Susan Helm-Murtagh

Dr. Susan Helm-Murtagh serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at UNC's Gillings School of Global Public Health, teaching strategic management and leadership in the Executive Doctoral Program in Health Leadership (DrPH).

Her educational foundation includes:

• BS in Psychology and Management Science from Duke University (1985)
• MM in Marketing and Finance from Northwestern University (1991)
• DrPH in Health Policy and Management from UNC Gillings School (2009)

Her research integrates health policy, management systems, and strategic leadership with practical applications in healthcare innovation and youth development through physical activity initiatives. She emphasizes translating business principles into public health practice, particularly in organizational leadership and consumer engagement within payer systems.

Professional engagements include advising DrPH students in courses like HPM 820 (Organizational Leadership) and HPM 959 (Strategic Planning), leveraging her 25+ years of healthcare industry experience.

She co-founded The Ellie Helm Foundation (Sturgeon Bay, WI) and The Athletes’ Coalition (Boulder, CO), while chairing the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (Berkeley, CA), demonstrating commitment to community-based health promotion through structured physical activity programs.