Karen Hammar Appointed Director of Master of Health Administration Program
The Department of Health Management and Policy is proud to announce the appointment of Karen Hammar, MHA, MOT, OTR/L, FACHE, as the new Director of the Master of Health Administration (MHA) Program, effective July 1, 2025. She will also join the department as a clinical-track assistant professor.
Ms. Hammar currently leads the Center for Disabilities and Development at University of Iowa Health Care, where she oversees a range of impactful programs, including clinical services, the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, and the Iowa Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program. She also serves as Administrator for the Hawkeye Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center.
A Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Ms. Hammar brings a wealth of experience in healthcare leadership and over a decade of clinical practice as an occupational therapist. Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary, patient- and family-centered care, with a strong focus on systems integration across the care continuum.
Ms. Hammar has been a valued adjunct assistant professor in the department, contributing significantly to student learning and program development. She has worked closely with Dr. Kristin Wilson, current MHA Program Director, and Dr. Ken Anderson, Director of the Executive MHA track.
"Being part of the Iowa MHA program has been one of the most meaningful parts of my career," said Hammar. "As the 11th-ranked program in the nation, Iowa offers an incredible platform to shape the future of healthcare. I'm excited to continue this journey and collaborate with our outstanding faculty and alumni to support the next generation of leaders."
Dr. Wilson will continue to serve as MHA Program Director through June 30, 2025, before transitioning to a new faculty role at another institution. We extend our heartfelt thanks for her leadership and contributions to the program and wish her continued success.
Jenny McDonnell Appointed as Tenure-Track Assistant Professor
The Department of Health Management and Policy is pleased to announce that Jenny McDonnell, a sociologist from Emory University, has been appointed as a tenure-track assistant professor. Jenny is completing her PhD this semester and will officially join the department in July 2025.
Jenny's research explores how race, gender, and class—as macro-level systems of social organization—shape healthcare decision-making and care-seeking behaviors. Her work critically examines how sociohistorical contexts influence the ways individuals interpret and navigate health care systems.
Using a mixed-methods approach, she incorporates narrative interviewing, archival data analysis, and social network analysis to investigate health care inequities. Her scholarship seeks to challenge and expand traditional public health frameworks by highlighting what is often left out of canonical understandings of illness and care.
We are excited to welcome Jenny McDonnell to our academic community and look forward to the insight, innovation, and critical perspective she will bring to the Department of Health Management and Policy at the University of Iowa.