Christopher Johnson Appointed to Lofton Family Professorship in the Institute of Health Administration

ATLANTA — Christopher Johnson, a renowned scholar in health services research, policy, and administration, has been appointed the inaugural holder of the Lofton Family Professorship in the Institute of Health Administration at Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business. Johnson joined Georgia State in 2023 as the Joe Taylor Director of the Institute of Health Administration.

The professorship was established through a generous gift from alumnus Kevin E. Lofton, FACHE (MHA ’79), and Sabrina A. Shannon, FACHE. Lofton is the retired CEO of CommonSpirit Health (formerly Catholic Health Initiatives) and chair of the Georgia State University Foundation Board of Trustees. Shannon is an organizational strategist whose career included 17 years of leadership at UAB Hospital and more than 20 years as a leadership coach for healthcare executives. The couple created the fund to support and retain the most promising faculty whose scholarship, research, and creative activity have the potential to be transformational.

Johnson’s research centers on organization theory, health services access, and quality improvement. His publications include peer-reviewed journal articles and co-authorship of “Leading Adaptive Teams in Health Care Administration” (Business Education Press, 2018). He has led and participated in research funded by the National Science Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and HealthGrades, Inc., among others, and has served on the federal government’s Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Health Care Research and Training review panel.

Johnson has served on multiple committees and councils for the Association of University Programs in Health Administration, the Academy of Management’s Healthcare Division, and the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education. He was recently appointed a Master Fellow of the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) and is a site visitor and member of the commission’s accreditation council.

“Chris Johnson’s experience in health administration spans the highest levels of teaching, research, and collaboration and development of students, faculty, and industry partners,”

said Richard Phillips, dean of the Robinson College of Business. “He is a superb inaugural holder of the Lofton Family Professorship in the Institute of Health Administration.”

Johnson holds a doctorate in health services research, policy, and administration from the University of Minnesota and is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He came to Georgia State from the University of Louisville, where he served as chair of the Department of Health Management and System Sciences.