Roosa Sofia Tikkanen

About

I'm a PhD candidate (2021-25) at the Center for Global Health Inequalities Research (CHAIN), where I study working conditions of community health workers (CHWs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). As front-line primary health care workers, they play a key role in addressing socioeconomic inequalities in health, particularly for maternal and child health outcomes. My research focuses on working conditions of CHWs, examined through feminist political economy theory, as these workers are often female, have a relatively low socioeconomic status, and unpaid workers lacking traditional labor protections. I study movements by CHWs to advocate for stronger labor rights through strikes, protests and unionization. I'm a member of the Norwegian Research School for Global Health (NRSGH), Women in Global Health Norway and Health Systems Global.

Before joining CHAIN, I worked at the Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based philanthrophy where I conducted comparative health policy research including on primary care performance, income-based inequalities, health systems and universal coverage, social spending, and maternal care. Prior to this, I was a Policy Analyst at the Center for Health Law and Policy, University of Massachusetts Medical School in Boston, where I consulted on state-based projects on health services financing and delivery, including community health worker programs in the U.S. My research has also documented racial inequalities in access to and public funding of hospitals in New York. I hold a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, and a Masters in Research (MRes) in Integrative Biology and a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Neuroscience from the University of Manchester, England. See full CV for further details on my professional background.

Research

Publications

Breaking the silence on gendered harassment and assault of community health workers: an analysis of ethnographic studies

This paper explores violence and harassment faced by community health workers, an exceptionally vulnerable cadre that often lacks institutional, physical, financial and social protection. The paper includes suggestions from CHWs on addressing the problem

An anthropological history of Nepal's Female Community Health Volunteer program: gender, policy, and social change

Our analysis highlights how issues of gender, workload, and pay have persisted in Nepal's Female Community Health Volunteer Program during the 35-year history of the program.

2024

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Closser, Svea; Prince, Justine; Chand, Priyankar; Justice, Judith. (2024) An anthropological history of Nepal's Female Community Health Volunteer program: gender, policy, and social change. International Journal for Equity in Health
Academic article

2023

Closser, Svea; Sultan, Marium; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Singh, Shalini; Majidulla, Arman; Maes, Kenneth. (2023) Breaking the silence on gendered harassment and assault of community health workers: An analysis of ethnographic studies. BMJ Global Health
Academic article

2022

FitzGerald, Molly; Gunja, Munira; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2022) Primary Care in High-Income Countries: How the United States Compares. The Commonwealth Fund Washington, DC
Academic article
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2022) [Protocol] Scoping Review Protocol on community health worker views of their remuneration arrangements and collective labor movements in low- and middle-income countries.
Other product

2021

Doty, Michelle M; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; FitzGerald, Molly; Fields, Katharine; Williams, Reginald D. (2021) Income-Related Inequality In Affordability And Access To Primary Care In Eleven High-Income Countries. Health Affairs
Academic article
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Osborn, Robin. (2021) International Lessons for the United States on Population Health, Health Care, and Health Policy. The University Press of Kentucky
Chapter
Zephyrin, Laurie; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2021) The U.S. Has an Abysmal Track Record for Maternal Health. Ms.
Feature article

2020

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Schneider, Eric C. (2020) Social Spending to Improve Population Health — Does the United States Spend as Wisely as Other Countries?. New England Journal of Medicine
Academic article
Doty, Michelle M; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Shah, Arnav; Schneider, Eric C. (2020) Primary Care Physicians’ Role In Coordinating Medical And Health-Related Social Needs In Eleven Countries. Health Affairs
Academic article
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Shah, Arnav; Schneider, Eric C. (2020) The Role of Primary Care Practices in Screening for Patient Social Needs in the United States and Other High-Income Countries. Health Services Research (HSR)
Abstract
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Wharton, George; Djordjevic, Ana; Mossialos, Elias; Williams, Reginald II. (2020) A new resource to understand how countries have responded to COVID-19. London School of Economics and Political Science Blog
Feature article
Zephyrin, Laurie; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2020) The shameful abundance of birth- and pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. STAT
Feature article
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Robin, Osborn; Elias, Mossialos; Ana, Djordjevic; George, Wharton. (2020) 2020 International Profiles of Health Care Systems. The Commonwealth Fund
Report

2017

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Woolhandler, Steffie; Himmelstein, David U; Kressin, Nancy R; Hanchate, Amresh; Lin, Meng-Yun. (2017) Hospital Payer and Racial/Ethnic Mix at Private Academic Medical Centers in Boston and New York City. International Journal of Health Services
Academic article
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Steffie, Woolhandler; David, Himmelstein. (2017) FUNDING CHARITY CARE IN NEW YORK: An Examination of Indigent Care Pool Allocations. New York State Health Foundation
Report
Katharine, London; Kelly, Love; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2017) Sustainable Financing Models for Community Health Worker Services in Connecticut: Translating Science into Practice. Connecticut Health Foundation
Report

2016

Katharine, London; Kelly, Love; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2016) Sustainable Financing Models for Community Health Worker Services in Maine. Commonwealth Medicine Publications
Report

Journal publications

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Closser, Svea; Prince, Justine; Chand, Priyankar; Justice, Judith. (2024) An anthropological history of Nepal's Female Community Health Volunteer program: gender, policy, and social change. International Journal for Equity in Health
Academic article
Closser, Svea; Sultan, Marium; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Singh, Shalini; Majidulla, Arman; Maes, Kenneth. (2023) Breaking the silence on gendered harassment and assault of community health workers: An analysis of ethnographic studies. BMJ Global Health
Academic article
FitzGerald, Molly; Gunja, Munira; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2022) Primary Care in High-Income Countries: How the United States Compares. The Commonwealth Fund Washington, DC
Academic article
Doty, Michelle M; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; FitzGerald, Molly; Fields, Katharine; Williams, Reginald D. (2021) Income-Related Inequality In Affordability And Access To Primary Care In Eleven High-Income Countries. Health Affairs
Academic article
Zephyrin, Laurie; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2021) The U.S. Has an Abysmal Track Record for Maternal Health. Ms.
Feature article
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Schneider, Eric C. (2020) Social Spending to Improve Population Health — Does the United States Spend as Wisely as Other Countries?. New England Journal of Medicine
Academic article
Doty, Michelle M; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Shah, Arnav; Schneider, Eric C. (2020) Primary Care Physicians’ Role In Coordinating Medical And Health-Related Social Needs In Eleven Countries. Health Affairs
Academic article
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Shah, Arnav; Schneider, Eric C. (2020) The Role of Primary Care Practices in Screening for Patient Social Needs in the United States and Other High-Income Countries. Health Services Research (HSR)
Abstract
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Wharton, George; Djordjevic, Ana; Mossialos, Elias; Williams, Reginald II. (2020) A new resource to understand how countries have responded to COVID-19. London School of Economics and Political Science Blog
Feature article
Zephyrin, Laurie; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2020) The shameful abundance of birth- and pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. STAT
Feature article
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Woolhandler, Steffie; Himmelstein, David U; Kressin, Nancy R; Hanchate, Amresh; Lin, Meng-Yun. (2017) Hospital Payer and Racial/Ethnic Mix at Private Academic Medical Centers in Boston and New York City. International Journal of Health Services
Academic article

Part of book/report

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Osborn, Robin. (2021) International Lessons for the United States on Population Health, Health Care, and Health Policy. The University Press of Kentucky
Chapter

Report

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Robin, Osborn; Elias, Mossialos; Ana, Djordjevic; George, Wharton. (2020) 2020 International Profiles of Health Care Systems. The Commonwealth Fund
Report
Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Steffie, Woolhandler; David, Himmelstein. (2017) FUNDING CHARITY CARE IN NEW YORK: An Examination of Indigent Care Pool Allocations. New York State Health Foundation
Report
Katharine, London; Kelly, Love; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2017) Sustainable Financing Models for Community Health Worker Services in Connecticut: Translating Science into Practice. Connecticut Health Foundation
Report
Katharine, London; Kelly, Love; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2016) Sustainable Financing Models for Community Health Worker Services in Maine. Commonwealth Medicine Publications
Report

PRODUKT

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2022) [Protocol] Scoping Review Protocol on community health worker views of their remuneration arrangements and collective labor movements in low- and middle-income countries.
Other product

Teaching

Courses

POL3802 - Experts in Teamwork - Building future-proof health care systems

Guest Lecturer
2022
NTNU POL3523 - Velferdsstat og helsepolitikk / Welfare State and Health Policy: Challenges, Reforms and New Priorities (Pål Martinussen), Master level
NTNU SOS2501 - Norwegian Society (Stefan Geiss), Bachelor level

Paris School of International Affairs / SciencesPo - Health Systems Strengthening and Global Health (Guillaume Dedet), Master level, online/virtual

2021
Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA - Health Systems, Policy, and Management (Professor J Leeman), online/virtual

2020
State University of New York (SUNY) Old Westbury, NY - Health and Human Rights (Ana Djordjevic)

2018
City University of New York Hunter College School of Urban Public Health, New York, NY - Urban Studies, Healthcare Systems and Health Policy (Professors S Woolhandler, D Himmelstein)

New York University (NYU) Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York, NY - Comparative Analysis of Health Systems (Professor VG Rodwin)

American Medical Student Association - Healthcare For All Scholars Program, online/virtual

2017
Weill Cornell Medical School, Cornell University, New York, NY - David Rogers Health Policy Colloquium

Supervision

Supervision

2022

NTNU SOS3003 vår 2023, Anvendt statistisk dataanalyse i Samfunnsvitenskap / Applied Social Statistics (Zan Strabac), Master-level, ESS survey data regression analyses

Knowledge Transfer

2024

Programme participation

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2024) Women Community Health Workers: From Volunteers to Careers. Women in Global Health (Zoom/YouTube) Women in Global Health (Zoom/YouTube) [Internet] 2024-03-19
Academic lecture

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Pokhrel, Sushmita; Ghimire, Usha; Neupane, Biraj. (2024) Current Opportunities and Challenges in Community Health Worker Governance in Federal Nepal. Martin Chautari Chautari Annual Conference 2024 , Kathmandu 2024-11-27 - 2024-11-29
Interview

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Ungar, Laura. (2024) Europe offers clues for solving America’s maternal mortality crisis. Associated Press Associated Press [Internet] 2024-08-22
Interview

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Ungar, Laura. (2024) Takeaways from AP’s report on what the US can learn from other nations about maternal deaths. Associated Press Associated Press [Internet] 2024-08-22

2023

Lecture

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2023) Reforming Community-Based Health Care Workforce Policy in Nepal: Current Challenges and Opportunities in the Context of Federalization. Bergen Pandemic Centre, Kathmandu University Norway Nepal Global Health Conference 2023 , Dhulikhel 2023-03-29 - 2023-03-29
Popular scientific lecture

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2023) Valuing Female Volunteer Community Health Workers in Nepal and India: Examining payment policies and labor movements through a gender lens. Women in Global Health (WGH) Norway, University of Oslo Ensuring Equity and Equality for Women Globally - Solidarity on International Women's Day , Oslo 2023-03-08 - 2023-03-08
Interview

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Pratap, Anita. (2023) What makes Finland the happiest place on earth. The Week [India] The Week [India] [Journal] 2023-04-23
Interview

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Pratap, Anita. (2023) Decoding the Nordics' infrastructure of happiness. The Week [India] The Week [India] [Journal] 2023-04-23

2020

Academic lecture

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Shah, Arnav; Schneider, Eric C. (2020) The Role of Primary Care Practices in Screening for Patient Social Needs in the United States and Other High-Income Countries. AcademyHealth AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting (ARM) , Virtual 2020-07-28 - 2020-08-06
Poster

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Shah, Arnav; Schneider, Eric C. (2020) The Quadruple Aim in an International Context: US Primary Care Physicians Are More Dissatisfied, Stressed and Burdened with Administrative Tasks Than Those in Other High-Income Countries. AcademyHealth AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting (ARM) , Virtual 2020-07-28 - 2020-08-06

2019

Academic lecture

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Hayes, Susan; FitzGerald, Molly. (2019) Dying Mothers: How Do Individual U.S. States Rank Globally and What Can be Done to Reduce Maternal Mortality?. AcademyHealth AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting (ARM) 2019 , Washington, DC 2019-06-02 - 2019-06-04
Poster

Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia; Lewis, Corinne; Shah, Arnav; Schneider, Eric C. (2019) US Social Spending and Health Outcomes in an International Context: Getting the Balance Right. AcademyHealth AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting (ARM) 2019 , Washington, DC 2019-06-02 - 2019-06-04

2017

Academic lecture

London, Katharine; Tikkanen, Roosa Sofia. (2017) Developing cost-effective, evidence-based, sustainable financing models for Community Health Worker services: A step-by-step guide. American Public Health Association (APHA) American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting & Expo , Atlanta, GA, USA 2017-11-04 - 2017-11-08

Språkvelger

Roosa Sofia Tikkanen