Betty Bekemeier, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN

Professor, UW School of Nursing
Director, UW School of Public Health’s Northwest Center for Public Health Practice

Biography:
Betty Bekemeier is a professor at the University of Washington (UW) School of Nursing and Director of the UW School of Public Health’s Northwest Center for Public Health Practice. She is a distinguished public health systems researcher focused on improving the effectiveness of our prevention systems and related workforce. She has led numerous studies regarding local health department services and their impact on health outcomes. She emphasizes the inclusion of rural public health jurisdictions to generate evidence that will improve the reach and distribution of services to underserved communities and meet the needs of the rural workforce. In 2010 Dr. Bekemeier also began the PI of the Public Health Activities and Services Tracking (PHAST) Study--a highly regarded database of uniquely detailed and linked data regarding local health department services and financing, including the PHAST Uniform Chart of Accounts improving access to meaningful financial data for decision-making. Dr. Bekemeier’s projects and studies are carried out in close partnership with public health practice leaders and have been immediately relevant to addressing current policy issues. She has also held many leadership positions in, including those in the Washington State Public Health Association, the American Public Health Association, and with research advisory groups for national public health organizations.

Publications/Presentations