John R. Meurer, M.D., M.B.A., has been named the Director of the Institute for Health and Society at The Medical College of Wisconsin.
Dr. Meurer, a Medical College faculty member since 1994, is the chief of general pediatrics, a professor of pediatrics, and is the medical director of the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Downtown Health Center, a clinic that provides care to underserved populations in Milwaukee. He has served as the coalition director and principal investigator of Fight Asthma Milwaukee Allies, Children’s Hospital and Health System, for more than a decade, and has been an advisor for numerous statewide health initiatives.
The goals of the Institute for Health and Society are to improve health, advance health equity, and reduce health disparities through research, education and community partnership programs.
The Institute brings together multiple research, education and community engagement programs including the Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities, the Division of Biostatistics, the Community Engagement Key Function of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, the Youth Violence Prevention Initiative, the Global Health Program, the Health Equity and Urban Clinical Care Partnerships Program, and graduate degree programs in biostatistics, bioethics and public and community health.
Joseph E. Kerschner, M.D., interim dean and executive vice president of the Medical College, noted Dr. Meurer’s passion for health education.
“The next generation of health professionals must be cognizant of the challenges in health care equity, and John has been and continues to be an excellent teacher,” Dr. Kerschner said. “As director of the Institute, he will be able to further its key goals of research, education, health equity, global health, health policy and community engagement.”
Dr. Meurer succeeds Cheryl A. Maurana, Ph.D., who relinquished her role as Director of the Institute for Health and Society to assume new responsibilities as the Director for the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin program and Senior Associate Dean for Institutional and Community Engagement.
Dr. Meurer’s appointment is effective September 1, 2011.