Jung ready to guide students
Dr. Kyoungrae Jung, one of the HPA department’s newest faculty members, is looking forward to providing students with the insight and knowledge of the policies involved in the U.S. health care system.
Jung plans to provide students “practical advice” concerning career and educational goals, as well as current information regarding policy backgrounds in health care.
Jung completed her Ph.D. in health services research and policy in July at the University of Minnesota. Her studies concentrated on health economics, and her research centered on public disclosure of quality information in HMO markets.
Jung also holds a master of public health degree from Seoul National University in Korea, where she also earned her Bachelor of Science in pharmacy. Her master’s research focused on the cost effectiveness of pharmacologic treatments for hypercholesterolemia.
Her teaching experiences at the University of Minnesota focused on courses in health economics, statistics, and math.
“I want to give students exposure to the U.S. health care system and how it is financed,” she says, adding that she is looking forward to teaching her health policy course, where students learn politics and policy issues and, through current research and articles, are provided with an extensive background in health care.
“They (the students) can develop their points of view on these topics and possibly identify their own research interests,” she says.
Jung also plans to continue her research by focusing on provider and consumer incentives and transparency issues regarding the quality of health care and quality improvements. Jung says health care providers who disclose information about their services empower consumers to make their own health care choices. The incentives, Jung says, apply to both consumers and health care providers. The consumers receive better quality of care, and the providers that strive for improved care receive an increased number of patients, improved efficiency, and cost containment.
“I am really impressed,” Jung says of the HPA Department’s “family” atmosphere. “There is an openness and willingness to care for each other and welcome new faculty members. That made my transition as comfortable as possible.”