Pearl McElfish, PhD, MBA, MS
Founding Director, Institute for Community Health Innovation, University of Arkansas Medical Sciences and Research
Dr. Pearl McElfish serves as the founding Director Institute for Community Health Innovation at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). Dr. McElfish holds a PhD in public (health) policy, a master’s degree in business administration, and a master’s degree in community and economic development. She is a certified Project Management Professional and a Certified Community Developer.
Dr. McElfish is a national and international leader in rural health and health equity research particularly in the field of Maternal and Child Health. She is also an expert in methodological research related to the best methods for conducting community-based participatory research and disseminating research results to participants and communities. In addition to her research, Dr. McElfish has led large inter- and intra-institutional efforts to develop academic programs, graduate medical education, clinical programs, and population health efforts. Dr. McElfish has a history of funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and other private foundations. She has been awarded more than $200 million in federal, state, and private foundation grants, and she has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles.