About the practice
Implementation science and mixed methods for health care innovations that work in practice.
Ames Health Strategies, LLC is an independent health research and consulting practice based in Maryland. The practice brings implementation science and mixed methods research to organizations working to change how health care is delivered.
Engagements range from short methodological consults to multi-year evaluation partnerships, working directly with clients or alongside partner organizations.
Services
Qualitative research and analysis
Interview and focus group design, codebook development, inter-rater reliability, and thematic analysis.
Implementation science and evaluation
Evaluations that answer whether a program worked and why it did or didn't, including mixed-methods designs for programs already in the field.
Validation studies
Design and analysis of studies that test whether a tool or technology performs as claimed, including accuracy metrics and manuscript preparation.
Training design and evaluation
Curriculum development for health professionals, and evaluation of whether training changes practice, not just knowledge and confidence.
Scientific writing and dissemination
Manuscripts, technical reports, briefs, and conference presentations, often the last mile on a project where the analysis is done.
Who the practice works with
- Health systems
- Professional associations and societies
- Research organizations and contractors
- Health technology companies
Selected clients: American College of Lifestyle Medicine · Abt Global · Hatch · TrayVerify
How engagements work
- Retainer for ongoing methodological support at a set level of effort each month.
- Project-based for a scoped deliverable on a fixed timeline.
- Subcontract as a team member on federally and foundation-funded projects.
Not sure which fits? Describe the problem and you'll get an honest answer about whether the practice is the right fit.
About the founder
Meghan Ames, DrPH, RDN
Meghan Ames is a public health researcher and Registered Dietitian with 15 years of expertise in implementation science, lifestyle medicine, and health systems transformation.
Credentials and affiliations
- Doctor of Public Health (DrPH), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2025
- Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) since 2012
- Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) in Human Nutrition and Certificate in Health Education, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2012
- Previous roles: Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (Research Dietitian); Maryland State Health Department (Obesity Prevention Coordinator); Johns Hopkins Lerner Center for Public Health Advocacy (Education Team Lead)
- Member, American Public Health Association (APHA), Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM)
- Certified Yoga Teacher (CYT)
From clinical nutrition research to implementation science.
Nutrition and behavioral counseling have always been a cornerstone of Meghan's work.
As a trained dietitian, Meghan started a career at Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research delivering the diabetes prevention program to patients with type 2 diabetes, and witnessed some patients' diabetes go into remission simply through diet and exercise changes.
Delivering the intervention to patients one-by-one quickly felt like an uphill battle. Meghan wanted to make a difference among more people—at a population level.
Translation and dissemination of evidence-based interventions.
Returning to public health roots, Meghan served as the Obesity Prevention Coordinator at the Maryland State Health Department, contributing first-hand to the expansive impact of system-level strategies, like the adoption, integration, and sustainability of programs like the diabetes prevention program.
Wanting to help health professionals do their jobs better by aiding in the translation and dissemination of evidence-based interventions, Meghan returned to school to study public health and implementation science and earned a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree.
Investigation of how professional training facilitates lifestyle medicine implementation within health systems.
Meghan's dissertation research combined clinical nutrition and health behavior experience with a foundation in implementation science. In partnership with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the research used qualitative methods to explore the facilitators and barriers impacting lifestyle medicine, with an in-depth analysis of how professional development and education facilitate lifestyle medicine practice.
Meghan also evaluated an online training program for healthcare professionals, using survey data to demonstrate how training completion was associated with increases in knowledge, confidence, and practice behaviors.
Featured work
Selected projects
[Service area, e.g. Qualitative research]
[Project or publication title]
[Two sentences: what the project was, who it was for, and what changed as a result.]
[Read the publication] →[Service area, e.g. Implementation evaluation]
[Project or publication title]
[Two sentences: what the project was, who it was for, and what changed as a result.]
[Read the publication] →“[Quote from a client or collaborator, 2–3 sentences about what working with Meghan made possible.]”
— [Name, title, organization]
Meghan's purpose is to empower patients and health professionals through research, training, and behavior change counseling.
Ready to discuss working together?
Share what you're trying to learn or change, your rough timeline, and whether the work is grant-funded.
A CV or additional work examples are available on request.