Cara J Sammartino (she/her)
Professor College of Health & Wellness Health Science Providence
Biography and Expertise
Cara Sammartino, Ph.D., M.S.P.H., is a health services investigator with more than 9 years of professional experience in developing/analyzing program evaluation data, building analytical models, analyzing state legislation and research effective policy solutions.
Sammartino’s research interests include public finance, econometrics, comparative state policy and health care service utilization variation. She has formal training from Brown University in health services research, where her doctoral thesis examines linkage, retention in care and clinical outcomes for transitional populations with HIV.
Past projects include conducting multiple national surveys as a way to evaluate various state public health funding formula determinations and evaluating the current status of Medicaid directors and their views on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
Sammartino also has significant experience in the local Rhode Island community, collaborating with stakeholders from the perspective of the state and also from the perspective of private insurers. She has worked with the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), Xerox Healthcare, the Office of Health Insurance Commissioner (OHIC), and the Rhode Island Senate Policy Office of the General Assembly, and understands many of the healthcare challenges Rhode Island faces.
In addition to working with public stakeholders and prior to entering doctoral work at Brown University, Sammartino worked for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island in their Health and Wellness institute for five years, evaluating program evaluation data and developing return on investment strategies for wellness programming. She enhanced her past work expertise during her doctoral training by conducting statistical analyses using ArcGIS, STATA, SAS, and R., and interpreting results using econometric analysis, multivariable regressions, multi-level modeling and organizational analysis, to name a few.
Education
PhD
Brown University
Master of Science in Public Health
Emory University
BS
University of Vermont
Honor Society
Delta Omega
Millenial Leadership Scholar
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Shepard Award
Emory University- Rollins School of Public Health
Who’s Who Among Students in America’s Colleges and Universities
Noel, J. & Strong, S. & Sammartino, C. & Gately, K. & Rosenthal, S.
Effects of delaying healthcare on mental health of college students
College Student Affairs
43
1
82-101
Salehi, O. & Chandani, K. & Sammartino, C. & Somasundar, P. & Espat, N. & Calvino, A. & Kwon, S.
Impact of medicaid expansion on screenable versus non-screenable gastrointestinal cancers
Journal of Cancer Policy
43
100525
Al Masad, Q. & Sousa, A. & Pena, P. & Sammartino, C. & Somasundar, P. & Abdelfattah, T. & Espat, N. & Calvino, A. & Kwon, S.
Relationship of Time to First Therapy and Survival Outcomes of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Versus Upfront Surgery Approach in Resectable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Journal of Surgical Research
306
111-121
Sammartino, C.
Advocating Occupational Therapy Services to Medical Providers
Nexus Summit 2024
Sammartino, C.
Dietary Sodium and Potassium Intakes and Kidney Stone Prevalence: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2018
Nutrients
16
14
Sammartino, C.
Cigarette Smoking and Prevalent Kidney Stone: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2018
Journal of the American Society of Nephrology
Rosenthal, S. & Sonido, P. & Sammartino, C. & Swanberg, J. & Noel, J.
Brain injury and substance use in young adults: The need for integrating care
Rhode Island Medical Journal
106
3
17-22
Rosenthal, S. & Noel, J. & Edwards, Z. & Sammartino, C. & Swanberg, J.
Risk factors for suicide ideation among Rhode Island college students
Rhode Island Medical Journal
106
3
23-8
Noel, J. & Sammartino, C. & Johnson, M. & Swanberg, J. & Rosenthal, S.
Smartphone Addiction and Mental Illness In Rhode Island young adults
Rhode Island Medical Journal
106
3
35-41
Noel, J. & Lakhan, H. & Sammartino, C. & Rosenthal, S.
Depressive and anxiety symptoms in first generation college students
Journal of American College Health
71
6
1906-1915
Noel, J. & Rosenthal, S. & Sammartino, C.
Correlates of gambling and gambling problems among Rhode Island young adults: a cross-sectional study
Journal of Public Health
45
2
e164-e170
Rosenthal, S. & Sonido, P. & Tobin, A. & Sammartino, C. & Noel, J.
Breaking down barriers: Young adult interest and use of telehealth for behavioral health services
Rhode Island Medical Journal
105
1
26-31
Noel, J. & Rosenthal, S. & Sammartino, C.
Correlates of gambling and gambling problems among Rhode Island young adults: A cross-sectional study
Journal of Public Health
45
2
e164-e170
Noel, J. & Rosenthal, S. & Sammartino, C.
Exposure to alcohol marketing and alcohol-related consequences in young adults
Substance Use & Misuse
57
7
1156-9
Noel, J. & Rosenthal, S. & Sammartino, C.
Exposure to Alcohol Marketing and Alcohol-Related Consequences in Young Adults
Substance Use & Misuse
57
7
1156-1159
Benajiba, N. & Dodge, E. & Khaled, M. & Chavarria, E. & Sammartino, C. & Aboul-Enein, B.
Technology-based nutrition interventions using the Mediterranean diet: a systematic review
Nutrition Reviews
80
6
1419-1433
Noel, J. & Lahkan, H. & Sammartino, C. & Rosenthal, S.
Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms in First Generation College Students
Journal of American College Health
1-10
Rosenthal, S. & Pearlman, D. & Field, M. & Sammartino, C. & Noel, J.
Inequities laid bare: The mental health of young adults in Rhode Island during the covid-19 pandemic
Rhode Island Medical Journal
104
10
36-41
Noel, J. & Sammartino, C. & Rosenthal, S.
Exposure to Digital Alcohol Marketing and Alcohol Use: A Systematic Review
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, Supplement
s19
57-67
Sammartino, C.
Assessing the Effect of Recent Incarceration in Prison on HIV Care Retention and Viral Suppression in Two States
Journal of Urban Health
95
4
499-507
Sammartino, C.
Use of viral load surveillance data to assess linkage to care for persons with HIV released from corrections
PLoS One
13
2
Sammartino, C.
Systematic Assessment of Linkage to Care for Persons with HIV Released from Corrections Facilities Using Existing Datasets
AIDS Patient Care and STDs
30
2
84-91
Sammartino, C.
Error adjustments for file linking methods using encrypted unique client identifier (eUCI) with application to recently released prisoners who are HIV+
Statistics in Medicine
35
1
115-129
Sammartino, C.
Funding formulas for public health allocations: federal and state strategies
Journal of Public Health Management and Practice
18
4
309-316
A Mindfulness Meditation Intervention in a Public Health Class: Student Outcomes and Future Directions
Poster
Johnson and Wales University
Providence
Mindfulness Intervention in a public health class: Student Outcomes, Practical Strategies & Future Directions
Poster
Faculty Expo
Johnson and Wales University
Providence
Enhancing Collaboration and Communication across State Health Agencies
Keynote/Plenary Address
RIDOH Maternal and Child Health Initiative Annual Meeting
Rhode Island Department of Health
Providence
RI
United States
Physical Therapists and Medical Providers Aren’t Clearing the Spine in Patients with Vertigo and Dizziness.
Poster
Lifespan Research Day
Lifespan RI
RI Hospital
providence
RI
Brain Injury and Substance Use in Young Adults: The Need for Integrating Care.
Poster
Rhode Island Public Health Association 2023 Inaugural Public Health Conference
Providence
Brain Injury and Substance Use in Young Adults: The Need for Integrating Care.
Poster
Rhode Island Public Health Association 2023 Inaugural Public Health Conference
Providence
Brain Injury and Substance Use in Young Adults: The Need for Integrating Care.
Poster
Johnson & Wales University, Student Research, Design, & Innovation Symposium
Providence
Factors for Suicide Ideation Among College Students in Rhode Island
Poster
Johnson & Wales University, Student Research, Design, & Innovation Symposium
Providence
Factors for Suicide Ideation Among College Students in Rhode Island
Poster
Rhode Island Public Health Association 2023 Inaugural Public Health Conference
Providence
Smartphone Addiction in Rhode Island Young Adults: A Pathway to Poor Mental Health.
Poster
Rhode Island Public Health Association 2023 Inaugural Public Health Conference
Providence
Smartphone Addiction in Rhode Island Young Adults: A Pathway to Poor Mental Health.
Poster
Johnson & Wales University, Student Research, Design, & Innovation Symposium
Providence
Medical Providers are Unaware of the Role of OT.
Poster
AOTA Annual Meeting
AOTA
St. Louis, MO.
Medical Providers Aren’t Clearing the Spine in Patients with Vertigo and Dizziness. University Scholarship and Best Practices Expo.
Poster
University Scholarship and Best Practices Expo.
JWU
Providence, RI
Physical Therapists and Medical Providers Aren’t Clearing the Spine in Patients with Vertigo and Dizziness.
Poster
Combined Sections Meeting
APTA
San Diego, CA.
Sports betting among Rhode Island young adults: A cross-sectional study
Poster
Johnson & Wales University Faculty Showcase
Johnson & Wales University
Providence
RI
Medical Professionals Are Not Using Evidence-Based Techniques to Assess for the Presence of Cervicogenic Concussion or Cervicogenic Post-Concussion Syndrome.
Lecture
NEACSM annual meeting
New England Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine.
Providence, RI