Andrew McCart
University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences (SPHIS)
Job Title: Assistant Professor and Associate Director of Health Management Programs
Member of the KHC since: UofL SPHIS has been a member for more than a decade
Dr. McCart teaches and works in the University of Louisville’s Master of Science in Health Administration program. His teaching and service focus on quality and project management, health information technology, and applied practicums in our community.
What are you currently working on that you are most excited about? How do you think it will drive improvements to health and healthcare in the community?
Our department, the Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences, is the largest department at UofL’s School of Public Health and Information Sciences. Our Master’s program in Health Administration is gaining momentum and preparing students to lead in Health Systems from Shively to Shelbyville and Seattle to South Carolina. Additionally, our department is driving improvements through a Masters in Health Data Analytics, the Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky, and the National Science Foundation-funded Center for Health Organization Transformation. These initiatives provide data-driven evidence-based solutions to address critical needs in public health, healthcare organizations, and to inform policy and practice.
What are you most excited about working on in the future around health and healthcare improvement?
The topic of racial disparities and socioeconomic status as it relates to health is an area that still needs a lot of improvement in the United States. Some of colleagues and I just returned from a conference with the Association of University Programs in Health Administration. One of the best speakers at that event was David R. Williams from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Williams captivated the audience with research from his 700+ scientific papers describing how much work needs to be done to improve racial disparities around health and socio-economic status. In many ways, these health disparities have not improved in several decades.
Why do you think a multi-stakeholder coalition like the KHC is needed in the community?
As the KHC mission states, the KHC is a coalition of businesses and healthcare stakeholders working to solve complex health problems. The United States health system is just too big for any one stakeholder to have a solution and implement that solution. Our community must work together to transform healthcare and to ensure that everyone has access to innovative solutions.
What is your favorite quote?
“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” —Nelson Henderson
What do you do in your spare time?
I have studied tai chi, meditation, and Taoist yoga for over 20 years.
