Sarah is a principal research scientist with nearly 20 years of mixed-methods research and evaluation experience with a focus on qualitative methods. Although her evaluation work has covered many topics she is increasingly interested in environmental health—including the impact of climate change on human health and how to better assess disaster mortality—and sexual and reproductive health— with an emphasis on contraceptive equity and access to healthcare services.
Sarah currently leads NORC’s disaster mortality work including a large cross-center project for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducting evaluation and research activities aimed at improving processes for identifying and reporting disaster-related deaths. This project builds on the work she led for CDC developing a toolkit and accompanying training for medicolegal death investigators to collect data after natural disaster and extreme weather events. Redman’s other work in this area includes a rapid needs assessment to understand public health workforce needs after disasters; an examination of disability-inclusive disaster and emergency preparedness; an environmental scan on the differential impact of climate change on underserved populations; a review of publicly available environmental health data sources; and a needs assessment of existing climate and health trainings for public health departments.
Sarah currently oversees provision of evaluation technical assistance for HHS Office of Minority Health grant recipients implementing strategies to reduce health disparities but also works directly with organizations as their local evaluation partner. She is currently leading a four-year evaluation of Illinois Contraceptive Access Now (ICAN!)—a statewide initiative to advance reproductive health equity by improving the quality and coverage of contraceptive care at community health centers. Sarah also led the local evaluation of the Chicago Department of Public Health’s Chicago Healthy Adolescents and Teens (CHAT) program—a school-based sexual health education and sexually transmitted infection testing curriculum.
Prior to joining NORC, Sarah worked as a qualitative analyst on the Chicago Health, Environmental Exposure, and Recreation Study (CHEERS), where she examined the best ways to communicate with local Chicago waterway users about water quality and safety and an evaluation consultant with the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health.
Quick Links
Education
PhD
University of Illinois, Chicago
MPAff
University of Texas, Austin
BA
Indiana University
Project Contributions
Publications
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opens in new tab"Gender Differences in Attitudes and Behaviors toward Condoms and Birth Control among Chicago Adolescents."
Journal Article | April 21, 2021
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opens in new tab"Medicolegal Death Scene Investigations after Natural Disaster- and Weather-Related Events: A Review of the Literature."
Journal Article | September 6, 2017
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opens in new tab"Healthcare Payer Strategies to Reduce the Harms of Opioids."
Project Report | May 6, 2017
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opens in new tab"Obese but Fit: The Relationship of Fitness to Metabolically Healthy but Obese Status among Sexual Minority Women."
Journal Article | July 19, 2016
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opens in new tab"'I Have to Age in This Body': Lesbian and Bisexual Older Women's Perspectives on a Health Behavior Intervention."
Journal Article | July 19, 2016
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opens in new tab"Program Design for Healthy Weight in Lesbian and Bisexual Women: A Ten-City Prevention Initiative."
Journal Article | July 19, 2016
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opens in new tab"Improving Water Quality Communications at Beaches: Input from Stakeholders."
Journal Article | May 23, 2013
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opens in new tab"Developmental Evaluation: Building Innovations in Complex Environments."
Journal Article | September 29, 2011