Sara S. Bachman, PhD

Dean

Research Interests

Health and social policy

Social work leadership and education

Health equity

Financing for vulnerable populations including children, youth and adults with complex health and social need conditions

Sara S. Bachman, PhD, is Dean of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2), where she leads the School in its passionate pursuit of social good, innovation, and impact. Under her leadership, SP2 offers top-ranked degree programs, certificates, and dual degrees anchored by rigorous academics and world-class faculty. Through impactful research, academics, and community engagement, the School drives innovation in policy and practice and develops leaders committed to tackling society’s most pressing challenges.

Since joining SP2 as Dean in 2019, Dr. Bachman has led the School in significant advancements in academic innovation and faculty and staff development. The School has doubled its sponsored research revenue while reducing tuition dependency, expanded its faculty, including securing SP2’s first Penn Integrates Knowledge (PIK) appointment, and achieved successful academic program accreditations. Dr. Bachman has also overseen the launch of innovative offerings including the Practice Doctorate in Nonprofit Administration; the Applied Data Ethics, Law, and the Social Good certificate; and advanced curricular initiatives in philanthropy and climate resilience. In addition, SP2 has increased its focus on emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and climate inequality.

During Dr. Bachman’s tenure, the School has strengthened its focus on community engagement and financial aid. Committed to student success and academic excellence, Dr. Bachman is deeply engaged with students through mentoring, teaching, and serving on dissertation committees.

At Penn, Dr. Bachman recently co-chaired the Access, Affordability, and Value working group as part of the University-wide Penn Forward initiative. She also serves on the Leonard Davis Institute Governing Board, Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy Advisory Board, Penn Center for Public Health Advisory Committee, Penn Center for Surgical Health Advisory Council, Penn Center for Cancer Care Innovation Governing Board, and as a Center for Public Health Initiatives Senior Fellow.

Dr. Bachman’s social policy and practice expertise focuses on health care financing and organization innovation, especially with respect to Medicaid and alternative payment strategies. She has over thirty years’ experience with health policy research and program evaluation in the areas of health care finance, health reform, social work, health equity, and state health policy for individuals with disabilities or complex health and social conditions, including children and youth with special health care needs.

She has directed multiple associated national efforts, including the Catalyst Center, the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) national center on financing health care for children and youth with special health care needs; the HRSA Health Care Delivery System Innovations for Children with Medical Complexity; and a national HRSA initiative to integrate Community Health Workers into Ryan White Care settings, among others. Dr. Bachman also served on the national HRSA Maternal and Child Health Bureau Expert Steering Committee for an Examination of the Six Core Outcomes for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs in the National Survey of Children’s Health; as Policy Practice Competency Chair for the Council of Social Work Education Health Curricular Guide; and on the National Advisory Committee, Children with Medical Complexity Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network. She has been guest editor for special journal issues such as the 2017 Pediatrics supplement focused on value-based purchasing for children and youth with special health care needs.

Dr. Bachman received a BA in Biology from Bucknell University, a MS in Epidemiology from the University of Massachusetts School of Public Health, and PhD in Health Policy from the Florence Heller School at Brandeis University where she was a Pew Health Policy Fellow.

Contact

Phone

office: 215.898.5512

fax: 215.573.2099

deansoffice@sp2.upenn.edu

Address

3701 Locust Walk, Caster Building
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6214

About

Pronouns

she/her

Department(s)

Office of the Dean | Faculty | Standing Faculty | School Administration

Program(s)

MSW | MSSP | DSW | PhD

Publications

Selected Publications

Drainoni, M.L., Baughman, A., Bachman, S.S., Bowers Sword, R., Davoust, M., Fortu, K., Ni, P., Rojo, M.C., Wolfe, H. & Martinez, L.S. (Forthcoming). Integrating Community Health Workers into HIV Care Teams: Impact on HIV Care Outcomes. Journal of HIV/AIDS & Social Services.

Thomas, M. M. C.*, Mehta, A. J., Murphy, J.S., Childs, E., Sena, B. F., Dimitri,N.*, Dooley, D.P., Kane, J ., Shen, A., Barros, E., Reid, M. and Bachman, S.S. (2020). Associations Between Public Housing Residency and Health Behaviors in a Cross-Sectional Sample of Boston Adults. Housing Policy Debate. 30 (3), 335-347.

Hirschi, M.*, Wangari Walter, A., Wilson, K.*, Jankovsky, K.*, Dworetzky, B., Comeau, M. & Bachman, S.S. (2018). Access to care among children with disabilities enrolled in the MassHealth CommonHealth buy-in program. Journal of Child Health Care. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367493518777310

Marcus, R., deGroot, A., Bachman, S. S., Chisolm, N., Qaudri, Y., Cabral, H., & Rajabiun, S. (2018). Longitudinal determinants of housing stability among people living with HIV/AIDS experiencing homelessness. American Journal of Public Health. 108 (S7): S552-S560.

Bachman, S. S. (2017). Social work and public health: Charting the course for innovation. American Journal of Public Health. 107 (S3): S220.

Bachman, S. S., Wachman, M., Manning, L., Cohen, A.M., Seifert, R.W., Jones, D.K., Fitzgerald, T., Nuzum, R. & Riley, P. (2017). Social work’s role in Medicaid reform: A qualitative study. American Journal of Public Health. 107 (S3): S250-S255.

Louis, C.J., Bachman, S.S., Roby, D.H., Melby, L & Rosenbloom, D.L. (2017). The transformation of community hospitals through the transition to value-based care: Lessons from Massachusetts. The American Journal of Accountable Care. 5(4):26-30.

Bachman, S.S., Comeau, M., & Long, T. (2017). Statement of the Problem: Health reform, value based purchasing, and children and youth with special health care needs. Pediatrics. 139 (Supplement 2): S89-S98.

Ellis, R.P., Bachman, S.S., & Tan, H.R.* (2017). Refining our understanding of value based insurance design and high cost-sharing on children. Pediatrics. 139 (Supplement 2): S136-S144.

Weinstein, Z.M.*, Kim, H.W., Cheng, D.M., Quinn, E., Hui, D., Labelle, C.T., Drainoni, M.L., Bachman, S.S., & Samet, J.H. (2017). Long-term retention in office based Opioid treatment with Buprenorphine. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 74:65-70.

Akobirshoev, I.*, Bowser, D., Parish, S.L., Thomas, C. & Bachman, S.S. (2017). Does parental health insurance mediate the relationship between parental uninsurance and insured children’s health outcomes? Evidence from a U.S. national survey. Health and Social Work. 42(2): e68-e76.

* Denotes student author.

Recent Book Chapter

Bachman, S.S. (2018). Resource Development and Funding. In S. Verbiest (Ed.), Translating Life Course Theory into Practice. Washington, DC: APHA Press.

Academics

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Research

Students

Alumni