Research Interests
Effective public health system performance; public health financing; local public health service variation and population health impact; disparities in public health system resource allocation; public health workforce development and leadership
Bio
Betty Bekemeier is a public health systems researcher examining effective strategies for local and state public health systems to most effectively improve population health and eliminate disparities. She became Director of the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice in November 2015. She is Primary Investigator of the Public Health Activities and Services Tracking (PHAST) Study and conducts practice-based research in collaboration with state and local public health practice partners. She has held significant state and national leadership positions including with the Washington State Public Health Association and the American Public Health Association. Before coming to the UW, her career focused on public health practice at the local level, including: public health nursing, clinical and field management, epidemiology, community assessment, maternal child health, and administration.
Education
PhD Nursing, University of Washington, 2007
MPH Program Evaluation, Johns Hopkins University, 1994
MSN Public Health Nursing Leadership and Management, Johns Hopkins University, 1994
BSN Nursing, Pacific Lutheran University, 1984
Academic Programs and Affiliations
Recent Publications (PubMed)
Estimating the Association Between Public Health Spending and Sexually Transmitted Disease Rates in the United States: A Systematic Review.
Lim S, Pintye J, Seong H, Bekemeier B. Estimating the Association between Public Health Spending and Sexually Transmitted Disease Rates in the United States: A Systematic Review. Sex Transm Dis. 2022 Mar 11. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001627. [Epub ahead
Local Health Departments’ Characteristics and Their Performance Scores in PHAB Accreditation Standards.
Dada OO, Bekemeier B, Flaxman A, de Castro B. Local Health Departments’ Characteristics and Their Performance Scores in PHAB Accreditation Standards. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2022 Jul-Aug 01;28(4):375-383. doi: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000001458. Epub 2022
Analytic approaches to assess the impact of local spending on sexually transmitted diseases.
Grembowski D, Lim S, Pantazis A, Bekemeier B. Analytic approaches to assess the impact of local spending on sexually transmitted diseases. Health Serv Res. 2022 Jun;57(3):644-653. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13915. Epub 2022 Jan 17.
Cocreating evidence-informed health equity policy with community.
Walker SC, White J, Rodriguez V, Turk E, Gubner N, Ngo S, Bekemeier B. Cocreating evidence-informed health equity policy with community. Health Serv Res. 2022 Jun;57 Suppl 1:137-148. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13940. Epub 2022 Mar 3. Review.
Supporting rural public health practice to address local-level social determinants of health across Northwest states: Development of an interactive visualization dashboard.
Backonja U, Park S, Kurre A, Yudelman H, Heindel S, Schultz M, Whitman G, Turner AM, Marchak NT, Bekemeier B. Supporting rural public health practice to address local-level social determinants of health across Northwest states: Development of an interacti
Impact of data visualization on decision-making and its implications for public health practice: a systematic literature review.
Park S, Bekemeier B, Flaxman A, Schultz M. Impact of data visualization on decision-making and its implications for public health practice: a systematic literature review. Inform Health Soc Care. 2022 Apr 3;47(2):175-193. doi: 10.1080/17538157.2021.198294
“Not everybody approaches it that way”: Nurse-trained health department directors’ leadership strategies and skills in public health.
Kett PM, Bekemeier B, Altman MR, Herting JR. “Not everybody approaches it that way”: Nurse-trained health department directors’ leadership strategies and skills in public health. Nurs Inq. 2022 Mar 9:e12487. doi: 10.1111/nin.12487. [Epub ahead of print]
Involvement of Local Health Departments in Obesity Prevention: A Scoping Review.
Petrovskis A, Baquero B, Bekemeier B. Involvement of Local Health Departments in Obesity Prevention: A Scoping Review. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2022 Mar-Apr 01;28(2):E345-E353. doi: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000001346. Review.
Dance of Dollars: State Funding Effects on Local Health Department Expenditures.
Viall AH, Bekemeier B, Yeager V, Carton T. Dance of Dollars: State Funding Effects on Local Health Department Expenditures. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2022 Mar-Apr 01;28(2):E577-E585. doi: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000001418.
Addressing Health Disparities: The Health Department Nurse Lead Executive’s Relationship to Improved Community Health.
Kett PM, Bekemeier B, Herting JR, Altman MR. Addressing Health Disparities: The Health Department Nurse Lead Executive’s Relationship to Improved Community Health. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2022 Mar-Apr 01;28(2):E566-E576. doi: 10.1097/PHH.000000000000
More Publications
News
Investing in evidence to inform practice: Reimagining the US public health system
Health Affairs, 04/06/2021
How coronavirus is turning health departments into a lightning rod for political wrath, in Washington and beyond
The Seattle Times, 12/11/2020
UW, Seattle & King County join forces for new academic health department
, 01/26/2018
UW, Seattle & King County join forces for new academic health department
, 01/25/2018
Center Wins $2 Million to Promote Health Equity in Rural Communities through Data
, 09/25/2017
Close Up June 2017: Betty Bekemeier
, 06/05/2017
Study found cuts to health programs increased low birth weight rates in Florida
WGCU, 05/16/2016
PHAST seeks input from health departments for a new data-access dashboard
Northwest Center for Public Health Practice Communications, 04/08/2016
Study: Infection rates correlate with public health spending
Food Safety News, 03/04/2016
Spending on Food Sanitation Linked to Fewer Illnesses
, 03/12/2015