Marieke van Eijk (she/they)

Marieke van Eijk is a medical anthropologist who examines the financial and institutional structures in US healthcare that create health disparities for underserved communities and give rise to precarious labor conditions for health care workers.

Current project: "Healthcare for Some, Medical Debt for Many: Navigating Uncovered Medical Expenses in the U.S. Health System."

This project, conducted by undergraduate and graduate students in anthropology, examines the severe impact of medical debt and uncovered healthcare costs on people's health and wealth. The research focuses on non-profit organizations, community organizations, and faith-based groups that seek to mitigate uncovered medical expenses on people's behalf. The project also draws out people's experiences struggling to pay for healthcare. 

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Collaborative research

With colleagues at the Center for Health Workforce Studies, Van Eijk has examined the work of various health care workers to address and reduce health inequities. The projects identified the role of health insurance navigators in mitigating access to health insurance coverage, the importance of birth doulas improving health in underserved communities and the work of emergency medical responders, community paramedics, and home health aides during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For a list of the projects and their publications, click here: Projects: https://depts.washington.edu/fammed/chws/

 Teaching

Van Eijk's classes focus on addressing structural inequalities from various angles as it pertains to medical anthropology, health care, medicine and institutions. Students learn that social inequalities lie at the center of people’s substantial health burdens. Van Eijk teaches in the areas of health care insurance; Health care in jails and prisons; Labor in healthcare; Health inequities; The anthropology of care, and other topics.