Rollins School of Public Health | Faculty Profile

William Pearson

Adjunct Professor

Adjunct or Visiting, Executive MPH

Adjunct or Visiting, Health Policy and Management

I have been working in the healthcare field since 1990; working in hospitals, private physician offices, managed care organizations, long-term care facilities and currently a public health agency. While working as an administrator of a 60-bed skilled nursing facility, I was told by my regional director that "the bottom line of all of this is the bottom line". At that point, it occurred to me how the provision of healthcare in the United States was basically a business and that it was a very large industry. So, I decided to go back to school to study in detail how our healthcare system operates. For more than 20 years now, I have been studying the delivery, financing and organization of the US healthcare system and it always surprises me at how vast and complex this system is. It is amazing how our healthcare system came into being and how it is currently evolving.

I received my masters degree in Healthcare Administration (MHA) from the Medical University of South Carolina and my doctorate in Health Services Research (PhD) from the University of South Carolina.

Contact Information

Atlanta , GA

Email: w.s.pearson@emory.edu

Update Profile

Areas of Interest

Health Outcomes
Health Services Research
Healthcare Systems

Education

PhD 2004, University of South Carolina
MHA 1999, Medical University of South Carolina

Courses Taught

HPM 501: Pub Hlth & Hlth Resource Alloc

Affiliations & Activities

Fellow, American College of Epidemiology (2010-Present), Chair - Admissions Committee (2016 - 2018)

Publications

Pearson WS, Emerson B, Hogben M, Barbee L., 2024, Use of Doxycycline to Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections According to Provider Characteristics, Emerging Infectious Diseases, 30, 197-199
Pearson WS, Chan PA, Habel MA, Haderxhanaj L, Higben M, Aral SO., 2023, A Description of Telehealth Use Among Sexually Transmitted Infection Providers in the United States, 2021, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 50,
Seiler N, Pearson WS, Bachmann LH, Heyison C, Organick-Lee P, Karchuskansky A, Dwyer G, Osei A, Stoll H, Horton K., 2023, Congenital Syphilis in the Medicaid Program: Assessing Challenges and Opportunities Through the Experiences of Seven Southern States, Womens Health Issues, 24, S1039-3867
Seiler N, Horton K, Pearson WS, Cramer R, Adil M, Bishop D, Heyison C. , 2022, Addressing the STI Epidemic Through the Medicaid Program: A Roadmap for States and Managed Care Organizations, Public Health Reports, 137, 5-10
Pearson WS, Chan PA, Cramer R, Gift TL., 2022, Characterizing Financial Sustainability of Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinics Through Insurance Billing Practices., Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 28, 358-365
Pearson WS, Tromble E, Jenkins WD, Solnick R, Gift TL., 2022, Choosing the Emergency Department as an Alternative for STD Care: Potential Disparities in Access, Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 33, 1163-1168
Lanier P, Kennedy S, Snyder A, Smith J, Napierala E, Talbert J, Hammerslag L, Humble L, Myers E, Austin A, Blount T, Dowler S, Mobley V, Lòpez-De Fede A, Nguyen H, Bruce J, Grijalva CG, Krishnan S, Otter C, Horton K, Seiler N, Majors J, Pearson, WS, 2022, Prenatal Syphilis Screening Among Medicaid Enrollees in 6 Southern States, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 62, 770-776
Pearson WS, Kumar S, Habel MA, Walsh S, Meit M, Barrow RY, Gift TL., 2021, Sexually transmitted disease clinics in the United States: Understanding the needs of patients and the capabilities of providers., Preventive Medicine, 145,
Pearson WS, Cramer R, Spicknall IH, Jenkins WJ., 2019, Medicaid Coverage of Sexually Transmitted Disease Service Visits., American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 57, 51-56
Pearson WS, Cherry D, Leichliter JL, Bachmann L, Cummings N, Hogben M., 2019, National Estimates of Injectable Antibiotic Unavailability for Treatment of Gonorrhea and Syphilis in US Physician Offices, Emerging Infectious Diseases, ,
Pearson WS, Tao G, Gift TL., 2018, Improvement Still Needed in Sexually Transmitted Disease Testing Among HIV-Positive Medicaid Enrollees, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 45, 49
Pearson WS, Kreisel K, Peterman TA, Zlotorzynska M, Dittus PJ, Habel MA, Papp JR., 2018, Improving STD service delivery: Would American patients and providers use self-tests for gonorrhea and chlamydia?, Preventive Medicine, 115, 26-30.
Pearson WS, Peterman TA, Gift TL., 2017, An increase in sexually transmitted infections seen in US emergency departments., Preventive Medicine, 100, 143-144
Chang BA, Pearson WS, Owusu-Edusei, K Jr., 2017, Correlates of county-level nonviral sexually transmitted infection hot spots in the US: application of hot spot analysis and spatial logistic regression., Annals of Epidemiology, 27, 231-237
Pearson WS, Tao G, Kroeger K, Peterman TA., 2017, Increase in Urgent Care Center Visits for Sexually Transmitted Infections, United States, 2010-2014., Emerging Infectious Diseases, 23, 367-369
Pearson WS, Cramer R, Tao G, Leichliter JS, Gift TL, Hoover KW., 2016, Willingness to use Health Insurance at a Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic: A Survey of Patients at 21 US Clinics, American Journal of Public Health, ,
Pearson WS, Davis AD, Hoover KW, Gift TL, Owusu-Edusei K, Tao G., 2015, Demographic and Health Services Characteristics Associated with Testing for Sexually Transmitted Infections among a Commercially Insured Population of HIV-positive Patients., Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, ,
Pearson WS, Gift TL, Leichliter JS, Jenkins WD., 2015, Differences in treatment of chlamydia trachomatis by ambulatory care setting., Journal of Community Health, ,
Pearson WS, Goates SA, Harrykisson SD, Miller SA, 2014, State-based Medicaid Costs for Pediatric Asthma Emergency Department Visits, Preventing Chronic Disease, 11,
Pearson WS, King DE, Richards C., 2013, Capitated Payments to Primary Care Providers and the Delivery of Patient Education, Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 26, 350-355
Pearson WS, Ovalle F, Faul M, Sasser SC, 2012, A review of traumatic brain injury trauma center visits meeting physiologic criteria from the American College of Surgeons – Committee on Trauma/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Field Triage Guidelines, Prehospital Emergency Care, 16, 323-328
Pearson WS, Sugerman DE, McGuire LC, Coronado VG, 2012, Emergency department visits for traumatic brain injury in older adults in the United States: 2006-08, Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 13, 289-293
Pearson WS, Bhat-Schelbert K, Probst JC, 2011, Multiple chronic conditions and the aging of America: A challenge for primary care physicians, Journal of Primary Care and Community Health, 3, 51-56
Pearson WS, Garvin WS, Ford ES, Balluz LS, 2010, Analysis of five-year trends in self-reported language preference and issues of item non-response among Hispanic persons in a large cross-sectional health survey: implications for the measurement of an ethnic minority population, Population Health Metrics, 8,
Pearson WS, Dhingra SS, Strine TW, Liang YW, Berry JT, Mokdad AH, 2009, Relationships between serious psychological distress and the use of health services in the United States: findings from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, International Journal of Public Health, 54, 23-29
Pearson WS, Ahluwalia IA, Ford ES, Mokdad AH, 2008, Language preference as a predictor of access to and use of healthcare services among Hispanics in the United States, Ethnicity and Disease, 18, 93-97
Pearson WS, 2007, Ten-year comparison of estimates of overweight and obesity, diagnosed diabetes and use of office-based physician services for treatment of diabetes in the United States, Preventive Medicine, 45, 353-357
Pearson WS, Bercovitz AR, 2006, Use of Computerized Medical Records in Home Health and Hospice Agencies: U.S., 2000, Vital and Health Statistics, 13,
Mainous AG, Koopman RJ, Gill JM, Baker R, Pearson WS, 2004, Relationship between continuity of care and diabetes control: evidence from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, American Journal of Public Health, 94, 66-70
Hueston WJ, Pearson WS, 2004, Subclinical hypothyroidism and the risk of hypercholesterolemia, Annals of Family Medicine, 2, 351-355
Steyer TE, Ragucci KR, Pearson WS, Mainous AG, 2004, The role of pharmacists in the delivery of influenza vaccinations, Vaccine, 22, 1001-1006
Pearson WS, Hueston WJ, 2004, The Treatment of HIV/AIDS in the Nursing Home: Variations in Rural and Urban Long Term Care Settings, Southern Medical Journal, 97, 338-341
Mainous AG, Pearson WS, 2003, Aspirin and ibuprofen: potential mediators of the cardiovascular risk due to smoking?, Family Medicine, 35, 112-118
Mainous AG, Hueston WJ, Davis MP, Pearson WS, 2003, Trends in Antimicrobial Prescribing for Bronchitis and Upper Respiratory Infections Among Adults and Children, American Journal of Public Health, 93, 1910-1914
Mainous AG, Gill JM, Pearson WS, 2002, Should we screen for hemochromatosis? An examination of evidence of downstream effects on morbidity and mortality, Archives of Internal Medicine (JAMA), 162, 1769-1774