Helen Nichols, MSW

Helen Nichols, PhD, is the CPI Research Fellow. As a social worker, she has developed clinical expertise providing psychotherapy to adults with co-occurring disorders, having worked in outpatient mental health clinics and correctional facilities. Helen also has experience leading local service organizations, where she successfully secured grant funding to award college scholarships to local high school students. Prior to her career in social work, Helen had a successful practice in the financial services industry, where she was responsible for personal financial planning and investment management.

Helen researches patient-provider communication and associated outcomes, such as patient satisfaction, trust, and overall health. She is particularly interested in the delivery of patient-centered cancer care and healthcare value and quality. She has extensive expertise in advanced quantitative and qualitative analyses, research design, and survey development. Helen has published in multiple peer-reviewed healthcare journals, including Patient Education & Counseling, Journal of Hospital Administration, Health Care Manager, Annals of Global Health, Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, and Journal of Cancer Education. Helen received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Penn State University and her Master of Social Work degree from Salisbury University.