Karen Valaitis
- Position: Assistant Professor of Clinical Practice
- Department: Health Sciences and Administration
- Office Location: Building 38, Room 121
- kvalaitis@uwf.edu
- Campus: 850.857.6005
Biography
Dr. Karen Valaitis, Clinical Assistant Professor, teaches Understanding U.S. Health Care, Health Care Administration, Medical Terminology, Strategic Planning in Healthcare, Quality Improvement in Healthcare, MHA Capstone and Healthcare Delivery Systems.
Dr. Valaitis gained healthcare management and practice experience at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio, where she worked for 20 years. During her time there, she was a critical care therapist and respiratory therapy manager, which helped her acquire practical experience and working knowledge necessary for teaching medical terminology. She also has direct experience in healthcare administration, working as the administrator for cardiovascular research, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery and neurology. Later, she became the commercialization officer for neurosurgery and neurology, overseeing the department’s intellectual property portfolio.
Before coming to UWF in 2012, she worked in health care administration at the Ohio State University Medical Center and in executive search for health care programs in higher education. She is certified as a quality online Instructor and is a Master Reviewer with the Quality Matters Program.
Dr. Valaitis earned a bachelor’s degree in science (BS) from The Ohio State University, master's in business administration (MBA) from Cleveland State University, and a doctorate degree in education (Ed.D.) from the University of West Florida.
