging evidence-based information for state personnel, healthcare providers and systems, managed care entities, community organizations, and all others.
The Expert Response to Key Questions and Expert Reviews of Relevant and Emerging Literature pages have been archived and are accessible via the links below. Please note that information on these pages are maintained for archival use only and may not be up-to-date.
Indiana Community Connect (ICC) is a web-based referral platform housed within Indiana 2-1-1 designed to help community organizations refer clients to needed services and help residents find social services. WISE Indiana was asked to participate in the pilot program and provide recommendations for statewide community based organization engagement due to our expertise in community engagement through the numerous community engagement programs that Indiana CTSI has developed and participates in.
Changes to Indiana’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) were made in response to the increased need for food assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. This increased need was driven in part by job loss as well as the closure of local food pantries and other sources of food assistance. To guide future program and policy decisions, WISE was asked by SNAP program administrators to evaluate whether and how the recent programmatic changes have achieved the goal of increased food access in Indiana.
WISE Indiana assisted DMHA to help simplify and synthesize the data collection process. The goal was to reduce administrative burden for providers and increase capacity for client care. Additionally, it was a crucial first step in assisting DMHA to create a data strategy that will drive the initiative for all mental health and Substance Use Disorder treatment providers in the state to be data-driven in their practices.
The DA was interested in implementing an innovative model to address the unmet needs of family caregivers. To better understand what supports are needed for aging individuals experiencing social isolation and caregiver burn-out, the DA collaborated with WISE Indiana and AARP to conduct a consumer survey targeting a diverse population of caregivers for individuals 55 and older.
As part of FSSA’s long-term services and supports reform project, WISE Indiana assisted with implementing and analyzing responses to the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey. Responses from consumers, especially those in under-represented populations, will inform the program’s design.
The DMHA engaged WISE to complete an analysis on the cost of untreated mental illness in Indiana. This analysis was incorporated into the Indiana Behavioral Health Commission’s report, which presents recommendations to the legislature and executive branch for improving Hoosier behavioral and mental health.
WISE Indiana Leadership
| Sarah Wiehe, MD, MPH | Amy Lewis Gilbert, JD, MPH |
| Co-Director, Indiana Clinical & Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) | Chief Science Officer, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) |
WISE Indiana Core Team
| Emily Hardwick, MPH, CCRP, PMP | Amber Osterholt, PhD |
| Project Director Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute |
Assistant Scientist Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute |
| Aaron Zych, MPH | Deidre Gray |
| Project Management Coordinator Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute |
Program Management Assistant Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute |
| Aimee Kappes | Dustin Lynch |
| Research Business Administrator Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute |
Visual Design Research Specialist Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute |
| Joy Lee, PhD, MS | Justin Blackburn, PhD |
| Scientific Director Indiana University School of Medicine |
Associate Scientific Director of Data and Evaluation IUPUI Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health |
| Karla Camacho-Reyes, MPA | |
| Special Projects Director Executive Office, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration |
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WISE Indiana Internal Advisory Team
| Amy Blevins, MALS | Nir Menachemi, PhD, MPH |
| Associate Director for Public Services, Ruth Lilly Medical Library, IU School of Medicine, Evidence-Based Medicine Thread Leader, IU School of Medicine | Richard M. Fairbanks Endowed Chair, Professor, Health Policy and Management Department Chair, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI, Research Scientist, Regenstrief Institute |
| Malaz Boustani, MD, MPH | Brownsyne Tucker Edmonds, MD, MPH, MS |
| Richard M. Fairbanks Professor for Aging Research, IU School of Medicine, Director and Research Scientist, Regenstrief Institute Center for Health Innovation & Implementation Science | Vice President and Chief Health Equity Officer, IU Health, Associate Dean for Health Equity Research and Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IU School of Medicine |
| Jessica Brookshire, MS | Kosali Simon, PhD |
| Senior Program Director, Office of Clinical Partnerships, University of Notre Dame | Herman B. Wells Endowed Professor, Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Associate Vice Provost for Health Sciences, Indiana University |
| Nicole Fowler, PhD | Pavlos Vlachos, PhD, MS |
| Associate Professor, IU School of Medicine, Director of Research, Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Associate Director and Research Scientist, Regenstrief Institute | Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, Director, Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering |
