Sarah Mahoney

Sarah Mahoney is an MD-PhD candidate in Health Economics at Yale University. She graduated summa cum laude from Emory University with degrees in Economics and Biology. Her early research focused on maternal and neonatal health, including evaluating the impact of a public health initiative on neonatal outcomes for her senior thesis, studying the costs of breastfeeding, and examining the use of donor human milk in neonatal intensive care units.

Her current research explores how physician payment models influence healthcare delivery. She examines how participation in different Medicare payment models affects physician behavior, care patterns, and patient outcomes. Drawing on Medicare claims and survey data, she uses tools from health economics to better understand how financial incentives shape clinical decision-making and to identify ways to improve care for patients with complex needs.

Her clinical practice provides a practical lens for identifying meaningful policy questions, while economic research offers rigorous methods to evaluate and improve healthcare delivery. Through her research Sarah aims to inform policies that support high-quality, efficient, and equitable care.