Regina R. Washington
DrPH
Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Phone 865.288.5854
Email rwashington@southcollegetn.edu
Dr. Regina R. Washington is the previous Director of the Division of Prevention and Quality Improvement in the Kentucky Department for Public Health with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. The Division houses the chronic disease prevention, health promotion, health care access, workforce development, public health education, and quality improvement activities. Some of her accomplishments in the three years of being a Division Director include: colon cancer screening statute for low income population, prescription assistance program, diabetes care management, healthy communities and prevention policies, strengthen risk factor surveillance system, and quality and performance improvement systems building.
Dr. Washington has over 10 years experience in academic institutional leadership, student support services, and health and wellness in Kentucky. During her tenure at the state government, Dr. Washington provided leadership for program management, legislation and policy development, and public health services. She has taught health-related courses at the college level; conducted research on rural health care issues in eastern Kentucky; and worked on cancer health disparities research at both the University of Kentucky and at the National Cancer Institute within the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, Maryland). She has done many presentations at the local, state, national, and international level, such as keynote speaker for the Chronic Disease Management Conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Dr. Washington received the “John Snow, Inc. Leadership Award” from the National Rural Health Association.
Dr. Washington, a native of West Virginia, obtained her bachelor’s degree in biology from Berea College, a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in health sciences from Eastern Kentucky University and a doctorate from the University of Kentucky College of Public Health. She works from the values of excellence, quality, and collaboration and she truly believes in collaborating leadership through services and resources to address the issues of health equity. Her interests are in chronic disease prevention, health disparities, leadership development and strategic planning.
