When Diane Howard, PhD, MPH, FACHE, accepted an administrative fellowship at Rush in 1977, she was drawn to the institution’s nontraditional practitioner-teacher model.
“I admired the philosophy and believed in how it was practiced,” she said.
Nearly 50 years later, Howard embodies that philosophy as chair of the Department of Health Systems Management, or HSM, in Rush University’s College of Health Sciences. She is a fearless advocate for Rush students, a leader among faculty, an accomplished researcher, and a confidant and counselor to all who seek her advice along their chosen career paths.
“The HSM program would not be where it is today if it weren’t for Diane,” said Wayne Lerner, DPH, FACHE, former chair of HSM, who hired Howard in 1979 as an administrative assistant at what was then Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center. “Diane is a quiet but strong force who is unmoving when she sets her sights on a goal. She has made it her personal mission to contribute to the future of health care by encouraging HSM graduates to innovate while remaining focused on improving health for all.”
Howard has shaped national policy, elevated community health priorities and consistently advocated for increased diversity in industry leadership roles. Thanks to Howard’s leadership, the HSM program is consistently ranked among the top five in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
“Dr. Howard’s guidance has been instrumental in maintaining the program's elite status and leading it to a myriad of national recognitions,” said Jason Turner, PhD, dean and professor, College of Health Sciences. “Her student development actions, where she personally champions job placement for graduates and cultivates a supportive environment that ‘opens the vista’ for students, have had a particular and long-lasting impact on graduates, the college and the health management field.”
As Howard prepares to retire, her HSM colleagues plan to carry on her legacy. Philanthropic support will help Rush establish a career and leadership center named in honor of her many contributions to the HSM Department. The center will provide support and guidance to the students and alumni Howard cares about so deeply.
“Dr. Howard has worked tirelessly to ensure our students are ready to meet tomorrow’s challenges,” said Robert S.D. Higgins, MD, MSHA, president, Rush University. “It’s heartening to know that her remarkable legacy at Rush will continue through the career and leadership center.”
A trailblazer, coach and mentor
Howard took on increasing administrative responsibilities at Rush from 1978 to 1985. The first Black woman appointed to the executive team, she helped establish the HSM program by working on applications for approval from the Illinois Board of Higher Education and accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission. In 1985, she left Rush to work in leadership roles at the American Hospital Association, Lake Hospital System in Cleveland, U.S. Healthcare in Philadelphia and Aetna in Washington, D.C. These experiences informed her teaching when she returned to Rush in 2005 after earning her PhD from the University of Illinois Chicago.
Over the past two decades, Howard has advanced from assistant professor to professor and chair of HSM. She has published 20 peer-reviewed articles and nine books, received numerous awards, served in leadership roles for multiple professional organizations and regularly coached for the National Association of Health Services Executives case competition.
In 2008, Howard served as an inaugural member of Rush’s Diversity Leadership Group. The group paved the way for Rush’s later commitments to diversity and inclusion — commitments that are now part of Rush’s mission. Nine members of the original group remain at Rush and continue to keep in touch.
“We became good friends,” Howard said. “All of us have stayed together. We support each other and celebrate our successes.”
Paul Kempinski, MS ’84, FACHE, CEC, who recently retired as president and CEO of Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, Missouri, said Howard hired him after graduation, took him under her wing and helped him see talents in himself he didn’t realize he had.
“As my first boss in health care, I learned much more from her than subject matter expertise,” he said. “I learned humility, curiosity and perseverance. I also gained a profound awareness that true leadership is about activating the full potential of people, especially those doing the ‘real work’ supporting patients and their families, particularly the most vulnerable.”
Training the next generation
Just as coaches seek players with different talents to build a well-rounded team, Howard — an avid Philadelphia sports fan — believes in recruiting students from different backgrounds to the HSM program.
“When you bring in a diverse student body, you get a diversity of thought,” she said. “If we listen to them, students can tell faculty what the future will be.”
Howard believes the HSM program’s ultimate key to success is faculty members’ commitment to helping students find their passions.
“We give them experiences through coursework and interaction with professionals,” Howard said. “Students can’t become what they can’t see. That’s been our philosophy from the start. It’s their future, so let them select it.”
This holistic approach works. Approximately 90% of HSM graduates gain employment within three months.
As Howard looks toward the future, she would like to see the HSM program maintain its relationship with system leadership and continue to innovate, both in the classroom and across the field. She also hopes Rush never loses sight of its flagship practitioner-teacher model.
“Even when students graduate, we follow them until they get employment,” Howard said. “It doesn’t make a difference if it’s midnight or Saturday. We have a real commitment to the students and each other.”
