Morgan Shields, PhD

Morgan Shields researches the quality and accountability of behavioral health care. Her work seeks to identify implementation strategies to improve the use of evidence-based practices, with a focus on patient-centered care and equity. She is particularly focused on identifying policies (e.g., payment, regulations) to motivate and support quality improvement. Shields is one of few people studying the quality of inpatient psychiatry. Her research identifying disparities in quality performance at the Veterans Health Administration led to internal investigations by the Deputy Under Secretary for Health and Organizational Excellence. Shields directs the IDEAL (Inclusive, Dignified, Equitable and Effective, Accountable, and Loving) Lab, which identifies strategies for providing patient-centered care, is assistant director of the Center for Mental Health Services Research, and director of the “Love in Action” Master’s Research Fellowship at WashU’s Brown School.