Dr. Donald Michael Steinwachs

Donald Steinwachs ObituaryObituary published on Legacy.com by Ruck Towson Funeral Home, Inc. on Mar. 9, 2026.It is with great sadness that I share the news that Donald M. Steinwachs, PhD, professor and chair emeritus in Health Policy and Management (HPM), passed away on February 28. He was 79.Don chaired HPM from 1994 to 2005 and advanced the new field of health services research (HSR), making it a signature strength of our School. Under his leadership, HPM launched eight new centers and its first online courses."Don was an exceptional individual-a gifted researcher, devoted advocate for public health, and an inspiring person known for his deep compassion for others," recalls Ellen J. MacKenzie, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor and Dean Emerita. "As someone who had the privilege of being mentored by Don, I benefited greatly from his wisdom, his kindness, and generosity of spirit. He lived each day with clarity of purpose and true joy."Few can match Don's interdisciplinary breadth-he held joint appointments in the Bloomberg School departments of Mental Health and Health, Behavior and Society, as well as the schools of Nursing; Arts and Sciences; and Medicine.Don joined our faculty in 1973 as an assistant professor in Health Services Administration. In 1982, he succeeded his mentor Sam Shapiro as director of what is now the Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, leading it for three decades. Sam and Don helped found in 1983 the leading organization for health care researchers, now called AcademyHealth. As its president, he elevated HSR's public profile as well as funding levels within the Veterans Administration and NIH. He is widely remembered for his key role in convincing the U.S. Congress to create what is now the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in 1989.Ann Skinner, an HPM senior scientist, published 34 articles with Don, more than any of his other co-authors. "Since 1972, I watched him working with students and young researchers with patience and encouragement, giving them opportunities to take on responsibilities that would further their training or careers," Ann notes. "That included pushing his colleagues, including me, to tackle new challenges and develop expertise in topics of special interest. He also knew the importance of having fun-he was always ready for a celebration."Don spent his career harnessing health information from diverse sources and platforms to improve care. His innovations yielded better ways to identify unmet needs of patients and providers, and to measure, evaluate, and improve health care delivery.A pioneer in mental health services research, Don led the first NIMH Center of Excellence for Research on Services for Severe Mental Illness. The study he co-directed on schizophrenia patient outcomes produced the first comprehensive evidence-based treatment recommendations for this devastating illness.His prestigious awards include: election to the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences (1993); the Mental Health Section Award from the American Public Health Association (1994); and the Reinhardt Distinguished Career Award by AcademyHealth (2013).Don also shared his deep experience and expertise with the broader University community, chairing a University wide committee on health services and insurance for Johns Hopkins employees and serving as the University's interim provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs in 2007. After earning a BS and MS in engineering from the University of Arizona, Don received a PhD in systems engineering and operations research from the Johns Hopkins School of Engineering in 1973.Don is survived by his wife, Sharon Steinwachs.If you would like to honor his memory, please donate online or by check to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and designate for the Donald M. and Sharon C. Steinwachs Endowed Scholarship Fund.To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.