Karl T. Johnson, PhD

About

Karl is a recent graduate (Summer 2023) of the PhD program in Health Policy and Management at UNC Gillings. Over the last several years, Karl has become passionate about working alongside and advocating for the work of local public health, including the work of local governmental health departments and community-based organizations. He believes deeply in the integration of public health research and practice, as well as the importance of working with local communities to solve complex, cross-sector public health challenges. Karl’s core values are curiosity, humility, and community. 

Currently Karl lives in Chapel Hill and in his free time loves to discover new recipes to whip up in the kitchen, woodwork with friends, volunteer at his Church, go hiking with his wife, and tend to the nearby community garden.

Honors and Awards

The Francine and Harry Weinberger Award for Excellence
Spring 2023, UNC Gillings Department of Health Policy and Management

Representative Courses

PUBH 785.001: Community Engagement for Governance (3 credits), Fall 2023

Research Activities

The focus of Karl's research has been on cross-sector collaborations to address health equity, the role of local governmental health departments in securing needed public health goods and services, and the role and importance of local boards of health. For his dissertation Karl assessed the current strengths and weaknesses of the the board of health as an institution in North Carolina, as well as how the relationship between the board and the health department is influenced by variations in organizational and governance structures across the state.

Service Activities

- UNC Gillings Research Strategic Planning Task Force, student representative, Spring 2023-Fall 2023

Practice Activities

Karl currently works as a Behavioral Health Integration Specialist for the Granville Vance Public Health department, located in Granville and Vance Counties. In this role, Karl works with others at GPVH to coordinate work to improve the integration of behavioral and mental health care throughout the district. Karl is also involved in coordinating several substance abuse-related public health initiatives in the district, including the strategic use of opioid settlement funds.

Key Publications

Local Health Department Values and Organizational Authorities Guiding Cross-Sector Work During COVID-19. Johnson, K., Biddell, C. B., Gora Combs, K., Wiesman, J., Valdes Lupi, M., & Hassmiller Lich, K. (2023). Health Promotion Practice.
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Organizational decision‐making during COVID‐19: A qualitative analysis of the organizational decision‐making system in the United States during COVID‐19. Johnson, K., Biddell, C. B., Hecht, H. K., Lich, K. H., Swann, J., Delamater, P., ... & Patel, M. D. (2022). Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management.
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Cross-sector decision landscape in response to COVID-19: a qualitative network mapping analysis of North Carolina decision-makers. Biddell, C. B., Johnson, K. T., Patel, M. D., Smith, R. L., Hecht, H. K., Swann, J. L., ... & Hassmiller Lich, K. (2022). Frontiers in Public Health, 10.
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Education