About CHAS
History of the University of Chicago's Center for Health Administration StudiesThe Center for Health Administration Studies (CHAS) was established at the University of Chicago in 1962.
CHAS resulted from the merger of the Graduate Program in Health Administration (GPHA) at the University of Chicago and the Health Information Foundation (HIF). Founded by Michael M. Davis in 1934, GPHA is the oldest graduate program in hospital and health services administration in the United States. HIF was a private, nonprofit research center founded in 1949 in New York with the support of the pharmaceutical industry and devoted to the study of social and economic issues in medical care delivery. HIF moved to the University of Chicago in 1962. George Bugbee, director of HIF at the time of the move and former executive director of the American Hospital Association, assumed directorship of GPHA. In 1962, the combined GPHA and HIF became known as CHAS. In 1972, Odin Anderson, former research director of HIF, became the director of CHAS. Ronald Andersen succeeded Anderson as director from 1980 through 1990.
In 1990, CHAS moved from the Graduate School of Business to its current home in the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice at the University of Chicago. At that time, Edward Lawlor assumed directorship of CHAS/GPHAP (1990-1998). In 1998, Kristiana Raube served as Acting Director of CHAS. From 1999-2002, Edward Lawlor returned to the leadership role of CHAS with Tom D’Aunno serving as the director of GPHAP. From 2003-2011, Harold Pollack and Colleen Grogan worked together in leadership roles for CHAS and GPHAP, respectively. Jeanne Marsh was appointed director of CHAS in 2011 with Grogan continuing as academic director of GPHAP.
People of CHAS
As an interdisciplinary, collaborative Center, CHAS is all about people. From helping disadvantaged populations through research, to providing resources to students and faculty to facilitate their educational and research needs, to maintaining communications with our Committee Members and Fellows, our mission is to continue perpetuating the interconnectedness that arose with the early history of CHAS and continues today as we advance our mission.“The objectives of CHAS were to develop a research program and project within it to comprehend the structure and operation of the existing health services system and its impact on the general population.”
— Odin Anderson, 1966