The Institute for Health Innovation (IHI) is dedicated to improving the healthcare infrastructure and the social determinants of health throughout Northern Kentucky.
Read more about our mission, values and purpose statements below.
Linking Community
Building on NKU’s rich tradition of community engagement, the IHI seizes the opportunity to work with communities to change and improve lives by addressing population health challenges. The Institute believes we can solve the biggest, most important health challenges facing our communities by engaging with the people directly impacted.
Working Together
The Institute's focus on working together is a key piece of NKU’s commitment to forging partnerships to address population health initiatives. When we come together, we can uncover breakthrough solutions to our society's most challenging population health problems.
Innovative Solutions
Working with our campus and community partners, we are making investments in health entrepreneurship, innovation, and education. We encourage our community to envision the future of healthcare and help us transform what we do to better equip, empower, and most importantly, inspire health workers of tomorrow.
The Institute for Health Innovation works with the hardest hit communities in northern Kentucky, bringing hope and providing solutions for chronic illness.
Social Determinants Of Health Applied Research
IHI works on addressing Social Determinants of Health through programs and projects like the Opportunity House, NKU CARE Closet, and Geek Your Health events.
IHI and NKU are uniquely positioned in northern Kentucky to create a pipeline to reduce the future healthcare worker shortage and bring underserved and minority students into healthcare programs.
In collaboration with community and business partners, we leverage our expertise to support health innovation centers of excellence in the Northern Kentucky region and provide funding opportunities for NKU staff research through programs like Faculty Fellows.
The Collaborative for Program Evaluation and Implementation Science harnesses the power of data to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities using improvement science.
Valerie Gray Hardcastle
St. Elizabeth Healthcare Executive Director of the Institute for Health Innovation
Vice President for Health Innovation
(859) 572-5376
hardcastle@nku.edu
Carolyn Noe
Director
(859) 572-6332
noec2@nku.edu
Administrative Specialist
(859) 572-5980
hoffmans6@nku.edu
Danielle Turner
Program Coordinator
(859) 572-5987
turnerd17@nku.edu
Joveria Baloch
Research Analyst
(859) 572-5965
balochj1@nku.edu
Jennifer Massoud
Program Specialist
massoudj1@nku.edu
Travis Hall
NKU-Grant County Outreach and Operations Manager
(859)824-3600
Hallt7@nku.edu
Doug Ladd
Entrepreneur-in-Residence
laddd1@nku.edu
Rico Grant
NKY-HII Managing Director
rico@socapaccelerate.com
Imelda Ramos Castaneda-Emenaker
Program Evaluator
castanedai1@nku.edu
Jude Thornton
OWEP and OIFSP Program Director
thorntonm4@nku.edu
Northern Kentucky University
Nunn Drive
Highland Heights, KY 41099
Local: +1 (859) 572-5100
Office Hours: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. in HIC 225
