Research and Teaching Interests

Dr. Wright's research focuses on inequities in health care delivery, with an emphasis on publicly insured populations (i.​e.​, Medicare and Medicaid), primary care, and emergency medicine. He is one of the nation's leading experts on both federally qualified health centers and hospital observation stays.  His additional research interests include health politics and policy, and patient and public involvement in health care. He has received funding for his research from the National Institutes of Health (specifically NIMHD, NINDS, and NIA), the U.​S.​ Department of Veterans Affairs, HRSA, the Iowa Department of Human Services, and multiple private foundations.  Dr. Wright is an active member of AcademyHealth and received AUPHA's John D.  Thompson Prize for Young Investigators in 2016 for his contributions to the field of health services research.  Dr. Wright enjoys teaching graduate-level courses on the U.​S​. health care system, health policy, and policy analysis.