Director of the Robbins MBA Healthcare Program, Part of the Robbins Institute for Health Policy and Leadership at Baylor, Appointed Chair of National Accreditation Commission

Forest Kim, Ph.D., becomes the first Asian American to serve as board chair of the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare and Management Education

Media Contact: Kelly Craine, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-297-9065
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WACO, Texas (August, 2022) – Forest Kim, Ph.D., director of the Robbins MBA Healthcare Program, part of the Robbins Institute for Health Policy and Leadership within Baylor University’s nationally ranked Hankamer School of Business and clinical associate professor of economics, was recently appointed board chair of the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare and Management Education (CAHME). With his appointment, he becomes the first Asian American to serve as chair of CAHME.

Kim has served on the board since 2019 and has been a site visitor and CAHME Fellow for more than a decade. CAHME is an interdisciplinary group of educational, professional, clinical and other health sector organizations devoted to quality improvement of education for healthcare management and administration professionals.

“Serving on a national accrediting board and as a Baylor graduate myself, I feel my appointment as board chair contributes directly to Baylor’s mission to educate men and women for worldwide leadership,” Kim said. “As the CAHME board chair, I have the opportunity to influence how healthcare management education is delivered in the U.S. It is an exciting role but one with great responsibility. Additionally, this role provides the health management community greater visibility to Baylor University and the Robbins Institute.”

Kim leads the healthcare specialization in Baylor’s MBA program, a dually accredited program by CAHME and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). The program is part of the Robbins Institute, which serves as an interdisciplinary foundation for all healthcare-related initiatives in the Hankamer School of Business, including teaching, external programming and health services research.

The Robbins Institute is committed to providing quality academic training for the next generation of healthcare leaders, while expanding a commitment to health services research on issues that directly impact the lives of millions of people worldwide.

“My hope is to instill in these aspiring leaders the knowledge, skills and courage to lead change,” Kim said.

Before coming to Baylor, Kim served as program director of the University of the Incarnate Word Graduate Program in Health Administration in San Antonio, Texas. Prior to that, he served 22 years on active duty in the U.S. Army as a healthcare administrator and educator, culminating as program director of the Army-Baylor Master of Health and Business Administration program.

His academic credentials include a Ph.D. in health services research from the University of Washington, a Master of Healthcare Administration from Baylor University, an MBA from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Chapman University. Kim received his undergraduate degree in physiological sciences from UCLA in 1995 and was commissioned through the ROTC.

In addition to his service with CAHME, he also is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). His research interests include federal health program evaluation, graduate educational outcomes and competency development and assessment.

“Forest Kim’s appointment as CAHME board chair is a testament to his thought leadership and work ethic. We are proud of his accomplishments both within the Business School and in external endeavors,” said Sandeep Mazumder, Ph.D., The William E. Crenshaw Endowed Dean of the Hankamer School of Business. “It is a benefit to our students to have faculty members involved with prestigious organizations such as CAHME, as they provide opportunities for external partnerships and experiential learning.”

Of his appointment as CAHME board chair, Kim said the organization sees its commitment to diversity as an intentional and deliberate process that contributes to the broader community.

“Our board and accredited healthcare management education programs embrace diversity to serve the public by advancing the quality of healthcare management education,” Kim said.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

ABOUT HANKAMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business strives to further God’s kingdom through the realm of business, using God-given gifts and academic talents to do so. Faculty and students conduct purposeful research and participate in experiential learning opportunities, all while operating in a Christ-centered mission. Undergraduate students can choose from 13 major areas of study. Graduate students can earn their MBA on their terms, either through the full-time, online or a Dallas-based executive program. The Business School also offers three Ph.D. programs in Information Systems, Entrepreneurship or Health Services Research. The School’s top-ranked programs make up approximately 25% of the University’s total enrollment. Visit hankamer.baylor.edu for more information.