University of New England

UNE hires experienced administrator to lead medical school's community programs

BIDDEFORD, Maine – Holly Korda, Ph.D., a Maine native most recently from the Washington, D.C. area, has been named the new associate dean of community programs, part of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine.

In her new position, Korda will be responsible for the Community Programs Division, including UNE’s online Master of Public Health (MPH) degree and certificate programs, the Coastal Community Healthy Coalitions, the Area Health Education Center, the Health Literacy Center and the Geriatric Education Center.

Korda comes to UNE with more than 25 years experience in the design, development and evaluation of public health programs, policies and systems of care, with particular expertise in the development of public-private partnerships at the local, state and national levels. She has extensive experience with U.S. Public Health Service programs and agencies, and has served as a senior executive and advisor on a range of healthcare issues in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.

Her most recent position was principal and managing director of Health Systems Research Associates. She has a Ph.D. in health services research from Tufts University.

Korda said she plans to raise the visibility of UNE’s community programs by building upon, developing and establishing new partnerships – in Maine and nationally – with the public and private healthcare sectors. “I have a lot of experience working directly with the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington,” she said, “and I’ve worked with some of the most innovative healthcare programs in the country. I want to build on this experience and further the tradition of innovative programming at UNE and in Maine.”

She stressed that she emphasizes performance measurement – directly testing and evaluating the impacts and outcomes community health programs can have in the real world.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to be part of a growing university,” she added. “ A unique opportunity, really, to be able to work in Maine at a university with the combination of medicine, health professions, arts and sciences, and now pharmacy.”

(Press release issued Nov. 27, 2006)