Elizabeth B. Habermann PhD, MPH

Dr. Elizabeth B. Habermann, MPH, PhD, is a native of Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2002 with a bachelor of science degree in biology and certificate in environmental studies. She continued her education at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, concurrently completing her master of public health in public health policy and administration; and a doctorate in health services research, policy, and administration. In 2008, Dr. Habermann joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota, Department of Surgery, as an assistant professor and later was named the co-director of the University's Surgical Outcomes Research Center. In 2012, she joined the staff of Mayo Clinic and subsequently was named the first Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Scientific Director of Surgical Outcomes in the Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, a position she continues today. Dr. Habermann is also an associate professor of health services research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and holds a joint appointment in the Mayo Clinic Department of Surgery.

As the Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Scientific Director for Surgical Outcomes, Dr. Habermann collaborates with surgeons, anesthesiologists, other clinicians, and scientists to investigate the quality and outcomes of surgical care using both national and institutional data, with more than 200 articles published. Further, she is dedicated to mentoring general surgery residents and other mentees interested in becoming surgical health services researchers. In 2018, she was appointed to the Editorial Board of Mayo Clinic Proceedings as Section Editor, Health Care Policy and Research. While Dr. Habermann’s academic work spans a variety of topics regarding improvement of surgical care and outcomes, recently much of her work has focused on opioids prescribed to surgical patients, resulting in both research publications and demonstrable impact on institutional surgical practices. She additionally participated as a member of the 2017-2018 National Quality Partners Opioid Stewardship Action Team (National Quality Forum). Outside of the office, Dr. Habermann enjoys traveling both with her research team and especially with her family, which includes her husband Tim, a medication therapy management pharmacist with Mayo Clinic Health System, and their two young children.