Stephen Freedman, PhD, FAAP (Hon.), NASI

Professor, Department of Health Policy and Systems Management

Associate Director, the Chiles Center

Contact Info

• Office: LRC 128
• Academic Email: freedman@usf.edu
• Academic Phone: (813) 974-3760

Education

Biography

Professor Freedman’s role with the USF College of Public Health is best described as “senior advisor”. While he is part-time faculty, he is engaged with faculty, students and administration providing perspectives on career development and the essential role that policy and politics play in the life of the Public Health enterprise. Dr. Freedman is also Founding Director-Emeritus Institute for Child Health Policy and ProfessorEmeritus of Pediatrics and Political Science at the University of Florida. He and his colleagues at the Institute designed national model programs including: nurse case management for rural chronically ill children; a day health care facility for medically fragile children; and comprehensive child-only health insurance. Each of which was adopted as public policy in Florida. The insuring program, Florida Healthy Kids Corporation, won both the 1996 Ford Foundation/Harvard Kennedy School of Government “Innovations in American Government Award”; and, “Outstanding Model of Innovation in the Public Sector” in 2002. It was a precursor of the national Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP). For his work, Dr. Freedman was honored by American Academy of Pediatrics as an Honorary Fellow. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Freedman served in senior positions in Florida’s executive branch agencies involved with health care, social services and education. Nationally, he has served as Chair of the Health and Human Services Commission of the Southern Regional Education Board; was a member of the School Health Services Study Committee of the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences; and served as an Advisor to Nemours Health and Prevention Services in Delaware. In Florida, he served on the boards of All Children’s Hospital, Florida KidCare Coordinating Council, Children’s Medical Services Network, Healthy Kids Corporation. He was Chair of the Policy Group for Florida’s Families and Children. He is a member of Leadership Florida and recipient its 2011 Distinguished Member Award. He was the 2018 recipient of the Florida Children’s Campaign Child Health Visionary Leader, Superhero Awad. Regionally, Dr. Freedman is Chair of the Management Committee of the Hillsborough County Indigent Health Plan and on its Advisory Board. He is board member and past treasurer of the Family Healthcare Foundation. He has served as President of Tampa Jewish Family Services; VicePresident of Congregation Kol Ami; Executive Director of the Kids Healthcare Foundation; and on the Board of Hillsborough Kids, Inc.