Dr. Patton is an obstetrician-gynecologist and health services researcher.  She graduated from the University of Massachusetts Medical School and completed her OBGYN residency at Northwestern University in Chicago. She received her health services research training through the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program (University of Michigan) as a VA sponsored scholar. Prior to medical school she received a BA in Comparative Religion and a Master of Philosophy in Theology.  Her research interests include patient-physician communication and shared decision making, health system design, and the intersection of religion, reproductive health and policy. She has a joint appointment at Boston University/Boston Medical Center and the VA Boston/VA National Office of Reproductive Health. At AcademyHealth, she has been a member of the Women and Gender Health Interest group since 2014, and served as chair from 2016-2018.