Kimberly Enard Appointed to the James R. Kimmey, MD, MPH, Endowed Chair in Public Health
08/29/2025
The Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice is delighted to announce the appointment of Kimberly Enard to the James R. Kimmey, M.D., M.P.H., Endowed Chair in Public Health.
The Kimmey Endowed Chair was established by Missouri Foundation for Health to continue the legacy of James Kimmey’s work and his dedication to the advancement of the public health profession through scholarly pursuit of learning, research, and practice in the public health field, and few embody these ideals like Enard.
"I was pleased and honored when this chair was created, and I am equally pleased that Kimberly has been named as the recipient. I am confident that her tenure will advance the purposes of the chair and she will be a major contributor to the advancement and enhancement of public health envisioned for the chair," said James R. Kimmey, M.D., M.P.H., founding dean of the School of Public Health.
Enard earned her Ph.D. in public health services at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and, after a postdoctoral fellowship at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, joined SLU in 2014, where she has quickly risen through the ranks and was recently promoted from associate to full professor. She serves as chair of the Department of Health Management and Policy.
Enard's work encompasses many aspects of healthcare management and community engagement, and she is particularly interested in driving solutions to improve healthcare access and quality for socially disadvantaged patients.
She has held various leadership positions within SLU and in local and national professional associations, including secretary of the Board of Directors of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration and co-chair of the Research and Academic Engagement Committee of the National Association of Health Services Executives. In 2024, Enard received the John D. Thompson Prize from AUPHA in recognition of her contributions to health administration education nationally. Enard was the first African-American and the first SLU faculty member to receive the Thompson Prize since the award was established in 1991. Enard is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and a Fellow of the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).
“Dr. Kimmey believed that building healthier communities required listening, learning, and partnering with those most affected by inequities. Dr. Enard exemplifies those same values in her career - mentoring future health leaders, shaping policy through evidence, and advancing solutions that improve well-being for underserved populations. Her appointment ensures that the endowed chair continues to drive the change that Dr. Kimmey envisioned and that remains at the heart of MFH’s mission,” said Dwayne Proctor, Ph.D., president and CEO of Missouri Foundation for Health.
Missouri Foundation for Health is building a more equitable future through collaboration, convening, knowledge sharing, and strategic investment. Working in partnership with communities and nonprofits, MFH is transforming systems to eliminate inequities within all aspects of health and addressing the social and economic factors that shape health outcomes.
College for Public Health and Social Justice
The Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice is the only academic unit of its kind, studying social, environmental and physical influences that together determine the health and well-being of people and communities. It also is the only accredited school or college of public health among nearly 250 Catholic institutions of higher education in the United States. Guided by a mission of social justice and focus on finding innovative and collaborative solutions for complex health problems, the college offers nationally recognized programs in public health and health administration.