Tamara Beetham, MPH
About
Biography
Tamara Beetham, MPH is a PhD candidate graduating in 2025 in health policy and management with a concentration in health economics. Her research focuses on improving access to evidence-based healthcare for medically underserved populations, particularly in treatment for substance use disorders. She received dissertation funding support through a National Institutes on Drug Abuse Dissertation Award and RAND Pilot Project Award.
Her research has been published in leading journals including JAMA and Health Affairs, featured in outlets such as National Public Radio and The New York Times, and been nationally recognized as among the annual Best or Highest Impact by Annals of Internal Medicine, AcademyHealth, and the American Society of Addiction Medicine. She has presented her research to policymakers and regulatory bodies including the US Senate, The Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice, and The Joint Commission.
Education & Training
- MPH
- Harvard University
- BA
- University of Colorado
Research
Publications
2024
Adolescent Residential Addiction Treatment: The Authors Reply
Bagley S, Beetham T, Hadland S, Wright O, Korthuis P, King C. Adolescent Residential Addiction Treatment: The Authors Reply. Health Affairs 2024, 43: 1052-1052. PMID: 38950304, DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2024.00497.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAccess to treatment before and after Medicare coverage of opioid treatment programs
Liu R, Beetham T, Newton H, Busch S. Access to treatment before and after Medicare coverage of opioid treatment programs. Health Affairs Scholar 2024, 2: qxae076. PMID: 38938273, PMCID: PMC11210307, DOI: 10.1093/haschl/qxae076.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchTreatment servicesOpioid use disorderTreatment programsOpioid treatment programsMedicare coverageFor-profit statusCounty-level changesTreat opioid use disorderNonwhite residentsNonwhite populationsOpioid use disorder treatment servicesSociodemographic characteristicsNational DirectoryServicesUse disorderTreatment facilitiesOutpatient settingMedicareAccessOpioidAdolescent Residential Addiction Treatment In The US: Uneven Access, Waitlists, And High Costs
King C, Beetham T, Smith N, Englander H, Button D, Brown P, Hadland S, Bagley S, Wright O, Korthuis P, Cook R. Adolescent Residential Addiction Treatment In The US: Uneven Access, Waitlists, And High Costs. Health Affairs 2024, 43: 64-71. PMID: 38190597, PMCID: PMC11082498, DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2023.00777.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsUse disordersRecent nonfatal overdoseOpioid use disorderResidential addiction treatment facilityResidential addiction treatment centerSelf-pay patientsSubstance use disordersDrug overdose deathsAddiction treatment facilitiesAddiction treatment centersResidential addiction treatmentNonfatal overdoseSixteen-year-old childrenTreatment optionsHalf of facilitiesMean costOverdose deathsTreatment centersResidential treatment facilitySubstance abuseAddiction treatment
2023
Treatments Used Among Adolescent Residential Addiction Treatment Facilities in the US, 2022
King C, Beetham T, Smith N, Englander H, Hadland S, Bagley S, Korthuis P. Treatments Used Among Adolescent Residential Addiction Treatment Facilities in the US, 2022. JAMA 2023, 329: 1983-1985. PMID: 37314282, PMCID: PMC10265296, DOI: 10.1001/jama.2023.6266.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2022
Physician response to COVID-19-driven telehealth flexibility for opioid use disorder.
Beetham T, Fiellin DA, Busch SH. Physician response to COVID-19-driven telehealth flexibility for opioid use disorder. The American Journal Of Managed Care 2022, 28: 456-463. PMID: 36121359, DOI: 10.37765/ajmc.2022.89221.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid use disorder treatmentCOVID-19 pandemicEarly COVID-19 eraOpioid use disorderUse disorder treatmentOUD treatmentTelehealth useUse disordersPhysician responsesTelehealth effectivenessDisorder treatmentTelehealth technologyPhysiciansTelehealthCOVID-19 eraTelehealth regulationsCOVID-19Administrative dataMost respondentsTreatmentRetrospective usePandemicSurvey participationPerceptions of effectivenessRespondents' useAssociation of Access to Crisis Intervention Teams With County Sociodemographic Characteristics and State Medicaid Policies and Its Implications for a New Mental Health Crisis Lifeline
Newton H, Beetham T, Busch SH. Association of Access to Crisis Intervention Teams With County Sociodemographic Characteristics and State Medicaid Policies and Its Implications for a New Mental Health Crisis Lifeline. JAMA Network Open 2022, 5: e2224803. PMID: 35838666, PMCID: PMC9287760, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.24803.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMental health treatment facilitiesCrisis Intervention TeamsCounty-level accessCross-sectional studyIntervention teamMedicaid policiesAssociation of accessUS residentsUS countiesMental health issuesRisk of incarcerationUnadjusted analysesNational DirectoryState Medicaid policiesBehavioral health crisesMAIN OUTCOMEPsychiatric hospitalSociodemographic characteristicsShort-term stayHealth issuesTop quartileDemographic characteristicsMedicaidRural countiesResidents of counties
2021
Admission Practices And Cost Of Care For Opioid Use Disorder At Residential Addiction Treatment Programs In The US
Beetham T, Saloner B, Gaye M, Wakeman SE, Frank RG, Barnett ML. Admission Practices And Cost Of Care For Opioid Use Disorder At Residential Addiction Treatment Programs In The US. Health Affairs 2021, 40: 317-325. PMID: 33523744, PMCID: PMC8638362, DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00378.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid use disorderUse disordersResidential addiction treatment programCost of careShort-term residential careAddiction treatment programsResidential programsClinical evaluationCare settingsRecruitment techniquesCostly treatmentTreatment programAddiction treatmentVulnerable populationsResidential careAudit surveyAdmissionOne-thirdCareDisordersTreatmentMost programsAdmission practicesProfit programsTreatment bed
2020
Therapies Offered at Residential Addiction Treatment Programs in the United States
Beetham T, Saloner B, Gaye M, Wakeman SE, Frank RG, Barnett ML. Therapies Offered at Residential Addiction Treatment Programs in the United States. JAMA 2020, 324: 804-806. PMID: 32840587, PMCID: PMC7448823, DOI: 10.1001/jama.2020.8969.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsResidential addiction treatment programOpioid agonist treatmentResidential addiction treatment facilityOpioid use disorderAddiction treatment facilitiesAddiction treatment programsNonpharmacologic therapiesAgonist treatmentPatient callsUse disordersTreatment programCenter statusTherapyRandom sample
2019
Access to Office-Based Buprenorphine Treatment in Areas With High Rates of Opioid-Related Mortality: An Audit Study.
Beetham T, Saloner B, Wakeman SE, Gaye M, Barnett ML. Access to Office-Based Buprenorphine Treatment in Areas With High Rates of Opioid-Related Mortality: An Audit Study. Annals Of Internal Medicine 2019, 171: 1-9. PMID: 31158849, PMCID: PMC7164610, DOI: 10.7326/m18-3457.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBuprenorphine treatmentBuprenorphine prescribersBuprenorphine prescriptionsFirst visitHeroin useActive heroin useBuprenorphine-naloxone treatmentCurrent heroin useOpioid use disorderOpioid-related mortalityReal-world accessClinician typeBuprenorphine inductionPayer statusNew appointmentsHigh burdenBuprenorphine accessFirst appointmentMedicaid coverageUse disordersPatientsDrug abusePrescribersMedicaidNational InstituteBuprenorphine Prior Authorization Removal: Low Hanging Fruit in the Opioid Overdose Crisis
Beetham T. Buprenorphine Prior Authorization Removal: Low Hanging Fruit in the Opioid Overdose Crisis. HPHR Journal 2019 DOI: 10.54111/0001/y2.Peer-Reviewed Original Research