An internationally experienced researcher in the field of health economics, Aaron Beaston-Blaakman has contributed greatly to the world’s pool of knowledge, most recently about family health issues in African and Asian countries. Aaron Blaakman’s pursuit of knowledge has led him all over Africa and Asia, to such countries as Botswana, Bulgaria, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mali, Mongolia, Rwanda, Samoa, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia.



Aaron Beaston-Blaakman currently serves as a Health Economics and Financing Research Consultant. He is based in Cary, North Carolina. Previously, he has served as a Research Scientist at Family Health International in Durham, NC (2005-2008) and as a Research Associate at Brandeis University (1998-2005) in Waltham, MA. Aaron Beaston-Blaakman served as principal investigator for a study on “Conceptual and Empirical Analysis of Cost Analysis Methodologies in Substance Abuse Treatment,” which was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse through a $154,000 grant.  



A number of Africa-centric research projects that Aaron Blaakman participated in during his research career cover such varied topics as:



•    Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Peer Education in Zambia

•    Cost Analysis of Health Care Service Packages in Rwandan Health Centers and Hospitals (with Intrahealth/RTI)

•    Cost Analysis of PMTCT Best Practices in South Africa

•    Cost Analysis of Family Planning and VCT Integration in Kenya

•    Cost Analysis of IUD Scaling Up in Uganda (with Engenderhealth)

•    Economic Evaluation of Systematic Screening in Senegal (Frontiers/Population Council)

•    Development of a Community Based Health Insurance Program in rural Guinea (Frontiers/Population Council)

•    Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Community Based Distribution Practices in Mali (with Save the Children)

•    Economic Evaluation of the “Young Men As Equal Partners Project” in Uganda and Kenya



From 1998 to 2005, Aaron Blaakman worked for Brandeis University’s Schneider Institute for Health Policy, and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. There, Aaron Blaakman served as a research associate focusing on Cost and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis and on Substance Abuse and International Health.



During his time with Brandeis, Aaron Beaston-Blaakman worked on a variety of research initiatives. Among them:



•    A Conceptual and Empirical Analysis of Cost Analysis Methodologies in Substance Abuse Treatment, supported by NIDA

•    Treatment Costs and Organizational Monitoring: Texas Christian University,

supported by NIDA

•    Treatment Needs: Research and Evaluation Specialists, supported by the Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Abuse Services    

•    Extended Telephone Monitoring for Alcoholics with University of Pennsylvania,

supported by NIAAA

•    Cost-effectiveness of dietary interventions to reduce AIDS wasting, supported by NIDDK



In addition to his Brandeis research, Aaron Beaston-Blaakman was involved in a variety of external research on cost and financial analysis as well. Some of the recent projects he has been involved with include:

•    Cost Methods Consultant, Texas Christian University, Center for Behavioral Health, Forth Worth, Texas

•    Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Consultant, Family First Project, National Development and Research Institutes, New York

•    Economic Analysis Advisor, University of North Carolina, School of Medicine, North Carolina Disaster Management Project



From 1997 to 1998, Aaron Beaston-Blaakman served as program evaluation director for Charles River Health Management, in Boston.



Aaron Beaston-Blaakman has also taught at a number of prestigious universities. From 1998 to 2000, Aaron Beaston-Blaakman’s professorial duties included Adjunct Professor Health Policy, Tufts University, Experimental College, Medford, Mass.; Adjunct Lecturer in Cost-Effectiveness Analysis, Centre D’Etudes Supérieurs en Gestion, Dakar, Sénégal; Instructor, Brandeis University, Sustainable International Development Program; and Adjunct Lecturer, Emmanuel College, Healthcare Administration Program, Boston.



In the early 1990s, Aaron Beaston-Blaakman gained experience in social work by serving as  Sociotherapist/Recreation Therapist, for the Hillside Children’s   

Center in Rochester, N.Y. Aaron Beaston-Blaakman also served as a Social Worker, for the Hillside Children’s Center, Juvenile Justice Services, Hillside Children’s Center, Rochester; and as Program Assistant for Dads and Children Together, Hillside Children’s Center, Rochester.       



Aaron Beaston-Blaakman holds a PhD in Social Policy from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University. Prior to that he earned an MA in Social Policy, also from the Heller School at Brandeis. Earlier, he earned an MPA from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University; and an MSW from the School of Social Work, Syracuse University. Fluent in French, he has done graduate course work in the French language, at New York University in Paris.                        

Aaron Beaston-Blaakman resides in Cary, N.C.    



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An internationally experienced researcher in the field of health economics, Aaron Blaakman has conducted numerous studies in the areas of cost analysis as it relates to family and the community.

Global Researcher in Health Economics
Aaron Beaston-Blaakman currently serves as a health economics and financing research consultant and is based in Cary, North Carolina. Prior to his independent consulting work, he served as a Scientist in Health Economics at Family Health International in Durham, NC. He held this position from 2005-2008. While at FHI, Aaron Beaston-Blaakman served as principal investigator for a study on “Conceptual and Empirical Analysis of Cost Analysis Methodologies in Substance Abuse Treatment,” which was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse through a $154,000 grant.

Aaron Blaakman’s pursuit of knowledge has led him all over Africa and Asia, to such countries as Botswana, Bulgaria, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mali, Mongolia, Rwanda, Samoa, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia. Accordingly, many of Aaron Beaston-Blaakman’s cost analysis research projects have been set in Africa and Asia.

• Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Peer Education in Zambia (Youthnet)
• Cost Analysis of Health Care Service Packages in Rwandan Health Centers and Hospitals (with Intrahealth/RTI)
• Cost Analysis of PMTCT Best Practices in South Africa
• Cost Analysis of Family Planning and VCT Integration in Kenya
• Cost Analysis of IUD Scaling Up in Uganda (with Engenderhealth)
• Economic Evaluation of Systematic Screening in Senegal (Frontiers/Population Council)
• Development of a Community Based Health Insurance Program in rural Guinea (Frontiers/Population Council)
• Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Community Based Distribution Practices in Mali (with Save the Children)
• Economic Evaluation of the “Young Men As Equal Partners Project” in Uganda and Kenya

Service At Brandeis University
From 1998 to 2005, Aaron Beaston-Blaakman worked for Brandeis University’s Schneider Institute for Health Policy, and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. There, Aaron Beaston-Blaakman served as a research associate focusing on Cost and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis and on Substance Abuse and International Health.

During his time with Brandeis, Aaron Blaakman worked on a variety of research initiatives. Among them:

• A Conceptual and Empirical Analysis of Cost Analysis Methodologies in Substance Abuse Treatment, supported by NIDA
• Treatment Costs and Organizational Monitoring, Texas Christian University,
supported by NIDA
• Treatment Needs: Research and Evaluation Specialists, supported by the Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Abuse Services
• Extended Telephone Monitoring for Alcoholics with University of Pennsylvania,
supported by NIAAA
• Cost-effectiveness of dietary interventions to reduce AIDS wasting, supported by NIDDK

In addition to his Brandeis research, Aaron Beaston-Blaakman has participated in a variety of external research projects on cost and financial analysis. Some of the recent projects he has been involved with include:
• Cost Methods Consultant, Texas Christian University, Center for Behavioral Health, Fort Worth, Texas
• Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Consultant, Family First Project, National Development and Research Institutes, New York
• Economic Analysis Advisor, University of North Carolina, School of Medicine, North Carolina Disaster Management Project

From 1997 to 1998, Aaron Beaston-Blaakman served as program evaluation director for Charles River Health Management, in Boston.

Teaching At Tufts, Dakar And Brandeis
Aaron Blaakman has also taught at a number of prestigious universities. From 1998 to 2000, Aaron Beaston-Blaakman’s professorial duties included Adjunct Professor Health Policy, Tufts University, Experimental College, Medford, Mass.; Adjunct Lecturer in Cost-Effectiveness Analysis, Centre D’Etudes Supérieurs en Gestion, Dakar, Sénégal; Instructor, Brandeis University, Sustainable International Development Program; and Adjunct Lecturer, Emmanuel College, Healthcare Administration Program, Boston.

A Background In Social Work
In the early 1990s, Aaron Beaston-Blaakman gained experience in social work by serving as Sociotherapist/Recreation Therapist, for the Hillside Children’s
Center in Rochester, N.Y. Aaron Beaston-Blaakman also served as a Social Worker, for the Hillside Children’s Center, Juvenile Justice Services, Hillside Children’s Center, Rochester; and as Program Assistant for Dads and Children Together, Hillside Children’s Center, Rochester.

Has Contributed To Many Published Works
As well as research projects and teaching, Aaron Beaston-Blaakman’s work has been published in many scholarly journals. A selected bibliography of recently published articles includes:

Reynolds, H., Toroitich-Ruto, C., Nasution, M., Beaston-Blaakman, A., Janowitz, B., Effectiveness of training supervisors to improve reproductive health quality of care: a cluster-randomized trial in Kenya. Health Policy Plan. 2008 23: 56-66

Beaston-Blaakman, A.. Book review: Richard G. Frank and Sherry A. Glied "Better But Not Well: Mental Health Policy In The United States Since 1950", Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006. J Ment Health Policy Econ. 2007 Sep;10(3):153-4

Beaston-Blaakman A., Shepard DS, Stone N, Shevitz AH. Cost-effectiveness of clinical interventions for AIDS wasting. AIDS Care. Sep;19(8):996-1001, 2007

Beaston-Blaakman, A., Shepard, D., Horgan, C., and Ritter, G. Organizational and Client Determinants of Cost in Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment, J Ment Health Policy Econ (1):3-13, 2007

Education And Awards
Aaron Beaston-Blaakman holds a PhD in Social Policy from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University. Prior to that he earned an MA in Social Policy, also from the Heller School at Brandeis. Earlier, he earned an MPA from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University; and an MSW from the School of Social Work, Syracuse University. Fluent in French, he has done graduate course work in the French language, at New York University in Paris.
Aaron Beaston-Blaakman has been honored during his career as a University Fellow, Syracuse University, Academic Year 1995-1996. Also in 1996, he won the Masters Prize, Syracuse University, School of Social Work, Convocation. A year earlier, during work in Seoul, S. Korea, he was honored with the Mark and Pearle Clements Intern Scholar award.

Aaron Beaston-Blaakman resides in Cary, N.C.

Aaron Beaston-Blaakman at Claimid.com

Aaron Beaston-Blaakman at Linkedin.com

Aaron Beaston-Blaakman at Ziggs.com

Aaron Beaston-Blaakman at Vox.com

Aaron Beaston-Blaakman at ikarma.com

Aaron Beaston-Blaakman at Squidoo.com

Aaron Blaakman is a Health Economics and Financing Research Consultant with extensive expertise in Africa and other international venues. Aaron P. Beaston-Blaakman’s most recent domestic project, “A Conceptual and Empirical Analysis of Costing Methodologies in Substance Abuse Treatment,” was funded by the NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse for three years, 2004 through 2007.



Research Positions and Projects

Aaron Blaakman has held several research positions over the last decade. From 2005 to 2008, he held the position of Scientist I in Economics at Family Health International, Durham, N.C. While there, Aaron P. Beaston-Blaakman acted as principal investigator on the NIH project. He also conducted cost analysis of peer education, family planning, screening and other health and human services initiatives in Guinea, Kenya, Mali, South Africa, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia.



From 1998 to 2005, Aaron Blaakman was a research associate conducting substance abuse and international health cost and cost-effectiveness analysis at Brandeis University, Schneider Institute for Health Policy and Heller School for Social Policy and Management in Massachusetts. While there, Aaron P. Beaston-Blaakman worked on the NIH project as well as many other cost-analysis projects concerning substance abuse and other health issues. From 2000 to 20003 he was also the principal investigator of a seed grant for the Heller School for Advanced Studies in Social Welfare; the proposal was a strategic collaboration between the Heller School, Acre Family Day Care and the community of Lowell, Mass.



Prior to that, Aaron P. Beaston-Blaakman was a program evaluation director at Charles River Health Management in Boston.



Aaron Blaakman has additionally conducted cost-analysis consulting projects for Texas Christian University; the Family First Project; the University of North Carolina School of Medicine; the University of Massachusetts Medical Center; Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse; Mt. Sinai Medical Center; and many others.



Academic Staff Experience

From 1999 to 2000, Aaron P. Beaston-Blaakman was an adjunct professor of health policy at Tufts University Experimental College in Medford, Mass. In 1999, he also took his expertise to Dakar, Senegal, where he served as an adjunct lecturer in Cost-Effectiveness Analysis at the Centre D’Etudes Supérieurs en Gestion. Aaron P. Beaston-Blaakman was also an instructor in the Sustainable International Development Program at Brandeis University from 1998 to 1999. In 1998, he was an adjunct lecturer at Boston’s Emmanuel College within the Healthcare Administration Program.



Social Work and Clinical Experience

Aaron P. Beaston-Blaakman has hands-on clinical experience as well. From 1993 to 1994, he held several positions at the Hillside Children’s Center in Rochester, N.Y., including program assistant, juvenile justice social worker, sociotherapist and recreation therapist.



Education

Aaron P. Beaston-Blaakman earned his PhD in Social Policy with concentration in Health Economics and Finance from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. His dissertation focused on advancing economic analysis of substance abuse treatment. Aaron P. Beaston-Blaakman also holds a master’s degree in Social Policy from Brandeis. At Syracuse University, N.Y., Aaron P. Beaston-Blaakman earned an MPA from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and an MSW from the School of Social Work. Aaron P. Beaston-Blaakman earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics and French at Fordham University, New York.



Publications and Honors

Aaron P. Beaston-Blaakman authored a review on the 2006 book, "Better but not well: mental health policy in the United States since 1950."  The review was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Mental Health Policy Economics, Sept. 10, 2007.



Aaron P. Beaston-Blaakman is a joint author of many articles, including:



•    “Effectiveness of training supervisors to improve reproductive health quality of care: a cluster-randomized trial in Kenya,” Health Policy Plan, 2008.



•    “Cost-effectiveness of clinical interventions for AIDS wasting,” AIDS Care, 2007.



•    “Organizational and Client Determinants of Cost in Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment,” Journal of Mental Health Policy Economics, 2007



•    “Racial and ethnic differences in health and health care:  Lessons from an inner-city patient population actively using heroin and cocaine,” Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 2006.

 

•    “Unmet need for substance abuse treatment of adults in Massachusetts,” Administration and Policy in Mental Health 32(4):403-426, 2005.



Aaron P. Beaston-Blaakman was named a University Fellow at Syracuse University, Academic Year 1995-1996. He also received the Masters Prize, Convocation 1996, at Syracuse University’s School of Social Work. And in 1995, Aaron P. Beaston-Blaakman was named the Mark and Pearle Clements Intern Scholar, Seoul, Korea.



Aaron P. Beaston-Blaakman is fluent in French and lives in Cary, N.C.



Aaron P. Beaston-Blaakman is skilled in relevant software programs including Microsoft Office, SPSS, SAS and Wesvar.



Aaron Beaston-Blaakman at Claimid.com



Aaron Beaston-Blaakman at Linkedin.com



Aaron Beaston-Blaakman at Ziggs.com



Aaron Beaston-Blaakman at Vox.com



Aaron Beaston-Blaakman at ikarma.com



Aaron Beaston-Blaakman at Squidoo.com