In August 2015, he received Direct Appointment as Clinical Associate Professor for Georgia Southern University’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health (JPHCOPH) and the Director of the Center for Public Health Practice & Research. Under faculty appointment provides instruction in the JPHCOPH Health Policy & Management Division focusing on health care finance and policy. As the Director for the JPHCOPH Center for Public Health Practice & Research facilitates the integration of the JPHCOPH academic resources into State and National fields for application in communities and areas of research. Administers various grant programs targeting specific areas of public health including but not limited to, Public Health, Emergency Medical Services, needs assessment, program evaluation, health systems planning and various other components within the health care arena.
With professional experience over the past 24 years holding a variety of health care leadership positions, Mr. Owens has worked with health care organizations across the entire continuum of care. Prior to joining Georgia Southern University, Mr. Owens served as the Executive Director of the Georgia Department of Community Health’s State Office of Rural Health and Primary Care Office. Mr. Owens provided oversight to various programs focusing on improving the health care delivery system and health of Georgians in underserved communities. Mr. Owens served on the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Health Advisory Council and the National Organization of State Office’s of Rural Health Board. Outside of his current work, Mr. Owens was recently by Governor Nathan Deal as the Rural Hospital designee for issue resolutions as well as appointed to the Rural Hospital Stabilization Committee. He was also appointed by Kathleen Sibelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to serve on the 2012-2013 Human Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Negotiated Rulemaking Committee for Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professional Shortage Areas, and he has held a variety of leadership positions in rural hospitals.
Mr. Owens obtained his Master’s in Science majoring in Accounting from Georgia Southwestern College in 1992. He previously obtained his Bachelor’s of Science majoring in Marketing from Valdosta State College in 1990.