Dr. Counte Transitions to Professor Emeritus Role, Leaves Legacy of Public Health Programs
06/08/2021
After three decades of work and a highlight reel of accomplishments, Michael A. Counte, Ph.D., is excited to continue his career at Saint Louis University in a professor emeritus role. Dr. Counte’s journey with Saint Louis University began almost three decades ago when friends encouraged him to apply for a position at SLU. The rest is history.
When Dr. Counte joined SLU in 1994, the College for Public Health and Social Justice as we know it now was just beginning but the University's reputation and unique health management programs drew him in.
Prior to joining SLU, Dr. Counte served as the assistant chairman of the Department of Health Systems Management and associate director of the Center for Health Management Studies within Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago.
Dr. Counte said he has always had a deep interest in professional development programs for clinicians, physicians and nurses in particular and mentioned the importance of remembering that global interconnectedness is always increasing. During his time at SLU, Dr. Counte was able to expand the faculty and helped open the door to the creation of the SLU Taiwan Executive M.H.A. program and the blended-distance Executive Master of Health Administration program.
Dr. Counte has been extensively involved in the design of multi-disciplinary programs within public health, medical and health services management programs. His primary research interests focus upon evaluating the diffusion and impacts of large-scale organizational change, especially the implementation of comprehensive management information systems and quality management initiatives.
As Dr. Counte’s role transitions and he continues his work on his "passion projects" at SLU, he said he looks forward to spending more time with his grandchildren as they grow up.
“(Being a grandfather is) the best job I have ever had in my entire life,” he said.
He would like to become more involved in service leadership and wants to help with courses at the University, performance and quality improvement for the college and to do more research on the measurement of hospital quality performance.
Dr. Counte’s advice for faculty and students at SLU is to understand the history of the University, college, and department, because “they have shaped our current status and activities.”
He also reminds us that SLU has a strong focus on health care ethics and he appreciates SLU’s uniqueness and all that it offers students and faculty.
Dr. Counte said he will miss his colleagues very much, and that he is very grateful for the opportunities that he has had here.
College for Public Health and Social Justice
The Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice is the only academic unit of its kind, studying social, environmental and physical influences that together determine the health and well-being of people and communities. It also is the only accredited school or college of public health among nearly 250 Catholic institutions of higher education in the United States.
Guided by a mission of social justice and focus on finding innovative and collaborative solutions for complex health problems, the College offers nationally recognized programs in public health, social work, health administration, applied behavior analysis, and criminology and criminal justice.