Meghan Brennan

My overarching goal is to reduce rural-urban disparities faced by patients with diabetic foot ulcers. As a successful early stage investigator in health services research and an infectious disease physician specializing in diabetic foot ulcers, I am uniquely suited to pursue this line of inquiry. I began my research by estimating national mortality: 71% of patients who develop a diabetic foot ulcer are dead within 5 years. Next, my team identified rural-urban disparities in major amputation. Rural patients currently face a 37% increased risk of major amputation compared to their urban peers. This statistic is adjusted for other socioeconomic metrics and comorbidities. Currently, I am partnering with the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative to co-design a care algorithm and referral checklist that promotes collaboration between providers spanning the rural-urban healthcare system divide.