Dr. George Wehby has been named head of the University of Iowa Department of Health Management and Policy. His appointment begins July 1, 2022.

Wehby is currently a professor and the John W. Colloton Chair in the Department of Health Management and Policy in the UI College of Public Health. He holds secondary appointments in the Department of Economics, the Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, and the Public Policy Center at the University of Iowa, as well as a Research Associate appointment in the National Bureau of Economic Research.

His research examines social, economic, and policy impacts on health, especially among children. Some of his ongoing projects focus on the effects of public insurance expansions on access to care and health outcomes, effects of children’s oral health and use of dental services on school achievement, and effects of the minimum wage on children’s health and achievement.

Wehby’s teaching includes doctoral, masters, and undergraduate courses in health economics, and two doctoral courses in health services research methodology. From 2015 to 2019, he served as the PhD Program Director for the Department of Health Management and Policy before becoming Director of Graduate Studies in 2019. He was awarded the College of Public Health Faculty Teaching Award in 2013.

“Dr. Wehby is a distinguished academic leader with a sustained record of achievement as a researcher, teacher, and mentor,” says Edith Parker, dean of the College of Public Health. “His dedication to students and to the excellence of our educational programs, his diverse portfolio of national and international research, and his vision for future growth and development will ensure the continued success and national prominence of our outstanding Department of Health Management and Policy.”

Wehby earned his Master of Public Health degree from American University of Beirut, followed by his Doctor of Philosophy in Health Management and Policy with a concentration in Health Economics from the University of Iowa in 2006. He joined the College of Public Health faculty as an assistant professor of health management and policy in 2008 and attained the rank of full professor with tenure in 2017. He was awarded the Colloton Chair in 2020.

“I am honored and humbled by this opportunity,” says Wehby. “I am very optimistic about HMP’s future, and look forward to working with all colleagues, students, and alumni to continue on our path of excellence.” 

Wehby will succeed Dr. Keith Mueller, Gerhard Hartman Professor of Health Management and Policy, who has served as department head since 2010. Mueller will remain on faculty in the College of Public Health and will continue to direct the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI).

“I am grateful for the extraordinary service Dr. Mueller has provided not only as department head, but in many other capacities within our college and as one of the nation’s leading experts in rural health policy,” says Parker.