Dr. Laura Kathryn Neal is the National Dean of the College of Health Sciences at DeVry University, where she leads health information management, health information technology, medical coding and billing, and healthcare administration programs serving more than 15,000 students. She brought DeVry’s HIM and HIT programs into CAHIIM’s competency-based education demonstration cohort, one of 40 programs selected nationally, and served on the task force that finalized CAHIIM’s 2026 accreditation standards. Earlier in her academic career she oversaw nursing and allied health programs including radiology, surgical technology, dental hygiene, physical therapist assistant, medical assisting, pharmacy tech, and respiratory therapy.
Dr. Neal brings 30 years in healthcare to the question of what AI should and should not take over, including service as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer before moving into higher education leadership. She is founder of The Neal Institute, a healthcare AI strategy and leadership development consultancy, and has presented AI-powered curriculum and competency mapping frameworks at the CAHIIM Summit on Higher Education, AUPHA, EDUCAUSE, and CAEL. She has published two books and serves on the editorial board of Health Administration Press.
Dr. Neal holds a Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership, an MPH, and an MBA. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, 2026/2027 President of ACHE of Central Florida, and Program Director of ACHE’s Higher Education Network at DeVry University.