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Biography

Bianca K. Frogner, PhD, is Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Family Medicine (DFM) in the School of Medicine at University of Washington (UW). She is the Director of the UW Center for Health Workforce Studies and the Director of the UW Primary Care Innovation Lab (PCI-Lab), both housed in DFM. She is an Adjunct Professor in the Health Systems and Population Health Department of the UW School of Public Health. She serves on the Coordinating Core of Rural PRO-CARE, a Rural Health Equity and Research Network (HERN) funded by the American Heart Association. Dr. Frogner also serves on the leadership team of the UCSF Advancing Workforce Analysis and Research for Dementia (AWARD) Network. Dr. Frogner is a Governor-appointed member of the Washington state Health Care Cost Transparency Board and is the Chair of the Data Issues Advisory Committee of the Board. She has served on National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine committees, including most recently as co-chair of a workshop on the affordability of health professional education. She is on the Editorial Boards of Milbank Quarterly, Health Services Research, and Medical Care Research and Review. Dr. Frogner’s has produced about 200 publications including peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and reports. She has delivered over 250 scholarly presentations and has appeared in media outlets including CNN, NPR, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Vox, and Politico. She has received awards recognizing her excellence in both mentorship and research. Dr. Frogner completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health. Dr. Frogner received her PhD in health economics at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and BA at University of California, Berkeley in Molecular and Cell Biology.

 

Publications

Travers JL, Reckrey JM, Frogner BK, Myers-Bristol M, Grabowski DC, Spetz J. The Dementia Care Workforce: Essential to Care but With Large Research Gaps Exist. Alzheimers Dement. May 2025

Woodward KF, Dill J, Trotter LJ, Frogner BK Beyond the Pandemic: The Relationship Between Macroeconomic Conditions and Healthcare Worker Shortages in the United States. BMC Health Services Research. May 2025

Prusynski RA, Amaravadi H, Frogner BK, Mroz TM Impacts of Skilled Nursing Facility Change of Ownership on Staffing: A Staggered Difference-in-Difference Analysis. J Am Med Dir Assoc. Mar 2025

Woodward KF, Trotter LJ, Dill J, Frogner BK New Opportunities or More of the Same? Health Industry Entrants in the Post-Pandemic Era. Med Care Res Rev. Mar 2025

Guenther GA, Shahrir SF, Skillman SM, Kundu I, Garcia E, Frogner BK Career Pathways Into the Medical Laboratory Workforce: Education, Exposures, and Motivations. American Journal of Clinical Pathology. Dec 2024

Wright B, O'Connor A, Fraher EP, Marino M, Frogner BK Family medicine research: seizing the moment to advance the field. BMC Health Serv Res. Dec 2024

Mroz TM, Dunlap BS, Frogner BK Economic insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic among healthcare workers by educational attainment. Health Affairs Scholar. Dec 2024

Lee D, van Eijk MS, Oster NV, Frogner BK, Skillman SM US Home Care Worker’s Access to and Use of Benefits During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Study. Home Health Care Management & Practice. Dec 2024

Frogner BK Striking the Right Staffing Balance in Health Centers. JAMA Netw Open. Oct 2024

Cole MB, Wright B, Kett PM, Johnson HM, Staloff J, Frogner BK COVID-19 Federal Funding To Health Centers: Tracking Distribution, Locations, And Patient Characteristics. Health Affairs. Aug 2024

Kett P, Cole MB, Wright B, Frogner BK Association of Federal COVID-19 Funding Distributions With Workforce and Capacity in Health Centers. J Ambul Care Manage. Aug 2024

Dill JS, Frogner BK The gender wage gap among health care workers across educational and occupational groups. Health Affairs Scholar. Jan 2024

Staloff J, Cole MB, Frogner B, Sabbatini AK National and State-Level Trends in Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services at Federally Qualified Health Centers, 2012-2019. J Community Health. Nov 2023

Bacci JL, Pollack SW, Skillman SM, Odegard PS, Danielson JH, Frogner BK Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Community Pharmacy Workforce. Medical Care Research and Review. Oct 2023

Buerhaus P, Fraher E, Frogner B, Buntin M, O'Reilly-Jacob M, Clarke S Toward a Stronger Post-Pandemic Nursing Workforce. N Engl J Med. Jul 2023

Islas IG, Brantley E, Portela Martinez M, Salsberg E, Dobkin F, Frogner BK Documenting Latino Representation In The US Health Workforce. Health Aff. Jul 2023

Lee D, Pollack SM, Mroz T, Frogner BK, Skillman SM Disability competency training in medical education. Medical Education Online. May 2023

Frogner BK, Patterson DG, Skillman SM The Workforce Needed to Address Population Health. The Milbank Quarterly. May 2023

Lee D, Kett PM, Mohammed SA, Frogner BK, Sabin J Inequitable care delivery toward COVID-19 positive people of color and people with disabilities. PLOS Global Public Health. Apr 2023

Al Achkar M, Dahal A, Frogner BK, Skillman SM, Patterson DG Integrating Immigrant Health Professionals into the U.S. Healthcare Workforce: Barriers and Solutions. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. Apr 2023

Ornelas IJ, Schwartz M, Sabin JA, Frogner BK. Using experiential education in health professions training to improve health equity: Lessons learned from interviews with key informants. . J High Educ Outreach Engagem. Dec 2022

Prusynski RA, Humbert A, Leland NE, Frogner BK, Saliba D, Mroz TM Dual impacts of Medicare payment reform and the COVID-19 pandemic on therapy staffing in skilled nursing facilities. J Am Geriatr Soc. . Dec 2022

Skillman SM, Johnson HM, Frogner BK Pathways To Registered Nursing: Influences Of Health-Related Work Experience And Education Financing. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice. Aug 2022

Jopson AD, Cummings AG, Frogner BK, Skillman SM Employers’ perspectives on the use of medical assistant apprenticeships: a qualitative study. J Ambul Care Manag. Jul 2022

Harwood KJ, Pines J, Andrilla CH, Frogner BK A two stage residual inclusion approach to estimating influence of the initial provider on health care utilization and costs for low back pain in the US. BMC Health Services Research. May 2022

Frogner BK, Dill J Tracking turnover among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Health Forum. Apr 2022

Dill J, Frogner BK, Travers J Taking the long view: understanding the rate of second job holding among long-term care workers. Med Care Res Rev. Apr 2022

Sabbatini AK, McConnell KJ, Parrish C, Frogner B, Reddy A, Zatzick D, Kreuter W, Basu A. Impact of Washington state’s emergency department information exchange on health care use and expenditures. . Health Serv Res. Mar 2022

van Eijk MS, Guenther GA, Kett PM, Jopson AD, Frogner BK, Skillman SM Addressing Systemic Racism In Birth Doula Services To Reduce Health Inequities In The United States. Health Equity. Feb 2022

van Eijk MS, Kett PM, Prueher L, Frogner BK, Guenther GA Lack of Consistent Investment In Federal Insurance Navigator Program Undermines Navigators' Equity Work In Vulnerable Communities. J Public Health Manag Pract. Feb 2022

Frogner BK How the Health Services Research Workforce Supply in the United States is Evolving. Health Services Research. Jan 2022

Prusynski RA, Frogner BK, Skillman SM, Dahal A, Mroz TM Therapy Assistant Staffing and Patient Quality Outcomes in Skilled Nursing Facilities. Journal of Applied Gerontology. July 2021

Prusynski RA, Leland NE, Frogner BK, Leibbrand C, Mroz TM Therapy staffing in skilled nursing facilities declined after implementation of the patient-driven payment model. J Am Med Dir Assoc. May 2021

Mohammed SA, Guenther GA, Frogner BK, Skillman SM Examining the racial and ethnic diversity of associate degree in nursing programs by type of institution in the us, 2012-2018. Nurs Outlook. Apr 2021

Mohammed SA, Guenther GA, Frogner BK, Skillman SM Examining the racial and ethnic diversity of associate degree in nursing programs by type of institution in the US, 2012–2018. Nursing Outlook. Apr 2021

Mroz TM, Dahal A, Prusynski R, Skillman SM, Frogner BK Variation in employment of therapy assistants in skilled nursing facilities based on organizational factors. Med Care Res Rev. Feb 2021

Armstrong D, Moore J, Fraher EP, Frogner BK, Pittman P, Spetz J Covid-19 and the health workforce. Med Care Res Rev. Feb 2021

Prusynski RA, Frogner BK, Dahal AD, Skillman SM, Mroz TM Skilled nursing facility characteristics associated with financially motivated therapy and relation to quality. J Am Med Dir Assoc. Dec 2020

Armstrong D, Moore J, Fraher EP, Frogner BK, Pittman P, Spetz J Covid-19 and the health workforce. Med Care Res Rev. Oct 2020

Mroz TM, Dahal A, Prusynski R, Skillman SM, Frogner BK Variation in employment of therapy assistants in skilled nursing facilities based on organizational factors. Med Care Res Rev. Aug 2020

Fraher EP, Pittman P, Frogner BK, Spetz J, Moore J, Beck AJ, Armstrong D, Buerhaus PI Ensuring and sustaining a pandemic workforce. N Engl J Med. Jun 2020

Skillman SM, Dahal A, Frogner BK, Andrilla CHA Frontline workers' career pathways: A detailed look at washington state's medical assistant workforce. Med Care Res Rev. Jun 2020

Mroz TM, Patterson DG, Frogner BK The impact of medicare's rural add-on payments on supply of home health agencies serving rural counties. Health Aff (Millwood). Jun 2020

LeRouge C, Sangameswaran S, Frogner B, Snyder C, Rubenstein L, Kirsh S, Sayre G The group practice manager in the vha: A view from the field. Fed Pract. Feb 2020

Frogner BK, Fraher EP, Spetz J, Pittman P, Moore J, Beck AJ, Armstrong D, Buerhaus PI Modernizing scope-of-practice regulations - time to prioritize patients. N Engl J Med. Feb 2020

 

CHWS Publications

For full listings, please visit the CHWS website

Kett PM, Guenther GA, Dunlap BS, Frogner BK. State Variations in Maternal and Child Health Workforce Support Health Affairs Scholar 03-11-2026

Prusynski RA, Mroz TM, Frogner BK. Therapy Staff Turnover in Skilled Nursing Facilities: Facility Characteristics and Associations With Resident Outcomes Medical Care Research and Review 03-26-2026

Prusynski RA, Mroz TM, Smith DJ, Dula C, Frogner BK. An Assessment of the Long-Term Care Workforce Services in the State of Washington Part 1: A Quantitative Analysis Washington State Workforce Technical and Education Coordinating Board 03-27-2026

Stubbs BA, Skillman SM, Dahal A, Frogner BK. Leveraging Public Data to Track the Allied Health Workforce: The Effect of COVID-19 Data Updates Center for Health Workforce Studies, University of Washington 02-11-2026

Sabin J, Guenther GA, Ornelas IJ, Patterson DG, Andrilla CHA, Morales LS, Gujral K, Frogner BK. The Impact of Brief Health Equity/Implicit Bias Education on Patient-Centered Communication Among Clinical Teaching Faculty Adv Med Educ Pract 01-31-2026

 

CHWS Presentations

For full listings, please visit the CHWS website

Andrilla HA, Oster NV, Hu X, McCoy R, Russell N, Faerberg J, Dill M, Frogner BK. Comparing Behavioral Health Provider Availability in Rural and Urban Physician Practices UW Family Medicine Department Fair & Scholarship Forum, Seattle, WA

Frogner BK (Moderator), Spetz J, Scales K. Recent Policy Developments Impacting the Long-Term Care Workforce: A Fireside Chat Advancing Workforce Analysis and Research for Dementia (AWARD) Network Webinar Series, Virtual Event

Frogner BK. Navigating Shifts: Impact of Federal Policy Changes on the Biomedical Workforce American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, VA

Frogner BK (Chair/Moderator). Panel: Implications of Scope of Practice Reform for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses APPAM's 47th Annual Fall Research Conference, Seattle, WA

Frogner BK (Chair/Moderator). Panel: The Wellbeing of Immigrant Students, Parents, and Workers in the US APPAM's 47th Annual Fall Research Conference, Seattle, WA

 

RHRC Publications

For full listings, please visit the RHRC website

Mroz TM, Frogner BK, Patterson DG. The impact of Medicare’s rural add-on payments on supply of home health agencies serving rural counties Health Affairs 39:6, 949-957 06-01-2020

 

RHRC Presentations

For full listings, please visit the RHRC website

Mroz TM, Patterson DG, & Frogner B. The impact of Medicare’s rural add-on payments on access to home health care Poster presented at the AcademyHealth –Long Term Services and Support Interest Group Meeting, Seattle, WA

Mroz TM, Patterson DG, & Frogner B. The impact of Medicare’s rural add-on payments on access to home health care Poster presented at the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting, Seattle, WA