Chad Abresch, PhD, joins public health as department chair

Chad Abresch, PhD, has been named chair of the UNMC Department of Health Promotion in the College of Public Health. 

Dean Ali S. Khan, MD, MPH, said Dr. Abresch “is a renowned scholar who leads one of the most successful academic public health practice programs in the nation,” referring to his role as executive director of the maternal and child health organization CityMatCH.  

Dr. Abresch began his new role on May 1. Previously, he worked for the UNMC College of Medicine, where he was an assistant professor and served as chief of the Division of Child Health Policy and vice chair of culture for the Department of Pediatrics.

He has led CityMatCH since 2010. Under his leadership, the organization has experienced major growth and earned recognition from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau, as well as the American Public Health Association.  

“The CityMatCH program is the largest-capacity development program in maternal and child health for city health departments and hosts the main conference for maternal and child health leaders,” Dr. Khan said. “Besides a lifelong career devoted to saving the lives of moms and children, Dr. Abresch also has a personal and professional commitment to equity and equality that manifests throughout his practice.” 

Dr. Abresch said he is thrilled to join the UNMC College of Public Health faculty. 

“I’m incredibly excited to serve as chair of the Department of Health Promotion,” he said. “The interview process allowed me to take an in-depth look at the department and the college. I am impressed with the talent and vibrancy of the faculty, the leadership of Dean Khan and his team and the overall passion for advancing public health research, teaching, and practice.”  

Dr. Abresch earned his PhD in public administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and MEd in health education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He lives in Omaha with his wife Melissa and their four children.