Augusta University
Blake McGee, PhD, MPH, RN
Associate Professor
- Augusta GA UNITED STATES
Blake McGee studies the impacts of federal and state policy choices on economically or socially marginalized people.
Contact More Open optionsSpotlight
October 14, 2025
3 min
Multimedia
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Areas of Expertise
Accomplishments
Outstanding Scholar of the Year Award
2026 Augusta University College of Nursing
Outstanding Service Award
2024 Georgia State University School of Nursing
Unit Commendation from the U.S. Public Health Service
2023
Alice S. Hersh Scholarship Alternate
2017 AcademyHealth
Sigma Theta Tau
2017
Education
Emory University
Ph.D.
Nursing Science
2018Columbia University
MPH
Public Health
2007Emory University
B.S.
Nursing
2013Affiliations
- American Heart Association
- Georgia Nurses Association
- AcademyHealth
- American Nurses Association
Links
Media Appearances
PDMPs May Negatively Affect ED Uptake by People With Sickle Cell Disease
ASH Clinical News online
2025-04-23
The study’s first author, Blake T. McGee, PhD, MPH, RN, associate professor in the College of Nursing at Augusta University (formerly of Georgia State University), pointed out that people with SCD experience delays in analgesia in the ED. This occurs particularly if clinicians have negative views of patients with SCD and are predisposed to overestimate rates of substance abuse, which are not actually higher than in the general population. Previous work has demonstrated that PDMP mandates have been associated with reductions in opioids prescribed to people with SCD after evaluation in the ED.
Articles
Nurse staffing disparities in nursing homes: Effects of community distress level and COVID-19
Nursing Outlook2026 Background Examining nursing home staffing trends throughout COVID-19 provides critical insights for developing equitable workforce policies and resource allocation strategies. Purpose To examine differences in nurse staffing levels across community distress levels, focusing on the temporal trends from 2019 to 2023.
Changes in acute care use among people with sickle cell disease after adoption of a prescription drug monitoring program
Blood Advances2025 Many states require prescribers to check a prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) database before prescribing controlled substances, which may affect access and health outcomes for individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD). Our study objective was to evaluate acute care trends before and after PDMP implementation among people with SCD. We carried out a retrospective longitudinal cohort study of 13 698 individuals with confirmed or probable SCD in the Georgia Sickle Cell Data Collection program from 2010 to 2019.
Characteristics of emergency department visits made by individuals with sickle cell disease in the United States, 1999–2020
AJPM Focus2024 Individuals living with sickle cell disease experience high levels of morbidity that result in frequent utilization of the emergency department. The objective of this study was to provide updated national estimates of emergency department utilization associated with sickle cell disease in the U.S.
Racial/ethnic differences in associations between Medicaid expansion and causes and costs of readmission after acute ischemic stroke
Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities2024 The purpose of this study was to examine whether the relative frequency of leading causes and total associated costs of readmission after acute ischemic stroke changed with Medicaid expansion, and how these changes differed by racial/ethnic group. We used a difference-in-differences approach to compare changes in the relative frequency of leading causes of unplanned 30-day readmission and to examine changes in the costs associated with unplanned readmission between expansion states (AR, MD, NM, and WA) and non-expansion states (FL and GA).
Self-reported pain levels for emergency department visits associated with sickle cell disease in the United States
Blood Advances2024 Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of inherited rare blood disorders that affects an estimated 100 000 individuals in the United States. The hallmark symptom of SCD is acute and chronic pain caused by vaso-occlusion owing to deoxygenated and sickled red blood cells.1 Acute pain episodes in SCD are frequently managed at home but also result in high levels of emergency department (ED) utilization.2,3 On average, ∼200 000 ED visits occur annually by individuals with SCD, with pain being the most common reason for ED utilization.4 Given the importance of the ED in providing acute care to persons living with SCD, we aim to describe self-reported pain levels in the ED. Specifically, we provide nationally representative estimates of the number and percentage of ED visits made across pain levels and compare self-reported pain between visits associated with SCD compared with the general patient population in the United States.
Nurses leading the way: Insights from the 2023 AcademyHealth Interdisciplinary Research Group on Nursing Issues annual meeting
Journal of Nursing Regulation2023 With more than 5.5 million registered nurses and licensed practical nurses/licensed vocational nurses in the United States and its territories, the nursing profession plays a crucial role in U.S. healthcare delivery (National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 2023). Nursing health services research (HSR) is essential for strengthening healthcare systems and delivery (Jones & Mark, 2005). For nearly 20 years, the AcademyHealth Interdisciplinary Research Group on Nursing Issues (IRGNI) has been contributing to this important effort. First established by Buerhaus and colleagues in the 1990s, IRGNI continues to support HSR that strives to improve nursing practice, workforce, and care delivery (Squires et al., 2019).
Medicaid expansion and racial/ethnic differences in readmission after acute ischemic stroke
INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing2021 To examine whether rates of 30-day readmission after acute ischemic stroke changed differentially between Medicaid expansion and non-expansion states, and whether race/ethnicity moderated this change, we conducted a difference-in-differences analysis using 6 state inpatient databases (AR, FL, GA, MD, NM, and WA) from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. Analysis included all patients aged 19-64 hospitalized in 2012–2015 with a principal diagnosis of ischemic stroke and a primary payer of Medicaid, self-pay, or no charge, who resided in the state where admitted and were discharged alive (N=28 330). No association was detected between Medicaid expansion and readmission overall, but there was evidence of moderation by race/ethnicity.
Associations of Medicaid expansion with access to care, severity, and outcomes for acute ischemic stroke
Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes2021 Multiple states have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, resulting in higher uninsured rates in states with high stroke burdens. This study aimed to evaluate the association of Medicaid expansion with changes in health insurance coverage, severity of presentation, access to care, and outcomes among patients with acute ischemic stroke.
