Dr. Betancourt is an Active Duty Naval Officer appointed as the Director of the Master of Health Administration and Policy Program at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics. As a health services researcher, he has used empirical research methods to conduct quantitative and qualitative research focused on U.S. military veterans suffering from substance use disorders (SUD). The findings of his studies have been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals. He has also presented preliminary findings at various national and international conferences. Dr. Betancourt has been working in the federal healthcare sector for the last 24 years, combining his active-duty service in the U.S. Navy and federal civilian service in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system.
While serving at the Orlando VA Medical Center, Dr. Betancourt worked closely with the homeless veteran population and was directly exposed to the struggles these homeless veterans endure. He was a member of the veteran intake team and participated in SUD veteran interventions. His expertise on SUDs, homelessness, and other mental health conditions among the veteran population strongly influenced his doctoral dissertation and his current research.
He currently teaches several graduate courses in the Master of Health Administration and Policy program at USUHS.