Experienced Team of Healthcare Faculty to Guide Health Graduate Programs into the Future

As the health industry continues to quickly evolve, University College is pleased to be at the forefront of meeting both employers’ and students’ needs through our graduate healthcare programs.

We are thrilled to share several exciting faculty announcements in the healthcare management and data programs that are integral to continuing to carry out that mission.

Bobbie Kite, PhD, Director of Healthcare Programming

Bobbie Kite has accepted the newly formed role of Director of Healthcare Programming, helping to shape new opportunities and grow both the Healthcare Management program, as well as the Health Informatics program. As she did in her previous position as Academic Director for Healthcare Management, Bobbie will continue to ensure that the programs stay relevant in the quickly changing times, as well as be a pipeline for the industry to find innovative graduates to lead its future.

“This position means expanding upon a solid vision as we move into the exciting digital and virtual learning space,” said Bobbie. “Our blend of industry partnerships, research, and practical application remains our core competitive advantage in the market, and our exponential learning opportunities continue to make us a strong choice for students. I hope to continue pulling together health across University College and look for more opportunities to connect with industry for our students.”

Rachel Rogers, MSSp, Healthcare Management Academic Program Director

Rachel Rogers has accepted the Academic Director role for the Healthcare Management program, previously serving as assistant director for the program. Rachel’s expertise, experience and efforts in the healthcare industry have been integral in advancing the Healthcare Management program, as well as creating the timely Health Informatics program in coordination with Bobbie Kite.

“I’m looking forward to having time to focus on the Healthcare Management program so that our curriculum remains on the leading edge of digital and virtual learning. I’m also very excited to work with my colleagues to create ‘best of breed’ programs for all of our healthcare students,” said Rachel. “With this new leadership structure, the healthcare programs will be able to extend their reach locally and nationally through partnerships with healthcare and health industry organizations, collaborations with other University of Denver departments, and an impressive cadre of faculty bringing their expertise directly from their work into our classrooms.”

Jeff Weide, DBA, Health Informatics Academic Program Director

University College has also welcomed Jeff Weide as the new Academic Director for the recently launched Health Informatics graduate program. Jeff joins University College with a wide range of experience in healthcare leadership, project management, systems thinking, and strategic planning. His healthcare experiences include operational management of the State of Colorado’s COVID rapid response testing program, directing the performance improvement efforts of a 20-clinic community health system, and Lean Systems Improvement facilitation at a large, safety-net integrated health system in Denver. In higher education, Jeff has taught adult learners for nearly a decade in business, project management, and computer information systems, including most recently as adjunct faculty here at University College. 

“I am invested in the success and growth of the Health Informatics program. The innovation within healthcare is advancing at a rapid pace, and my goal is to develop a program that keeps pace with innovation while also providing students with the critical thinking skills that employers want within health informatics, digital health, and health data science,” said Jeff.

This experienced and dynamic team of healthcare professionals is poised to ensure University College healthcare offerings lead the way in educating and preparing our students to work in a variety of roles across the health industry.  

“Our Healthcare Management and Health Informatics programs were designed with significant synergies,” said University College Dean Michael McGuire. “These synergies are very important to preparing our students to help deliver improved healthcare outcomes and address disparities that exist among our communities. We believe the faculty team approach with Bobbie, Jeff, and Rachel leading the faculty of these programs will be very beneficial to growing our programs and realizing new opportunities within the healthcare industry.”