Michael R. Kramer Appointed Director of Mercer University’s Center for Rural Health and Health Disparities

Mercer University School of Medicine has appointed Michael R. Kramer, Ph.D., as the new director of its Center for Rural Health and Health Disparities. This Center, one of the first National Institutes of Health Centers of Excellence focused on rural health, is dedicated to addressing health disparities in rural Georgia through community-driven solutions. The Center manages a federal portfolio exceeding $6 million, concentrating on maternal and infant mortality reduction, opioid overdose prevention, and chronic disease self-management.

Dean Jean Sumner, M.D., FACP, expressed enthusiasm about Dr. Kramer’s appointment, noting his role in developing strong alliances across rural Georgia and continuing meaningful research.

Dr. Kramer began his medical career as a physician assistant, earning his Master of Medical Science from Emory University in 1997. He worked in both urban and rural settings, including Sage Hospital of the Navajo Nation in Arizona, where he was director of the emergency department. He returned to Georgia in 2004 to join DeKalb Medical Center’s emergency department and served as an adjunct professor and faculty course director at Mercer’s College of Health Professions until 2010.

In 2009, Dr. Kramer obtained his Ph.D. in epidemiology from Emory University and subsequently joined its faculty. At Emory, he received accolades for research and teaching, publishing over 200 professional journal articles. His research focuses on population health through an epidemiological lens, incorporating sociology, demography, and geography to understand health patterns.

Dr. Kramer aims to guide community leaders and policymakers in creating evidence-based programs and policies to enhance health equity, emphasizing the impact of historical, economic, and cultural factors on rural health opportunities.

“I am both honored and excited to join the Mercer family,” said Dr. Kramer. “I look forward to productive and impactful research and implementation collaborations with academic and community partners seeking to maximize health and health equity in rural Georgia.”

Since 2022, interim executive director Jennifer Barkin, Ph.D., led the Center, maintaining grant funding for the South Georgia Healthy Start program. Dean Sumner acknowledged Dr. Barkin’s contributions, stating, “Dr. Barkin has done an excellent job of running the Center as interim director and will continue to manage the Healthy Start grant and other important work for MUSM and rural Georgia.”