Dear SPH faculty and staff:

I am pleased to announce that Professor Jean Abraham will serve as head of the Division of Health Policy and Management (HPM) at the School of Public Health (SPH), effective immediately.

This appointment is the result of consultation I have had with HPM faculty and staff as well as members of the SPH leadership team and UMN Provost Rachel Croson. The support for Jean’s appointment to this position was widespread and enthusiastic. As division head, Jean will serve as the chief academic and administrative leader of the division. She will develop strategies for the division to advance its portfolio of interdisciplinary research, teaching, and service; increase equity, diversity, and inclusion; and work with me to name a permanent director for the MHA program. In this role, Jean will also hold the James A. Hamilton Endowed Chair in recognition for her excellence in teaching, research, and service in the field of healthcare management and education. She will report to me and serve as a member of the SPH leadership team helping lead the direction of the entire school at this important time as we continue a national search for a permanent SPH dean.

Jean has served as interim HPM division head since Feb. 1, 2022. She joined SPH in 2005 and was the director of the Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) program from 2016 to 2022. Under her leadership, the MHA program rankings rose from #3 to #2 (U.S. News and World Report), reflecting the curricular and programmatic innovations that Jean introduced and continues to foster. In 2020, Jean led the development of a 5-year MHA strategic plan and in 2021, she shepherded the MHA program through CAHME re-accreditation. As division head, Jean will remain engaged with the MHA program instructing courses for the residential and executive tracks as well as advising students.

Jean holds a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University in public policy and management with a specialization in health economics. Her research focuses on issues of access, cost, and quality of private health insurance, employer provision of health benefits, and wellness program evaluation. Throughout her career she has engaged in federal and state policymaking; held a number of leadership roles with organizations including the Association of University Programs in Health Administration; and published more than 80 articles in high-impact journals, including Health Affairs, Health Services Research, the Journal of Health Economics, and JAMA.

I am confident that Jean’s experience and collaborative, team-based leadership will continue to position the division well for the future, building on its legacy and collective strengths. With this appointment, I am also confirming my intention to re-join the HPM faculty ranks upon completion of my term as interim dean once a new permanent dean is in place.

Please join me in congratulating Jean for her appointment to this new role.

Sincerely yours,

Tim Beebe
Interim Dean and Mayo Professor