The Department of Medicine is the largest department at Emory University and functions with the committed service of our administrative staff — most notably, our division administrators. In this series, we get to know the talented individuals who manage the day-to-day operations of our ten department divisions.
Read our interview with Luke Anderson, MBA, MHA, division administrator for the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology and Division of General Internal Medicine. Anderson shares how his career path led to the DOM, the projects he’s excited to work on, and more!
How did your career path lead you to the DOM?
My career started at Emory Healthcare in 1996 while I was in college at Emory as a front desk staff member at Crawford Long Hospital (now known as EUHM). I started out with the DOM as a division administrator back in 2013. Prior to that, I worked at Patient Financial Services and the Emory Clinic Department of Medicine as a financial analyst, and then as a clinic administrator within primary care and cardiology.
What is the most surprising thing about being an administrator?
Since moving from the Emory Clinic and a more clinic operations role, I would say the most different yet surprising aspect of working on the university side within the DOM is the varied level of tasks you get to be involved in. While there is still some clinical operations and finance involvement, there are always new items that come up in areas such as research funding or education that need solutions or strategies. Even in eight years with the DOM, there are always new questions that are asked and tasks that arise that you may have never seen before. It makes being an administrator always interesting!
Is there a specific division project or initiative that you’re excited about?
I’m excited about our new research faculty that we have recently hired in conjunction with the Woodruff Health Sciences Diabetes Initiative across both primary care, the DOM, and the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine in the last twelve months. We are creating new opportunities for research within primary care for our faculty who have mainly focused on patient care and education. It’s exciting to see our plans come to fruition after much thought, planning, and discussions across multiple stakeholders and parties.
What is the best career advice you’ve received?
Always be thoughtful of staff as well as those who mentor you and whom you work alongside. Be appreciative of opportunities and take successes with humility. Take the time to appreciate how far one has come, reflect, and ask yourself where you would like to be every few years.
What do you enjoy most about living in Atlanta?
I have lived in Georgia for most of my life. I currently reside 60 miles outside of Atlanta and Emory, so I certainly enjoy the slow-paced life and outdoor living in rural Georgia (Madison) but still being close enough to attend Georgia Tech sporting events at my alma mater such as football, baseball, and basketball games.
What is something most people wouldn’t know about you?
I’m a huge music fan and listen to many genres, but I really enjoy 80s old school country music the most.
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