Dr. Eric Kurtz is the Executive Director of the Center for Disabilities at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine. The Center for Disabilities is South Dakota’s federally designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). Dr. Kurtz provides leadership and strategic direction for its core functions across clinical services, research, interprofessional education, training and technical assistance, information dissemination, as well as policy related efforts. Dr. Kurtz is also the director for the South Dakota Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disorders (LEND) Program and Principal Investigator for the South Dakota Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program. He holds several additional appointments including Associate Professor of Pediatrics.

Prior to his current role, Dr. Kurtz led the Rural Healthcare Program at the Helmsley Trust overseeing a $40 million annual budget with over $175 million in active investments working to provide sustainable solutions to improve healthcare access and quality in underserved areas.

Dr. Kurtz has over 20 years of experience including 18 years of experience as a psychologist in health, educational, and forensic settings. He has extensive experience in coalition building and providing technical assistance, consultation, and training to a variety of organizations regionally, nationally, and internationally. He has conducted interdisciplinary clinical training for providers, medical students and residents, graduate students, and interns across several health systems and universities. His clinical experience centered around differential diagnostic evaluations for neurodevelopmental disorders and providing comprehensive psychological services and consultation. In 2012, he was appointed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as South Dakota’s Act Early Ambassador to advance the early diagnosis and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder and related neurodevelopmental disorders. He is accomplished in the execution of grants, securing over $20 million in funding to support education, training, research, and services. He also holds several additional appointments including Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the USD Sanford School of Medicine.

Dr. Kurtz received his Ph.D. from the University of South Dakota with specialized training in neurodevelopmental disorders.