We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Hannah L. Maxey, Director of the Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research & Policy, has been recognized by Indiana University’s Department of Family Medicine in the IU School of Medicine with a faculty award for her “Outstanding Commitment to Community Engagement and Service.” This prestigious honor, made even more significant by her nomination from colleagues and fellow faculty members, highlights Dr. Maxey’s exceptional contributions to the field of health workforce research in policy, both at home in Indiana and beyond.
Dr. Maxey’s recognition stems in part from her pivotal role in spearheading the recent “Playbook for Enhancing Indiana’s Mental and Behavioral Health Workforce,” a comprehensive initiative aimed at addressing critical workforce shortages in mental and behavioral health across Indiana. This strategic roadmap, developed under Dr. Maxey’s leadership, brings together insights from academic institutions, policymakers, and healthcare providers to create actionable recommendations for strengthening Indiana’s mental and behavioral health workforce pipeline. The Playbook, rooted in extensive research and data-driven insights conducted by the Bowen Center, identifies key challenges and opportunities within the workforce pipeline.
Dr. Maxey’s work exemplifies the Bowen Center’s dedication to community-focused research and policy development. Her efforts are poised to make a significant difference in addressing Indiana’s mental health workforce challenges, with the ultimate goal of improving access to mental and behavioral health services for Hoosiers across the state.
We congratulate Dr. Maxey on this well-deserved recognition and look forward to the continued positive impact of her work on Indiana’s healthcare landscape. Her leadership and dedication serve as an inspiration to us all and reinforce the importance of community engagement in driving meaningful change in public health.
Bowen Director Dr. Hannah Maxey was the featured speaker at a CTS Talks event Sept. 12 at Christian Theological Seminary, giving a lecture on the intersection of faith communities and mental health. Her talk, titled “Mental Health: The Crisis and a Call to Action for People of Faith,” offered a timely discussion on the critical issue of mental health in America and its significant impact on individuals and communities of faith. Dr. Maxey explored how faith communities are uniquely positioned to respond to this crisis, challenging attendees to become ambassadors of love and hope.
CTS Talks is known for its TED Talk-style lectures that bring together intellectual curiosity and community reflection.
Related: Indiana’s mental health care is in crisis, with both real-life impacts on the everyday lives of millions of Hoosiers and for the long-term economic outlook of our state. Bowen has developed a mental health workforce Playbook that tackles that crisis head-on, offering concrete policy solutions to increase the number of mental health care workers in Indiana. To learn more about the Playbook and its strategies, visit The Playbook home page.
Mark your calendars for an inspiring evening at the upcoming CTS Talks, a series of lectures given at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, featuring a thought-provoking presentation by our director, Dr. Hannah L. Maxey. As a guest speaker, Dr. Maxey will deliver a talk titled “Mental Health: The Crisis and a Call to Action for People of Faith.” This timely discussion will address the critical issue of mental health in America and its significant impact on individuals and communities of faith. Dr. Maxey will explore how faith communities are uniquely positioned to respond to this crisis, challenging attendees to become ambassadors of love and hope. Her expertise promises to shed light on the silent struggles many face due to stigma and the difficulties in accessing care amidst professional shortages.
CTS Talks is known for its TED Talk-style lectures that bring together intellectual curiosity and community reflection. By participating in this event, our director contributes to a broader conversation on mental health and faith.
Bowen Assistant Director of Data and Research Sierra Vaughn
Bowen’s Assistant Director of Data and Research Sierra Vaughn gave a presentation on rural health care in Indiana to the Indiana Rural Health Association on August 1.
Mirroring national trends, rural health care in Indiana faces significant challenges. The state has seen hospital closures, with 52 rural hospitals remaining as of 2024, and 25% of open hospitals experiencing service reductions. Workforce shortages are acute, particularly in mental health, where rural areas have two-thirds fewer behavioral health professionals than urban areas. Additionally, 35 Indiana counties lack a birthing hospital, impacting maternal care access. These issues are compounded by broader rural health disparities, including slower life expectancy increases and higher mortality rates for conditions like heart disease and cancer compared to urban areas.
Read more about the challenges faced by rural hospitals in Indiana and nationwide as well as potential solutions in Vaughn’s presentation here:
Bowen Center Director Dr. Hannah Maxey presented August 1 the Playbook for Enhancing Indiana’s Mental and Behavioral Health Workforce to the Indiana Commission to Combat Substance Use Disorder. Indiana faces an enormous challenge of recruiting and retaining a sufficient number of mental and behavioral health workers, with every county in the state meeting the criteria for a federally designated workforce shortage in these areas.
The results are staggering, with real-life implications for hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers:
Bowen Director Dr. Hannah Maxey provided expert testimony to the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging on March 9, 2023. Her presentation focused on strengthening the home and community-based care workforce, a critical component of support for aging Americans. Dr. Maxey highlighted various state-led initiatives to improve home care services, including standardizing worker titles and training, implementing portable credentials, and enhancing wages and benefits.
Emphasizing the crucial role of states in this effort, Dr. Maxey stated, “States have a critical role in reinforcing the front line of our nation’s communities of care.” She stressed the importance of data collection to inform workforce planning and policy decisions, noting that “Data is the foundation of informed workforce policy.” Dr. Maxey also addressed the challenges faced by the workforce, including low wages and the potential loss of benefits as wages increase, known as the “benefits cliff.”
Reflecting on the universal importance of this issue, Dr. Maxey remarked, “Time waits for no man. The issues of the aging are the issues of us all.” She concluded by underlining the significance of the home care workforce in supporting seniors and the ongoing need for efforts to bolster this essential component of community care, saying, “At some point in our lives, many of us will rely on this workforce, for a loved one or even for ourselves.”
