Michael Morris joined the faculty of the Department of Health Policy & Management at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in August of 2011. Professor Morris’ research interests focus on organizational and systems level finance and management, particularly with respect to local and state public health systems. His previously funded work in the field of Public Health Systems & Services Research (PHSSR) includes studies of workforce development in the area of finance, an examination of the significance of differing sources of revenue streams for local health department performance on the new public health accreditation standards, and the association of individual health services revenue on public health systems performance.

Currently Professor Morris, in collaboration with the Public Health Activities & Services Tracking study (PHAST) team at the University of Washington, has projects funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation investigating the association of markers for population need with local health department spending patterns and a multi-state longitudinal examination of service level expenditures by local health departments and their association with population health metrics. His teaching activities include instructing the two course finance series in the MHSA program and developing doctoral level finance course work for the departments PhD and DrPH programs.  Morris is a member of the American Public Health Association, a section councilor for the Health Administration Section and member of the workforce committee of the APHA Education Board. He is a past recipient of a Health Administration Section service award.  He is also an active member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association and the Medical Group Management Association.