As the head of NORC’s Public Health research department, Caitlin oversees a multidisciplinary staff of more than 100 professionals executing more than 80 research projects annually. The Public Health department leads some of NORC’s largest telephone-based data collection efforts, including an adaptation of NORC’s survey research procedures to support COVID-19 contact tracing programs in Delaware and Maryland. The department also has a large research portfolio of projects using qualitative and secondary data as well as social listening to provide rigorous and practical solutions for clients. Caitlin leads the department’s strategic direction, including talent acquisition, organizational partnering, and development of new solutions. Under her leadership, the department has diversified its research expertise, including enhanced capabilities in health communications and the use of digital media for research and behavior change.
Caitlin has expertise in meeting facilitation, strategic visioning, and evaluation research, including qualitative data collection, establishment surveys, and evaluation of program data. In her tenure at NORC, Caitlin has directed more than 15 projects for clients such as the HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, the HHS Office on Women’s Health, the HHS Office of Minority Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Caitlin currently leads a multi-year project for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service’s (CMS) Office of Minority Health, which aims to embed health equity into CMS programs focusing on racial and ethnic minorities, sexual and gender minorities, people with disabilities, and rural populations.
Before joining NORC, Caitlin was a senior associate at The Lewin Group and an analyst at Partnership for Prevention. She is an established health services researcher with several peer-reviewed publications, including the Journal of the American Medical Association, Journal of Emergency Nursing, and Annals of Family Medicine. She is a member of the American Public Health Association.
Caitlin earned a Master’s in Health Management and Policy from the University of Michigan School Of Public Health and an undergraduate degree in Economics from Simmons College in Boston. She serves on the Board of Trustees for the Edmund Burke School in Washington, DC, and regularly volunteers with community organizations addressing hunger in the capital region.
Quick Links
Education
MPH
University of Michigan
BA
Simmons College
Project Contributions
Publications
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Fletcher Group, NORC, and ETSU Launch Substance Use Recovery Tool
Press Release | September 13, 2022
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opens in new tab"Healthy People for the 21st Century: Understanding Use of Healthy People 2020 as a Web-Based Initiative."
Journal Article | February 7, 2019
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opens in new tab"The Zika Virus: Americans' Awareness and Opinions of the U.S. Response."
Project Report | April 13, 2016
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Caitlin Carroll Oppenheimer Named New Senior Vice President, Will Lead the Public Health Department at NORC at the University of Chicago
Press Release | June 8, 2015
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opens in new tab"The Healthy People Initiative: Understanding the User’s Perspective."
Journal Article | February 4, 2013
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opens in new tab"The Use of and Satisfaction with the Emergency Severity Index."
Journal Article | March 27, 2012
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opens in new tab"An Assessment of the Sustainability and Impact of Community Coalitions once Federal Funding has Expired."
Project Report | March 22, 2012
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opens in new tab"Developing a Conceptual Framework to Assess the Sustainability of Community Coalitions Post-Federal Funding."
Project Report | December 19, 2011