History of the Center for Population Health

2017: Proposal

In 2017, the Xavier University College of Professional Sciences (CPS) proposed the establishment of a Center for Population Health to coordinate and deliver the latest developments in health-care reform and education in order to improve health equity and the overall health of the entire population. In describing the Center, Paul Gore, PhD, then Dean of the college, emphasized the importance of interprofessional collaboration and education as a means of supporting the health of individuals and society, and this became a guiding principle for the Center.

2018: Activation

The Center was activated on July 1, 2018, with a goal to become a regional, if not national and global, leader in supporting population health. Through a collaborative team science approach, the Center is building coalitions with faculty and community stakeholders to meet the needs of diverse cultural groups and identify quantitative and qualitative data to assess health and wellness with the aim of reducing health inequities.

Today: Making a Difference 

To that end, the Center is creating interprofessional community-academic partnerships to improve individual and population health through an understanding of Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) such as economic, social, genetic, environmental, behavioral, educational and biological factors. Faculty scholars will interact together within the Center to research best practices for creating cultures of health and wellness across diverse environments and disseminate findings both nationally and globally, and through the education of Xavier University students.

Director Susan Schmidt, PhD, is currently assessing strategic approaches to best meet the needs of the Center’s constituents effectively and fully activate the mission of the University through the Center for Population Health.