Georgetown University Announces Dr. Christopher King as Inaugural Dean for School of Health

Posted in News Release  |  Tagged new faculty appointment, School of Health, School of Nursing & Health Studies

WASHINGTON (May 12, 2022) — Georgetown University announced today the appointment of Christopher J. King, Ph.D., MHSc, FACHE, associate professor and chair of the Department of Health Systems Administration at the School of Nursing & Health Studies (NHS), as dean of its new School of Health when it launches on July 1.

“Dr. King has devoted his career to improving health and addressing health disparities through a health justice and systems based approach,” said Georgetown President John J. DeGioia in announcing King’s selection as dean. “[He] has made important contributions as a scholar, focused on the creation of equitable systems of care.”

King’s experience — ranging from the classroom to health care systems to the community — lends him a well-rounded and values-driven perspective that will be an asset to the School of Health at this formative time, according to Edward B. Healton, MD, MPH, executive vice president for health sciences at Georgetown University Medical Center and executive dean for the School of Medicine.

“In the same way he works to lift up members of the DC community, Dr. King has demonstrated that he is deeply committed to the well-being of students, faculty and colleagues,” Healton said. “His experience will advance the school’s educational and research mission, while strengthening a culture of inclusion and equity.”

As chair of the Department of Health Systems Administration, King has led undergraduate and graduate academic programs and made important contributions as a scholar, focused on the creation of equitable systems of care.

Prior to joining Georgetown in 2015, King served as the inaugural Assistant Vice President of Community Health for MedStar Health, where he launched and managed processes to strengthen rigor and evidence around community-based planning, implementation and evaluation.

During his prior tenure as a director for Greater Baden Medical Services, Inc., a federally qualified health center (FQHC) in southern Maryland, he secured more than $7 million in public and private grants to promote health equity and improve the health of vulnerable and underserved populations.

King is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and has written numerous articles for Healthcare Executive magazine. As a former senior fellow of the Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET), King represents an esteemed group of national thought leaders dedicated to transforming health care through research and education.

In 2019, King was appointed as a Commissioner for the District of Columbia Commission on Health Equity. He has published several important articles, most recently as lead author of “Race, Place and Structural Racism in the District of Columbia” in the journal Health Affairs, exploring how structural racism and historical events have led to stark differences in health outcomes for Black residents. Last year, under King’s leadership, the Department of Health Systems Administration helped establish a new educational module on implicit bias for the DC Department of Health, which offers providers Continuing Education Credit to explore their personal biases and how biases may be harmful in health care settings.

Healton noted that King’s two-year appointment as dean is integral to the school’s ongoing development.

“Dr. King is the leader this moment demands to help us shape the future School of Health and firmly establish its core values while developing and nurturing important partnerships across Georgetown, MedStar Health and beyond — creating a strong foundation that is so very critical to its future growth and expansion,” Healton said.

“I am very excited for Dr. King to begin his tenure as the dean for the Georgetown University School of Health,” said Shoa Moosavi (NHS’23), a global health major at NHS who served on the dean search committee. “After speaking with Dr. King during the search process, I feel that he will be a visionary leader.

“He brings some truly unique experiences to this role, while being a practitioner of the social justice principles we value,” Moosavi added. “I believe students and faculty alike will benefit from his ability to listen to our needs, articulate our shared goals and effectively motivate the school community towards our vision of academic excellence and positive social impact.”