Amy Cohn, PhD, serves as Michigan Medicine’s chief transformation officer, in addition to her role as professor and faculty director of the Center for Healthcare Engineering and Patient Safety (CHEPS) within the College of Engineering. This dual role allows her to bring her expertise in engineering techniques to improve operations and problem solving in the health care area.
She leads a health care operational engineering team that collaborates with executive leadership to define project priorities, provide rapid response to critical operational events, and improve outcomes by studying and implementing process re-design and enhancements. Cohn played a critical role in implementing COVID-19 testing and vaccinations on the U-M campus and at Michigan Medicine, as well as helping to develop and implement the ResponsiBLUE app to ensure safety as employees and students access facilities campus-wide.
She earned her PhD in Operations Research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2002 and received her AB in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University in 1991.
What inspired you to pursue a career in this field?
I have always loved mathematics, puzzles, and problem solving in general. But I also wanted to do work that has meaning and makes an impact, and to be able to collaborate with interesting people. The combination of teaching, problem-solving, and implementing solutions to help people in need is ideal for me.
What do you love most about the job?
The people! The leadership team, my collaborators, my staff – and most of all, my students. They are so talented, hard-working, and optimistic. I learn from them far more than they learn from me.
What advice would you give others who wish to serve in a similar leadership role?
Jump in! My career has taken all sorts of twists and turns that I never expected, but I kept focused on my highest priorities and values, and was willing to take on an unfamiliar path. Oh, and mentors. Get lots of mentors – and then give back by mentoring others.
