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Dr. Rob Prasaad Steiner retires after 42+ career at UofL
Robert William Prasaad Steiner, MD, MPH, PhD, FAAFP (Lifetime member), DABPM, will retire from the University of Louisville on January 31, 2019 after serving as an academic physician and faculty member for 42+ years. Dr. Steiner has served as a professor in the Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences at the School of Public Health and Information Sciences (SPHIS) and as an associate in the Department of Family and Geriatric Medicine at the School of Medicine.
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Dr. Steiner earned his degree in medicine from the University of Louisville and completed a residency in family practice at UofL Hospital. He joined the UofL School of Medicine Department of Family Practice faculty as an assistant professor in 1977. He took a sabbatical to earn his Master of Public Health (1988) and PhD in Epidemiology (1998) from the University of North Carolina. He served as formal liaison for the UofL School of Medicine to the Jefferson County Health Department (JCHD) for two years and was acting deputy director of the JCHD from 1994 to 1996. Dr. Steiner transferred from the UofL School of Medicine to the newly formed the School of Public Health and Information Sciences in 2005. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Dr. Steiner has served as SPHIS representative to local organizations including the UAW/Ford Kentuckiana Health Collaborative and the Health Enterprise Network.
“I am regularly amazed by the wide array of people Dr. Steiner knows and feel fortunate to be included in some of his informal discussion groups. Rob represents a growing segment of the clinically-trained who have truly bought into the common good,” said Craig Blakely, Dean, UofL School of Public Health and Information Sciences.
Given Dr. Steiner’s long tenure at the university, there are too many highlights and accomplishments to list. He described his biggest and most influential accomplishment in his role directing the Healthy Communities Constanta Partnership for Women’s Health in Romania. The project, funded by a grant from American International Health Alliance (AIHA) in conjunction with USAID, was designed to protect and empower women as victims of domestic violence. The initiative sparked a cultural change in Romania – toward a culture of health, resilience and wellness at a population level. With the success of the model, Dr. Steiner vowed to bring the model of “Healthy People, Healthy Communities” back to Louisville and he remains committed to this effort.
Reflecting on his career, Dr. Steiner said: “I have had incredible learning experiences while serving as faculty at UofL, linked with activities to serve a larger social good.” He also described his favorite memory from SPHIS, which was co-directing the public health course, Managing Healthy Communities (PHMS 607), with Drs. Richard Wilson and Barry Wainscott. “I so enjoyed the interaction with students, as cultivated by my faculty colleagues. It was a rich and rewarding experience – for all involved,” said Dr. Steiner.
With his free time, Dr. Steiner will write articles for publication, host meditation retreats, and serve on the Board of Directors for the Healing Place. He also looks forward to spending more time traveling with his wife, Cheme Jedung Steiner. Even though Dr. Steiner has retired, he will stay connected to UofL as an adjunct professor and doctoral committee member at SPHIS.
Join us in congratulating and wishing Dr. Steiner well in his new endeavors.
