Welcome back to Race to Value! In this episode we introduce our new host, Ashley Schwartz and discuss the rebranding of the Institute for Advancing Health Value and how we are expanding our work.

Today’s guest is Dr. Keith Smith (M.A., Ed.D., MBA, L.M., RMHC (ret.)) serves as the Executive Dean and Senior Vice President for Michael O. Leavitt School of Health at Western Governors University. He has strategic leadership experience in the business, nonprofit, and higher education sectors. His 26-year career in higher education comprises holding faculty, dean, vice-provost, vice-president, and now senior vice-president positions, at five universities prior to coming to WGU, inclusive of leading schools of health, business and IT, and arts and sciences. He has taught courses and given presentations domestically and internationally on leadership and organizational change, higher education innovation, and personal growth and development. Smith has supervised educational programs in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. He has played a lead role in both regional and programmatic accreditations. His teams have developed a wide spread of programs from the microcredential through doctoral levels, as well as partnerships with business, government, military, and community colleges across the nation.

0:19: Introduction to Keith Smith, SVP of WGU’s Leavitt School of Health.

1:42: Upcoming changes you can expect to see with the Institute for Advancing Health Value and it’s rebrand.

2:52: Expansion in content- we will be continuing our work in Value Based Care, but are expanding into workforce, health equity, diversity and inclusion and workforce development.

4:50: Health Equity Convening in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. This is a new area of work that we are continuing to expand and explore in different areas of the United States

8:00: Discussion of the Programs that the Leavitt School of Health currently offers.

11:40: Discussion of WGU’s strategic pillars and how they will benefit the general public and the current workforce.

“We want to set a greater tone out in the Healthcare Industry, in terms of thought leaderships and opportunities to partner with those in different systems, and opportunities to be a resource center for them.” – Dr. Keith Smith

“Educational Equity feeds into Health Equity. By providing education to everyone, it opens the door for health equity and having trained, qualified and a culturally competent workforce that mirrors the diverse population that they are caring for.” – Ashley Schwartz