Rebecca Wurtz, MD, MPH

Associate Professor, Division of Health Policy and Management

Rebecca Wurtz

Contact Info

rwurtz@umn.edu

Office Phone 612-625-1387

Office Address:
C305 Mayo

Mailing Address:
420 Delaware St SE
MMC 729 Mayo
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Associate Professor, Division of Health Policy and Management

Distinguished University Teaching Professor


MD, Harvard Medical School

MPH, University of Illinois-Chicago

BA, History, Yale University

Summary

I am a board-certified infectious disease physician and population health informaticist who has worked in public health in local, state, federal, and international settings. 

Expertise

Immunization barriers, electronic laboratory reporting, population health data standards, “data exhaust," and open health data

Awards & Recognition

  • Distinguished University Teaching Professor
  • Member, Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health

Research

Research Funding Grants

9/22/2021 – 9/21/2025 Public Health Information Technology Workforce Development “TRIUMPH Consortium” – Co-Principal Investigator

Publications

See a full list of publications on PubMed

Select Publications

  • Mikal J, Grande S, Wurtz R. Social media as a modern emergency broadcast system: a longitudinal qualitative study of social media during COVID-19 and its impacts on social connection and social distancing compliance. Computers in Human Behavior Reports 2021;4:100137. doi: 10.1016/j.chbr.2021.1001
  • Wrigley-Field E, Garcia S, Leider JP, Robertson C, Wurtz R. Racial disparities in COVID-19 and excess mortality in Minnesota. Socius. 2020;6:1-4 https://doi.org/10.1177/2378023120980918
  • Bartlett C, Wurtz R. "Twitter and public health," Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, July/August 2015
  • Wurtz R. "The role of public health in health information exchanges," Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, Sept/Oct 2013

Teaching

Teaching Areas

I am the program director for the Distance Public Health Administration & Policy (PHAP) and Executive Public Health Administration & Policy (E-PHAP) programs. I teach courses on public health informatics, public health management, and leadership.

Courses

• PubH 6727 Health Leadership and Effecting Change
• PubH 6751, Principles of Management in Health Services Organizations
• PubH 6880 Public Health Informatics and Information Systems

• PubH 7784, Master's Project Seminar: PHAP and HSRP&A

Media

In The News

  • The facts behind the COVID-19 delta variant (The Pew Charitable Trusts)
  • Ask the Doctor: Did We Miscalculate the Risk of COVID for Kids? (The 74)
  • Four big questions about omicron (The New York Times)
  • Don’t be surprised when you get omicron (The Atlantic)
  • Boosters, vigilance help keep COVID away for the holidays, experts say (Minnesota Public Radio)
  • We need to start thinking differently about breakthrough infections (Time)
  • What the CDC’s VAERS system is — and isn’t — good for (MinnPost| Minneapolis, MN)
  • University develops health informatics track for Native American public health students (The Minnesota Daily)
  • It’s not too late for new Covid-19 drugs to change the pandemic (Vox)