Jennifer Hunt Selected as TPHA Academician of the Year

Jennifer Hunt, Master of Public Health Program Coordinator and Lecturer in East Tennessee State University’s Department of Health Services Management and Policy, was selected as the Tennessee Public Health Association’s Academician of the Year for 2019.  The award is based on contributions to teaching, research, and service; especially activities relating to public health and public health academics in Tennessee.

From the nomination form: Mrs. Hunt is a dedicated faculty member and advisor in the College of Public Health at East Tennessee State University. She is also a commissioned 1st Lieutenant in the Air Force Reserve and serves as a Public Health Officer. Mrs. Hunt takes her practical experience from her work in the hospital sector and in the armed forces and applies it to active learning situations in the classroom. Her students are engaged and grow professionally as a result of her dedication to her teaching and her profession.

Ms. Hunt previously worked for the former Mountain States Health Alliance, now Ballad Health, at their flagship hospital, Johnson City Medical Center, in the Value Optimization Systems department where she conducted several quality improvements and Lean process improvement events in clinical process redesign. In addition, Hunt has a Certified Materials and Resource Professional designation from the American Hospital Association. She also received Green, Bronze, and Silver Lean certifications through Simpler Business Systems and the University of Iowa. Her study on lean process improvement to identify patients with congestive heart failure was published in the Journal of Nursing Care Quality.

“Ms Hunt is remarkable for her focus on always improving the student experience,” commented Dr. Randy Wykoff, Dean of the College of Public Health.  “She is dedicated and committed to always improving her teaching skills.”