Faculty

Jerald Abrams, PhD, Philosophy

A philosophy professor and former HAP Program Director, J. J. Abrams teaches Bioethics (HAP 457 and HAP 404).

Joe Carnazzo, MBA, Healthcare Administration

Joseph S. Carnazzo is a nearly lifelong Omahan.  He has a BA and MA in History from Creighton University and an MBA from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.  Mr. Carnazzo began his career as a teacher but soon entered the field of health care administration in the areas of planning and marketing at several hospitals both in and outside of Omaha.  Mr. Carnazzo also served as an administrator for a number of physician practices in the Omaha area.  Retiring from the health care administration in 2000, Mr. Carnazzo organized one of the Academy of Finance programs in the Omaha Public Schools and became an adjunct teacher at Metro Community College, where he teaches Business and Economics, and at Creighton University, where he teaches Health Care Administration.  Mr. Carnazzo and his wife Regina have 6 children and 9 grandchildren. He teaches HAP 200, HAP 410, and HAP 411.

Sue Crawford, PhD, Political Science

Dr. Sue Crawford is a Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Creighton University.  She also teaches courses in the Health Administration and Policy Program and is on faculty for the Creighton Doctor of Education in Leadership (EdD) program.  Her Ph.D. training at Indiana University focused on American Government and Public Policy with a concentration in Public Management. Dr. Crawford’s research interests include: the roles of religious institutions in public policy, tools for analyzing the impact of rules and norms on behavior, and the roles of government and other community institutions in facilitating health information access in rural communities.  Dr. Crawford is also a Nebraska state senator. She regularly teaches HAP 331, HAP 334, and HAP 420.

Sabrina Danielsen, PhD, Sociology

Dr. Danielsen received her PhD from University of Pennsylvania. She teaches HAP 312: Research  Design for the Social Sciences. She also is an advisor for HAP students.

Kevin Estep, PhD, Sociology

Dr. Estep received his PhD from Notre Dame. He is a full-time faculty member along with Ms. Walsh in the HAP program. He teaches HAP 200: Introduction to Healthcare Administration, HAP 334: Public Policy & Healthcare, HAP 350: The Essentials of Public Health, and HAP 410: Seminar in Public Health Administration.

Pierce Greenberg, PhD, Sociology

Dr. Greenberg received his PhD from Washington State University. He teaches HAP 314: Statistics for the Social Sciences.

Michael Demman, JD, Health Law (Simply Well LLC)

I received my Bachelor in Business, with an emphasis in Marketing, from Loyola Marymount University in 1992 and my Juris Doctorate from Creighton University in 1996. I am licensed to practice law in Nebraska and Nevada. I practiced law in Las Vegas from 1996 – 2000, before moving back to Omaha. From 2001 – 2008, I served as Vice President-Corporate Counsel for Private Practice Associates, LLC, (“PPA”) a physician owned Group Purchasing and Practice Management Organization. While at PPA, we developed a population health management company called SimplyWell, which I have served as the CEO since 2006. I also serve on the Boards of the Nebraska Komen Affiliate and Community Health Charities. I have taught HAP 515: Legal Aspects of Healthcare Administration since 2012.

Amanda Holman, PhD

Dr. Amanda Holman is an Assistant Professor in the Communication Studies department. Her PhD is from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, MA from the University of Montana-Missoula, and BA from Concordia College (Moorhead, MN).

Dr. Holman’s research and teaching focuses on interpersonal, family, and health communication. She teaches classes on the connection of family communication and health/well-being (COM/HAP 477), as well as courses on interpersonal communication, family communication, and the dark side of personal relationships. Her current research focuses on difficult communication within family and peer relationships with the goal of discovering new approaches to guide individuals and families through the difficulty and discomfort of these conversations. Specially, she is working with high school adolescents in Nebraska to gain their perspectives on the parent-adolescent  ‘sex talk’ to better inform future parent-child sex talk interventions

Ellen Houston, MAMA, Healthcare Administration (Omaha OB-GYN Associates)

Ellen Houston earned her BS in Computer Science from Western Oregon University and her MA in Management (with Distinction) from Bellevue University. Currently she is a healthcare administrator at Omaha OB/GYN Associates, P.C. She teaches HAP 310 and HAP 412.

Stephen Peters, MS, Healthcare Administration (Private Practice Associates)

Steve Peters earned his BA in Interpersonal and Public Communication from Central Michigan University and his MA in Organizational Communication from Central Michigan University. Currently he is the Participant Services Manager at Private Practice Associates. He teaches HAP 200, 390, 410, and 412.

Alexander Roedlach, SVD, PhD, Anthropology

Dr. Roedlach is involved in interdisciplinary research exploring how access to integrated medical services for HIV/AIDS and TB in Zimbabwe is influenced by cultural perceptions of both diseases. Further, he collaborates with others studying the health needs of a growing refugee population in the American Midwest. He currently is preparing a long-term study on the impact of faith community nursing on the health of clients receiving services provided by this specialty nursing. He teaches HAP 418: Healthcare, Society, and Culture regularly.

Susan Walsh, MHSA, RN, FACHE, HAP Program Director

Susan Walsh proudly followed in her mother’s footsteps as a nursing student at Creighton University.  Building on experience as an Emergency Department nurse and House Supervisor, she began her career in healthcare administration at Creighton University’s Cardiac Center.  Walsh directed operational change including a significant move from the hospital to a freestanding ambulatory center.  She also led Joint Commission Accreditation, implementation of a service excellence culture, and the formation of full-time, rural cardiology offices in Iowa and Nebraska.  Walsh then moved onto direct Cardiac Services at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center where she guided the development of Nebraska’s first pediatric Heart Transplant Program.  She has served as a preceptor for Health Administration and Policy interns since 2000 and as an adjunct instructor since 2006.  In 2014, Walsh returned to her beloved Creighton as the first full-time faculty member in the Health Administration and Policy Program.  Her passions include watching students light up when they apply textbook knowledge to real-world healthcare administration situations and one-on-one advising.  Walsh is married to Creighton alumnus and has three children (a son who is a Creighton alumnus and two daughters; one attends Creighton and the other attends a fellow Jesuit University).  She enjoys spending time with her three grandchildren and going to the beach. Prof. Walsh teaches HAP 200, HAP 413, HAP 414, HAP 485, and HAP 493.