Letter from the Chair of Health Policy and Management

Letter from the Chair

On February 15, 2022, I began my tenure as the new chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management (HPM), one of the largest and disciplinary diverse, at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Beginning my position during Black History Month, the month when we celebrate Black excellence, made my appointment as the Bloomberg School’s first ever Black chair even more special. 

HPM is comprised of faculty, staff, and students engaged in scholarship and practice at each phase of the policy process--development to implementation to evaluation. The department has leaders in the areas of health services research, health economics, bioethics, advocacy, and policies that address the leading social, economic, political, and physical drivers of health and pressing and emerging public health problems. I am confident in saying that we all do what we do because we want to make a difference in this world.  

I am honored and privileged to be chair of HPM. In this role, I will continue amplifying the research, dissemination, and training activities, with a new emphasis on health equity. My vision is that we can achieve health equity so that everyone in this world receives a fair and just opportunity for optimal health and well-being. Internally, I am committed to prioritizing the Department’s Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Equity initiatives, including curriculum reviews, promoting inclusive learning environments, and scholarship that advances health equity and focuses on the impact of racism on public health and safety.  

Thank you for visiting our website and for being curious about our department! To prospective students, if you are looking for a place to train with the world’s experts in health policy, or an environment where you can thrive and grow, consider applying for one of our degree programs. To our donors, thank you so much for your generosity. Your support will help turn public health research into action. To others interested in or new to the department, I hope that you find what you are looking for and if not, please reach out to us.  

Wishing you all my very best! 

Keshia M. Pollack Porter, PhD, MPH 
Bloomberg Centennial Professor and Chair