Sarah K. John, Ph.D., Assistant Director
Sarah John is an economist in the Cost Analysis and Research Division of IDA’s Systems and Analyses Center. Her fields of expertise include labor economics, public economics and health economics. Sarah has led numerous studies on the military health system across a variety of topic areas, including medical readiness, medical education and training, resource sharing between the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and oversees treatment facilities. She has also worked on topics related to southwest border security. Sarah has a doctorate in economics from the University of Kentucky, where she was a research assistant at the University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research. She has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Transylvania University. She is currently serving secretary for the Economics of National Security Association.
Sarah John is an economist in the Cost Analysis and Research Division of IDA’s Systems and Analyses Center. Her fields of expertise include labor economics, public economics and health economics. Sarah has led numerous studies on the military health system across a variety of topic areas, including medical readiness, medical education and training, resource sharing between the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and oversees treatment facilities. She has also worked on topics related to southwest border security. Sarah has a doctorate in economics from the University of Kentucky, where she was a research assistant at the University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research. She has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Transylvania University. She is currently serving secretary for the Economics of National Security Association.
Patrick Luan, Dr.P.H., Assistant Director
Patrick Luan works in the Cost Analysis and Research Division of IDA’s Systems and Analyses Center, where he focuses on health services research, health care and military medicine. He has conducted analyses across the spectrums of health care delivery and public health. This research includes studies of defense occupational health contracting, the efficiency of overseas military treatment facilities, the health impacts of environmental exposures, health IT implementations and variations in surgical outcomes and complication rates. He leads two large studies to understand variations in clinical outcomes and physician practice patterns in the Military Health System in collaboration with researchers from Dartmouth College and Pennsylvania State University.
He received a doctor of public health degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He holds bachelor’s degrees in public health and French from Tulane University.
Patrick Luan works in the Cost Analysis and Research Division of IDA’s Systems and Analyses Center, where he focuses on health services research, health care and military medicine. He has conducted analyses across the spectrums of health care delivery and public health. This research includes studies of defense occupational health contracting, the efficiency of overseas military treatment facilities, the health impacts of environmental exposures, health IT implementations and variations in surgical outcomes and complication rates. He leads two large studies to understand variations in clinical outcomes and physician practice patterns in the Military Health System in collaboration with researchers from Dartmouth College and Pennsylvania State University.
He received a doctor of public health degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He holds bachelor’s degrees in public health and French from Tulane University.
Jamie M. Lindly, Research Staff Member
Jamie Lindly has been a research staff member in the Cost Analysis and Research Division of IDA’s Systems and Analyses Center since 2018. His work at IDA has focused on military health care policy, resource/utilization analysis and organizational design. He has led or supported several studies in areas such as expeditionary medical platform alternative analysis, military-civilian trauma training partnership assessments, medical education and training consolidation options, and lead exposure rates in military children. Prior to coming to IDA, he served on active duty as Chief of the Decision Support Division for the Defense Health Agency, leading comprehensive analytic support functions and enterprise data processing activities for health care delivery to nine million Department of Defense beneficiaries, including claims processing, utilization management, population health and patient experience measurement. Jamie has a master’s degree in operations research from the Naval Postgraduate School and a bachelor’s in business administration from Eastern Washington University.
Jamie Lindly has been a research staff member in the Cost Analysis and Research Division of IDA’s Systems and Analyses Center since 2018. His work at IDA has focused on military health care policy, resource/utilization analysis and organizational design. He has led or supported several studies in areas such as expeditionary medical platform alternative analysis, military-civilian trauma training partnership assessments, medical education and training consolidation options, and lead exposure rates in military children. Prior to coming to IDA, he served on active duty as Chief of the Decision Support Division for the Defense Health Agency, leading comprehensive analytic support functions and enterprise data processing activities for health care delivery to nine million Department of Defense beneficiaries, including claims processing, utilization management, population health and patient experience measurement. Jamie has a master’s degree in operations research from the Naval Postgraduate School and a bachelor’s in business administration from Eastern Washington University.
Brian Q. Rieksts, Ph.D., Research Staff Member
Brian Rieksts has been a member of the research staff in the Cost Analysis and Research Division of IDA’s Systems and Analyses Center since 2005. He has experience in machine learning, math modeling and forecasting. He recently worked on an independent quality assurance review of the Electronic Health Record Modernization program at the Department of Veterans Affairs, a feasibility study on text analytics techniques to assess acquisition programs for the Department of Defense, and an analysis of alternatives for polar airlift for the National Science Foundation. He has also produced cost estimates for weapons systems, modeled overhead costs for aircraft manufacturing plants, and optimized acquisition portfolios for the Department of Defense. Brian earned his doctorate in operations research at Pennsylvania State University.
Brian Rieksts has been a member of the research staff in the Cost Analysis and Research Division of IDA’s Systems and Analyses Center since 2005. He has experience in machine learning, math modeling and forecasting. He recently worked on an independent quality assurance review of the Electronic Health Record Modernization program at the Department of Veterans Affairs, a feasibility study on text analytics techniques to assess acquisition programs for the Department of Defense, and an analysis of alternatives for polar airlift for the National Science Foundation. He has also produced cost estimates for weapons systems, modeled overhead costs for aircraft manufacturing plants, and optimized acquisition portfolios for the Department of Defense. Brian earned his doctorate in operations research at Pennsylvania State University.