Kimberly Brimhall, PhD
Clinical Associate Professor, Health Law, Policy & Management - Boston University School of Public Health
Biography
Kim Brimhall, PhD, CSW, MSW, received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Organizational Behavior from Brigham Young University–Hawaii, her Master of Social Work from Brigham Young University–Provo, her Certified Social Work license from the State of Utah, and her Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work from the University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. She is a Clinical Associate Professor of Health Law, Policy, and Management at Boston University School of Public Health; Director of Evaluation at the Boston University Clinical and Translational Science Institute (BU CTSI); Evaluator of Boston Medical Center’s Learning Health Systems Program (Boston HEALHS); and Lead Evaluator of Boston University’s Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health Program (BIRCWH).
Dr. Brimhall is a mixed-methods health services researcher with expertise working with large health care organizations to improve systems-level functioning and quality of care. Her quantitative methods expertise includes survey development, implementation, and analysis (including latent variable modeling such as structural equation modeling), as well as the evaluation of longitudinal and multilevel program and organizational dynamics. Her qualitative expertise includes collecting and analyzing data from organizational observations, one-on-one interviews, and focus groups with partners and constitutes from a wide range of backgrounds (e.g., patients, providers, organizational leaders).
Dr. Brimhall is also a skilled evaluation methodologist who uses participatory and utilization-focused approaches to ensure the timely use of evaluation data to guide continuous improvement and decision-making. She employs a team-science approach to build common ground among partners and foster a culture of self-assessment, innovation, and collaborative problem-solving. She uses systems-inquiry evaluation methods and evidence-based, theory-driven approaches to facilitate organizational behavior change and advance learning health systems.
Education
- University of Southern California, PhD
- Brigham Young University, MSW Field of Study: Social Work
- Brigham Young University/Hawaii, BS Field of Study: Psychology/Organizational Behavior
Classes Taught
- SPHPH718
- SPHPM736
Publications
- Published on 9/1/2025
Kuhfeldt K, Brimhall KC. Increasing evaluation team capacity through creation of an innovative digital tool. Clin Transl Sci. 2025; (e235):1-17. doi:10.1017/cts.2025.101.
- Published on 5/19/2025
Brimhall KC, Kuhfeldt K, Kotton DN, Jones MR. Building on the Translational Science Benefits Model to include team science: a practical and theory-based approach to continuous quality improvement and impact evaluation for Clinical and Translational Science Award programs. Front Public Health. 2025; 13:1581205. PMID: 40458088.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 3/23/2025
Ponce RKM, Verma K, Gergen-Barnett K, Brimhall K, Ko NY. A Review of Medical Mistrust Across the Cancer Continuum of Care and Current Interventions. J Community Health. 2025 Aug; 50(4):750-760. PMID: 40123044.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 9/14/2024
Mor Barak ME, Luria G, Brimhall KC, Ozbilgin M. How do inclusive leaders emerge: A theory-based model . Management Learning . 2024; doi:10.1177/13505076241269746.
Read At: Custom
- Published on 2/8/2024
Williams CM, Mastroleo NR, Brimhall KC, Zale EL. Associations Between Alcohol and Cannabis Use and Pain Among College Student-Athletes. Subst Use Misuse. 2024; 59(4):567-575. PMID: 38087985.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 4/1/2023
Brimhall KC, Tsai CY, Eckardt R, Dionne S, Yang B, Sharp A. The effects of leadership for self-worth, inclusion, trust, and psychological safety on medical error reporting. Health Care Manage Rev. 2023 Apr-Jun 01; 48(2):120-129. PMID: 36745754.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 1/1/2022
Brimhall KC, Williams R, Malloy B, Piekunka LR, Fannin A. Workgroup inclusion is key for improving job satisfaction and commitment among human service employees of color. Hum Serv Organ Manag Leadersh Gov. 2022; 46:1-23. doi:10.1080/23303131.202.
- Published on 10/29/2021
Morton HE, Gillis JM, Zale EL, Brimhall KC, Romanczyk RG. Development and Validation of the Assessment of Bullying Experiences Questionnaire for Neurodivergent Youth. J Autism Dev Disord. 2022 Nov; 52(11):4651-4664. PMID: 34713376.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 1/1/2021
Mor Barak ME, Luria G, Brimhall KC. What leaders say vs. what they do: Inclusive leadership, policy-practice decoupling, and the anomaly of climate for inclusion. Group & Organization Management. 2021; doi:10.1177/10596011211005916.
Read At: Custom
- Published on 1/1/2020
Brimhall KC, Palinkas L. Using mixed methods to uncover inclusive leader behaviors: A promising approach for improving employee and organizational outcomes. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies. 2020; 27:357-375. doi:10.1177/154805182.
Read At: Custom
View 12 more publications:View Full Profile at BUMC
News & In the Media
- Published on August 31, 2023