Associate Professor

Director, Institute of Health Administration
Sc.D., Johns Hopkins University
M.S.I.E., Georgia Institute of Technology
B.I.E., Georgia Institute of Technology

Research interests:

• Medical care organization
• Operations management
• Health information systems

Profile:

Dr. Sumner has extensive experience in health administration and health services, including strategic planning, operations management, simulation, quality improvement, health information systems, medical care organization, and managed care. Dr. Sumner has served as Chair, Administration Advisory Committee, Department of Medical Assistance (Medicaid), State of Georgia; Board of Directors and former Chair of Promina Health Plan, Inc.; and the Advisory Council of the CARE quality improvement program of the Georgia Hospital Association.

Dr. Sumner has directed several major studies of health care organizations and information systems, including program evaluations of the statewide Medicaid managed care program in Georgia. He has over 20 years of experience in hospitals and public health. Dr. Sumner has published in leading health care publications such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Medical Care, Health Services Research, Health Care Management Review, and Hospitals.

Dr. Sumner is Director and Associate Professor, Institute of Health Administration, J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia. Previously, Dr. Sumner was affiliated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As Special Assistant to the CDC Director, he coordinated CDC’s strategic information systems. He coordinated development of the first nationwide electronic Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report. He also coordinated CDC’s evaluation activities including extramural funded evaluations and development of a CDC-wide strategic planning and budgeting data system. He also coordinated health services research activities for the U.S. Public Health Services Division of Hospitals and Clinics in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Sumner also served as health systems engineer with the Medical College of Georgia and Georgia Tech where he participated in innovative applications of systems engineering techniques to health facilities planning. He was also an industrial and systems engineer with DuPont and Tennessee Eastman Company.