Deirdre McCaughey, PhD, MBA, CPHQ, PT, is an associate professor in the Cumming School of Medicine, department of community health sciences, at the University of Calgary, Canada. Prior to taking on her role in Calgary, she was healthcare management faculty at the Pennsylvania State University and the University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB). Dr. McCaughey was appointed as the inaugural program director for UAB’s graduate programs in healthcare quality and safety, building both a certificate and a master’s degree in healthcare quality and safety. Dr. McCaughey holds a doctorate in management, a Master of Business Administration and a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy (University of Manitoba).
Dr. McCaughey has been an active member of NAHQ since 2018 and has served two terms as a member of the education commission. Prior to her academic career, Dr. McCaughey’s broad work experiences include being a physical therapist at the St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg, working in a variety of leadership positions in the retail private sector, as well as independent consulting for a variety of organizations including the Canadian Federal Government and ARAMARK Healthcare. Her research involves examining organizational factors (e.g., structures and processes) in healthcare institutions that influence healthcare provider and workforce wellness as well as subsequently optimize patient safety and quality outcomes.