Staff Spotlight: Kat McGhee Drummond

Kat is originally from New Hampshire and moved to Seattle after earning her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Studio Art from Simmons College in Boston, MA where she also minored in Spanish and studied abroad in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Having participated in service learning opportunities in college, Kat maintained an interest in service organizations and came to Seattle for an AmeriCorps Volunteer position at Neighborhood House, a local non-profit where she coordinated Technology Centers in the Rainier Vista and High Point neighborhoods.

After completing her AmeriCorps tenure, Kat was hired as the manager of the Neighborhood House Technology Centers, where she worked expanding programing to include youth media literacy and technology and English classes for recently arrived refugees, immigrants, and local job seekers. 

“Eventually I transitioned into a case manager role as an Education Navigator,” she says, “where I helped diverse, low income students graduate health care programs in Seattle colleges and successfully get hired as healthcare providers!”

Dedication to education

For the last 5 years, Kat has channeled her experience in education into her current position as Fellowship Program Administrator in the Division of Rheumatology. Kat says her role and projects have evolved over the years, keeping her on her toes and continuously learning.

“Kat’s dedication to UW and education is inspiring,” says Jessica Bertram, Department of Emergency Medicine Vice Chair Finance & Administration, who worked with Kathryn while serving as Division Administrator of Rheumatology.

“She was always willing to go the extra mile and it’s the little things that she did each day that made a huge difference.  She is positive, professional and a pleasure to work with.”

She currently manages the Rheumatology ACGME clinical Training Program, postdoctoral scholar appointments, the Rheumatology NIH T32 Training Grant, and has recently started to work on seeking grants to support fellows’ healthcare disparities research. She also coordinates all Rheumatology conferences, assists with clinical scheduling, and tackles new administrative projects as they come up.

Dr. Grant C. Hughes, Director of the Rheumatology Training Program shares, “Kat is an amazing team member and colleague! Her dedication to UW and the Rheumatology Division is truly inspiring.”

“Always eager to learn new skills and take on fresh challenges, she has played key roles in an impressive series of program improvements and Division initiatives over recent years. I especially appreciate her leadership and energy in driving the Division's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion activities. She inspires those around her with her positivity, thoughtfulness, and commitment to service.”

Commitment to service

Kat is also excited to have the chance to be involved in Rheumatology strategic planning (specifically DEI efforts), developing a social media presence, and co-chairing the first ever American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Program Coordinator’s conference. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Program Administrator Advisory Council (PAAC), providing mentorship to new PAs and collaborating with GME on special projects, and as a member of the DOM LGBTQ+ GEC subcommittee.

“My two favorite things about being part of the DOM community are the people I get to work with and our focus on continuously improving our programs and overall Department,” she says. “DOM faculty always have exciting new initiatives upcoming, our staff are dedicated and talented, and it’s so much fun to see trainees complete their specialty training as they develop their careers.”

Life in Seattle

Moving from the White Mountains area of New Hampshire to the Pacific Northwest (sight unseen!), Kat knew she would love being close to the beautiful PNW woods and the ocean.

Within the last few years, she completed her Masters of Public Administration (MPA) from Seattle University and moved into a new home in Beacon Hill Seattle where she lives with her husband, mom and cat, Oso.

Kat says her main hobbies “are reading as many books as I can get from the library, hiking trails close to Seattle like Cougar Mountain, and working on the family home -thrifting furniture and re-painting the whole house has been fun way to flex my art skills!”