Earlier this year, University of Kentucky (UK) College of Public Health (CPH) alum Kevin Schuer, DrPH, PA-C, was humbled to learn he was being inducted into the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health. The Delta Omega Honorary Society recognizes and encourages excellence in practice, research, education, and academic achievement within the field of public health.
"It’s an honor to be recognized alongside current and prior Delta Omega award winners, especially considering how prestigious this honor is," Schuer said. "Delta Omega recognizes excellence in public health scholarship, leadership, and service, and I’m deeply humbled to join its ranks."
Schuer's journey into public health began during his undergraduate studies; he was drawn to the field through his exposure to preventive care and community health programs.
"Witnessing disparities in healthcare access and outcomes pushed me to pursue a career focused on addressing these issues through the lens of public health and clinical medicine," he said.
Schuer pursued his DrPH degree in Health Management and Policy at CPH, having initially been drawn in by the people and leadership of the college. He said the opportunity to learn from leaders in the field and engage in impactful research also was compelling.
“Not only their strong backgrounds in leadership, administration, and public health service but also the infrastructure that was in place within the college that could help support people like me who were eager to pursue an advanced degree in Public Health,” he said. “I knew firsthand about the dedicated faculty and staff as well as the very real and evident commitment to addressing health disparities in underserved populations.”
Schuer said the College of Public Health equipped him with a comprehensive understanding of public health principles, research methodologies, and practical skills.
"The emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and real-world applications prepared me to tackle complex health issues in my career,” he said. “Not only that, the UK College of Public Health is responsible for changing my entire perspective on healthcare in ways that better prepare me as a clinician to consider the vast complexities of coordinating care services to populations of people.”
Schuer said he now passes those lessons on in his current roles.
“As the Program Director of the UK Physician Assistant Studies program, as well as being a practicing PA-C in UK’s Internal Medicine Group, the concepts of delivering primary care, prevention, as well as the social determinants of health are not only important to our faculty, staff and PA students, they are missional,” he said. “Public health, whether we talk about it implicitly or explicitly, is woven into the fabric of our entire program. We teach and train our students to take a similar posture so that they might go out and positively influence healthcare disparities and be public health champions.”
Prior to joining the Physician Assistant Studies program faculty in 2008, Schuer served as Fellow with the National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS) in Ann Arbor, MI. Schuer received his DrPH degree in Health Management and Policy from CPH in 2016.
"I owe the UK College of Public Health a debt of gratitude for shaping me academically, intellectually, and professionally," he said. "The rigorous training, mentorship, and opportunities provided by the college have been instrumental in my growth. I will always be grateful for their significant contribution to my life and career."
Schuer was inducted into the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health during a May ceremony along with CPH students and faculty. Students inducted were Mason Taylor, Ashley Grospitch, Olivia Allran, Ashlyn Haugen, Olivia Katoto, Seif Atyia, Christopher Otieno, Mary Elizabeth Pendergrass, Lydia Williams, Kelsie Kwok, Shawn Ravi Nigam, and Shubh Saraswat. Faculty members included Mary E. Lacy, PhD, MPH, and Maureen Jones, PhD, RN.
