Kim Erwin

Kim Erwin is an Associate Professor of Healthcare Design and the Director of the Equitable Healthcare Action Lab at the Institute of Design (ID), Illinois Institute of Technology. She holds a Master of Design (MDes) from ID and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Logic from Loyola University Chicago. Her work focuses on applying human-centered design to healthcare systems, emphasizing equitable solutions for vulnerable populations.

Key roles include serving as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Chicago Medicine’s Center for Healthcare Delivery Science and Innovation, and as a standing member of the scientific review panel for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). She also co-founded the Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC).

Her research addresses healthcare equity through projects like developing tools for cost conversations in prenatal care, improving COPD patient discharge practices, and collaborating with the Navajo Nation on asthma programs. She has led over 60 presentations and workshops on topics such as healthcare innovation and community engagement, including work with the National Academy of Medicine to create a model for assessing community engagement.

Kim’s book, Communicating the New, explores methods for accelerating innovation within organizations. She teaches courses such as Principles & Methods of User Research and Research Synthesis, focusing on translating design methodologies for healthcare professionals and researchers.