— College of Public Health — Departments — Department of Health Promotion — Faculty & Staff — Chad Abresch, PhD

Chad Abresch, PhD

Weitz Family Chair of Health Promotion College of Public Health
Associate Professor, UNMC Department of Health Promotion

Send Email

Phone: 402-559-9674

The United States faces persistently poor health outcomes compared to other developed nations—from maternal and infant mortality to life expectancy. These widespread gaps affect every American's quality of life and limit our nation's potential.

For over two decades, Dr. Chad Abresch has led transformative efforts in maternal and child health nationwide. Through partnerships with communities and government agencies, his innovative public health programs have improved health outcomes across the country.

As the Weitz Family Chair at UNMC's College of Public Health, Dr. Abresch champions community-driven solutions to complex health challenges. He lives in Omaha with his wife Kimberley, where they enjoy a large family including nine children (ages 11-35) and two grandchildren.

Education

1996 | B.A., Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
2000 | M.Ed., Health Education, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
2018 | Ph.D., Public Administration, University of Nebraska at Omaha

Research Interests

Dr. Abresch’s research focuses on reducing and eliminating inequities in maternal and child health outcomes. He partners primarily with our nation’s local health departments along with federal agencies to design and implement programs..

Selected Publications

Niebur, H., Rookwood, A., Karki, B., & Abresch, C. (2023). Towards a New Model of Childhood Asthma Care: Community Needs Assessment in an Underserved Urban Population. Journal of Asthma, (just-accepted), 1-15.
Abresch, C., Gilbert, C., Johnson, M., Karki, B., Lyons, K., Meyer, K., ... & Toure, D. (2022). Understanding the Emotional Labor of Public Health Equity Work: a Mixed Methods Study. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 1-11.
Grimm, B., Ramos, A. K., Maloney, S., Abresch, C., Tibbits, M., Lyons, K., & Palm, D. (2021). The Most Important Skills Required by Local Public Health Departments for Responding to Community Needs and Improving Health Outcomes. Journal of Community Health, 1-8.
Abresch, C., Grimm, B., Lyons, K., Maloney, S. & Tibbits, M. (2021) Who gets included in Collective Impact: A mixed methods study of 10 CI initiatives. Community Development, DOI: 10.1080/15575330.2021.1941161
Collie-Akers, V., Landry, S., Ehule, N. J., Pecha, D., Beltran, M. M., Gilbert, C., & Abresch, C. (2021). Enhancing the Capacity of Local Health Departments to Address Birth Equity: The Institute for Equity in Birth Outcomes. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 1-9.

Professional Affiliations

2021 – Present | UNMC Interprofessional Academy of Educators
2011 – Present | National Association of County and City Health Officials
2010 – 2015 | American Society of Association Executives
2010 – Present | American Public Health Association, subcommittee member Maternal and Child Health Section
2008 – Present | Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs
2006 – Present | National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health

Teaching Philosophy

Dr. Abresch strives to create an open and welcoming classroom. Rather than a traditional lecture-oriented approach, Dr. Abresch facilitaties engaging conversation that allows students to explore and develop their thinking on topics in a safe environment.