Kumhee Ro, DNP, APRN, FAANP, FAAN

Kumhee Ro, DNP, APRN, FAANP, FAAN, is a tenured Associate Professor and nurse practitioner, who leads initiatives to advance health equity both nationally and globally. Dr. Ro’s leadership at the intersection of education, practice, research, and policy has contributed to legislative and regulatory policies, ensuring a well-trained health workforce capable of meeting the nation’s growing demands, particularly in underserved and vulnerable populations. Her scholarly contributions have championed diversity and inclusivity in academia, driving state and national initiatives to expand opportunities for underrepresented students and faculty, thereby enhancing patient-clinician concordance.

As an educator, Dr. Ro has taught an extensive range of courses in DNP programs, as well as undergraduate clinical and theory courses. Her professional contributions include roles on the Board of Directors for the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, advisor to the National Academy of Medicine, Vice Chair of the American Academy of Nursing’s Expert Panel on Primary Care, and a consultant role with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As a founder and Co-Chair of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities - Jesuit Nurse Faculty Network, she strategically promotes collaboration among faculty at nursing schools across the country to endorse policies and systems for greater support and professional development in nursing leadership. As a clinician, Dr. Ro has dedicated nearly two decades to providing frontline clinical care to underserved communities, focusing on public health, emergency care, aging populations, and primary care. She currently works as a primary care provider at an FQHC (Federally Qualified Health Center).

In addition to receiving numerous awards and recognitions from local and national organizations for her work in health equity advocacy, Dr. Ro recently completed a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellowship, where she worked as a senior health policy advisor in the office of a U.S. Senator and with Washington state agencies to draft federal legislation and provide state policy recommendations to address health disparities. For her visionary leadership with impact, Dr. Ro was inducted as a fellow into the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the American Academy of Nursing for her accomplishments in improving health equity and access to care for under-resourced populations.