Assistant Professor
Susan Buchino, PhD, OTR/L is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences. She serves as Assistant Director and Commonwealth Scholar within the Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky.
As an occupational therapist, Dr. Buchino provided community reintegration rehabilitation services to adults with mental illness, acquired brain injuries, and intellectual disabilities. She has additionally worked with aging individuals and caregivers to employ strategies to enhance safety and quality of life in the home environment. Dr. Buchino’s experiences as a clinician drive her passion for eliminating disparities in the social determinants of health and creating changes towards population health that ultimately empower individuals to achieve quality of life.
Dr. Buchino’s research focuses on health policy development and evaluation, population mental health, and health disparities in health care access and utilization. Her use of mixed methods includes demonstrating the impacts of policies and programs through quantitative data analysis and bringing marginalized voices to the forefront through qualitative research with populations experiencing health disparities. She has led research on the impact of the Affordable Care Act on low-income and minority populations in Louisville and Kentucky, and her work has informed ongoing local strategies to promote health care access and utilization.
Dr. Buchino earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Spalding University, and a PhD in Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences at the UofL School of Public Health and Information Sciences.
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About Susan Buchino
Susan Buchino, PhD, OTR/L is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences. She serves as Assistant Director and Commonwealth Scholar within the Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky.
As an occupational therapist, Dr. Buchino provided community reintegration rehabilitation services to adults with mental illness, acquired brain injuries, and intellectual disabilities. She has additionally worked with aging individuals and caregivers to employ strategies to enhance safety and quality of life in the home environment. Dr. Buchino’s experiences as a clinician drive her passion for eliminating disparities in the social determinants of health and creating changes towards population health that ultimately empower individuals to achieve quality of life.
Dr. Buchino’s research focuses on health policy development and evaluation, population mental health, and health disparities in health care access and utilization. Her use of mixed methods includes demonstrating the impacts of policies and programs through quantitative data analysis and bringing marginalized voices to the forefront through qualitative research with populations experiencing health disparities. She has led research on the impact of the Affordable Care Act on low-income and minority populations in Louisville and Kentucky, and her work has informed ongoing local strategies to promote health care access and utilization.
Dr. Buchino earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Spalding University, and a PhD in Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences at the UofL School of Public Health and Information Sciences.
| Present | Assistant Professor, University of Louisville ‐ Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences | |
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Disciplines
Research Interests
Grants
| 2017 - 2020 | Kentucky EHDI Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Project Evaluation |
| contract with the Kentucky Commission for Children with Special Health Care Needs, funded by Health Resources and Services Administration | |
| Role: Co-Principal Investigator | |
| $94,500 | |
| 2017 - 2018 | Exploring the Path to Homelessness |
| University of Louisville Office of Community Engagement Faculty Grants Program | |
| Role: Principal Investigator | |
| $4,000 | |
| 2017 - 2018 | National Curriculum Initiative in Developmental Medicine–UofL |
| American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry | |
| Role: Co-Investigator | |
| $25,000 | |
| 2017 - 2018 | Project HEAL Evaluation |
| contract with IDEAS xLab, funded by Humana Foundation | |
| Role: Principal Investigator | |
| $60,000 | |
| 2017 | Implementation of the Community Care Management Network: A Study of Practice Changes, Individual Experience, and Organizational Collaboration |
| Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence | |
| Role: Co-Investigator | |
| $14,962 | |
| 2016 - 2017 | Mission and Ministry Planning Grant: Francis Center |
| KentuckyOne Health | |
| Role: Principal Investigator | |
| $15,000 | |
| 2016 - 2017 | Workforce Capacity and Data Standardization |
| Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services State University Partnership | |
| Role: Co-Investigator | |
| $108,716 | |
| 2016 | ACA Implementation in Louisville: Outreach and Enrollment |
| contract with Family Health Centers funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation | |
| Role: Co-Investigator | |
| $17,500 | |
| 2015 - 2016 | Workforce Capacity and Data Standardization |
| Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services State University Partnership | |
| Role: Co-Investigator | |
| $201,728 | |
| 2015 | Kentucky SIM Design Grant: Consumer Engagement |
| Kentucky Office of Health Policy | |
| Role: Co-Investigator | |
| $39,567 |
Professional Service and Affiliations
| 2017 - Present | Assistant Professor, Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, University of Louisville | 2016 - Present | Assistant Director and Commonwealth Scholar, Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky, University of Louisville | 2007 - Present | PRN Occupational Therapist, Aegis Therapies, Louisville, Kentucky | 2015 - 2016 | Senior Research Manager, Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky, University of Louisville | 2014 - 2015 | Research Assistant, Louisville Metro Board of Health Affordable Care Act (ACA) Implementation Project | 2013 - 2014 | Case Manager, HMR Associates, Inc., Louisville, Kentucky | 2010 - 2013 | Instructor, Auerbach School of Occupational Therapy, Spalding University | 2007 - 2010 | Adjunct Faculty, Auerbach School of Occupational Therapy, Spalding University | 2006 - 2010 | Staff Occupational Therapist, Center for Comprehensive Services (previously Christian Care Communities Stepping Stones) | 2004 - 2006 | Occupational Therapist/Case Manager, Madison Center and Hospital, South Bend, Indiana | 1999 - 2001 | Stage Manager, The Juilliard School, New York, New York |
Courses
- Ethical Decision Making in OT
- Evaluation/Intervention III (Addressing psychosocial health conditions, community practice, and productive aging)
- Health Science Research Applications in Practice
- Psychosocial Wellness and Group Process
- Physical Health and Wellness
- Independent Study: Exploring the Path to Homelessness
- Community Organization and Assessment
| July 2016 | PhD, University of Louisville ‐ School of Public Health & Information Sciences | |
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| August 2004 | MS, Spalding University ‐ Auerbach School of Occupational Therapy | |
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| May 1997 | BA, University of Notre Dame ‐ Department of Psychology | |
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