Jonathan Seward

Professional Summary

Jonathan Seward is a lecturer in Economics at Baylor University, where his research interests lie at the nexus of health economics, causal inference and data science. He has contributed to health economics and policy journals, including Journal of Health Economics and Journal of Human Resources. Additionally, he has a forthcoming chapter titled “A Brief Introduction to Causal Inference” published by Cambridge University Press.

Seward’s research focuses on healthcare markets, especially how providers adapt to public policy changes and the role of mental healthcare within the criminal justice system. These areas of research offer significant insights for shaping state and national public policies. This work on the supply side of healthcare investigates the impacts of hospital consolidation, vertical integration and other policy-driven changes on provider practices. Concurrently, Seward's research on the carceral system evaluates the effectiveness of policies aimed at mitigating suicidality and enhancing mental health outcomes for marginalized groups.

These research endeavors have facilitated collaborations with physician groups, health insurance firms, and correctional institutions. This blend of economic consultancy and academic investigation has positioned Seward and his collaborators to influence policy decisions across local, regional and national landscapes.

Education

• 2020 – PhD, Health Services Research, Baylor University, Waco, Texas
• 2010 – MSc, Economics, Baylor University, Waco, Texas
• 2009 – BBA, Economics, Business French, and Baylor Business Fellows, Baylor University, Waco, Texas

Courses

• ECO 2306 – Principles of Microeconomics (2022)
• ECO 2307 – Principles of Macroeconomics (2023)

Research Interests

• Health Economics
• Health Policy
• Mental Health Economics
• Criminal Justice

Selected Publications

• Cunningham, S., Seward, J. A., Clay, K., & Vigliotti, V. (in press). Adverse impacts of mental health needs assessment on jail outcomes. Journal of Human Resources.
• Cunningham, S., & Seward, J. A. (in press). A brief introduction to causal inference in healthcare. In Productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness in healthcare (Cambridge University Press Handbook).
• Richards, M. R., Seward, J. A., & Whaley, C. M. (2022). Treatment consolidation after vertical integration: Evidence from outpatient procedure markets. Journal of Health Economics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102569
• Richards, M. R., Seward, J. A., & Whaley, C. M. (2021). Removing Medicare’s outpatient ban and Medicare and private surgical trends. The American Journal of Managed Care, 27(3).