School of Medicine

Wayne State University School of Medicine

Chairperson of Pathology - Position Specification

  

THE ORGANIZATION

 

Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSU School of Medicine)

 

Founded in 1869 as the Detroit Medical College, the WSU School of Medicine was the first established school of what would eventually become Wayne State University.  As Detroit’s only medical school, the WSU School of Medicine has a mission to improve the overall health status of the community and is actively involved in the delivery of health care to the surrounding area through scientific advancement, clinical service and the provision of physicians to practice in the region.

 

The School is composed of over 750 clinical faculty members and nearly 200 basic science faculty members.  At WSU, more than 1000 medical students, 900 physicians-in-training and 400 basic science graduate students make up the largest medical school on one campus in the country. 

 

In partnership with the Detroit Medical Center (DMC), the WSU School of Medicine has emerged today as one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, hosting one of the largest graduate medical education programs in the United States with some 900 residents and fellows.  The majority of the School’s clinical department chairs serve concurrently as DMC specialists-in-chief for their respective disciplines.  In November 2006, WSU and the DMC reached a three and a half year, $76 million agreement and received a two year accreditation for their joint residency programs from the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education.  In addition to DMC, the WSU School of Medicine has expanded its affiliation to include Oakwood Healthcare System and Crittenton Hospital.

 

Long regarded as a premier site for clinical training, the WSU School of Medicine has established itself in recent years as a major center for research, as well.  Research initiatives by medical school faculty have risen to a base of over $137 million, elevating WSU to rank 22nd among U.S. medical schools, per the National Science Foundation rankings.  The School has six dedicated research laboratory buildings located on the medical campus.  Although the school’s faculty offer expertise in virtually all medical fields, the institution’s areas of research emphasis include but are not limited to cancer, women’s and children’s health, neuroscience and population studies.

 

The School’s clinical care mission is carried out by the Wayne State University Physician Group, composed of over 700 clinical faculty members of the School of Medicine.  The group, which includes physicians in virtually every medical specialty as well as general medicine, is dedicated to providing first-rate medical care during approximately one million patient visits annually.  As an academic faculty practice, the group maintains its ability to provide leading-edge care by conducting important clinical research and educating new generations of doctors.

 

The WSU faculty is internationally respected for contributions in virtually every field of medical and biomedical science.  The School is an active partner in several prestigious, nationally and regionally recognized research and treatment programs and has defined several areas of noted excellence, including cancer (with the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute), women and children’s medicine (with Children’s Hospital of Michigan and Hutzel Women’s Hospital), the neurosciences, including trauma (with Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan), and ophthalmology (with the Kresge Eye Institute).

 

Under a unique agreement with the National Institutes of Health, Wayne State University School of Medicine hosts the largest NIH intramural branch sited off the Bethesda campus, the Perinatalogy Research Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.  The School of Medicine’s Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is one of 39 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers.  Other NIH-funded extramural research and service networks held by the School include the Metropolitan Detroit-Area Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Cancer Registry (one of 18 NCI population-based registries); the Center for Urban African-American Health (one of 8 NIH centers);the Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit Network (one of 14); the Neonatal Research Network Center (one of 7); the Pediatric Critical Care Network Center (one of 7); the NIH Neurologic Emergencies Treatment Trials Network (NETT, one of 8 hubs); and the Pediatric Pharmacology Research Unit (one of 13).  Several academic departments rank in the top quarter in NIH research funding, and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology ranks number one in the country.

 

In addition to NIH-funded projects, the School of Medicine has been designated a U.S. Department of Defense Breast Cancer Center of Excellence.  The School also supports a newly established Center for Spinal Cord Injury Recovery at the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan.  Furthermore, the School of Medicine has successfully competed to obtain funding from the Michigan Technology Tri-Corridor program to fund several programs, including the Center of Excellence on Environment and Fertility.

 

Wayne State University

 

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 12 schools and colleges to more than 33,000 students in metropolitan Detroit.  Recognized as one of the nation’s major urban research institutions, the university’s mission stresses the roles of a national research university and an urban teaching institution with a firm commitment to service.  WSU research expenditures top $210 million annually, placing WSU 41st among public universities in the nation, according to the National Science Foundation.

 

The WSU main campus is located just north, but in proximity to the medical campus in Midtown Detroit, amid the cultural hub of the city and within walking distance of more than a dozen museums and cultural attractions.

 

THE CLINICAL SETTING

Detroit Medical Center

 

The Detroit Medical Center (DMC) is the leading integrated academic delivery system in metropolitan Detroit and is a major referral center for southeastern Michigan.  As one of the largest employers in Detroit with more than 13,000 employees, it operates nine hospitals, two nursing centers and more than 50 primary care practices throughout southeast Michigan.  The system has 2,700 licensed beds with 3,000 affiliated physicians and serves as the primary teaching and clinical research site for WSU School of Medicine.

 

Harper University Hospital is an adult hospital with an international reputation for tertiary care.  The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is an NCI designated comprehensive cancer center.  Detroit Receiving Hospital is an American College of Surgeons verified Level 1 Trauma Center and is a major hospital for emergency surgery.  Children’s Hospital of Michigan, which is one of the principle pediatric institutions in the Midwest, is also verified Level 1 Trauma Center.  Other institutions on the DMC campus include Hutzel Women’s Hospital, which is the only dedicated Ob-Gyn hospital in the area and houses the NIHCD branch and the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, the largest specialty hospital in the Midwest for adult rehabilitation and physical medicine.  Sinai/Grace Hospital (located fifteen minutes from the WSU/Detroit Medical Center Main Campus) is one of the prominent, busy community hospitals in Detroit.  The Michigan Orthopaedic Specialty Hospital is Michigan’s only hospital focused exclusively on orthopaedic services.  Huron Valley Sinai Hospital is a community hospital in one of the fastest growing areas of Southeastern Michigan. The combination of facilities ensures a well-balanced program with extensive exposure to general and specialty surgery.

 

John D. Dingell Veterans Administration Hospital

The new John D. Dingell Veterans Administration Hospital is a 106-bed full service medical center that provides primary, secondary and tertiary care, with 45 research laboratories, and is located adjacent to the DMC.  The VA hospital serves approximately 464,000 veterans in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and St. Clair counties.  It supports 74 resident FTEs and has an affiliation agreement with the School in support of patient care, teaching, and research to share delivery services, facilities, equipment, and other resources. 

Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute

The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is one of 39 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Caring for more than 6,000 new patients annually on a budget of $216 million, conducting more than 700 cancer-specific scientific investigation programs and clinical trials, the Karmanos Cancer Institute is among the nation's best cancer centers. Through the commitment of 1,000 staff, including nearly 300 faculty members, and supported by thousands of volunteer and financial donors, the Institute strives to prevent, detect and eradicate all forms of cancer.

 

METROPOLITAN DETROIT

 

Located in the very center of the Great Lakes Region, Metropolitan Detroit is characterized as an international community.  It has a population of approximately 4.5 million people, ranking the region among the nation’s leading metro centers.  The Metropolitan Detroit area, which sits along the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair, serves as a gateway to Canada.  Detroit boasts the largest foreign trade zone in the nation in geographic terms as well as sheer volume of goods.  A steadily growing economy promises the region a bright economic forecast.  Detroit’s impressive skyline is testimony to the area’s enduring economic strength as one of the nation’s leading centers for manufacturing, trade and commerce.

 

Distinguished by its rich and colorful history, Detroit offers multiple museums and historical sites.  A diverse medley of performing arts – symphony, opera, dance and theatre – maintain permanent companies in Downtown Detroit.

 

Sports fans will find action in every corner of Southeastern Michigan, from professional teams to the exciting Big Ten collegiate competition.  Teams like the NBA Detroit Pistons and Women’s WNBA national champions Shock basketball, Lions football, Red Wings hockey and Tigers baseball combined with horse racing and hydroplane races on the Detroit River bring sports enthusiasts from everywhere.

 

All four seasons are distinguished by vivid colors and bring spectacular change in the landscape.  Michigan’s state park system has nearly 100 national parks and recreational areas covering over 142 miles of Great Lakes frontage and 462 miles of inland lakes, rivers and streams.  From the rolling terrain of Southern Michigan to the breathtaking scenery of Northern Michigan, the state is perhaps one of the most underrated golf destinations in the country.  Whether it’s horseback riding, hiking, skiing, sailing, fishing, or golf, the Detroit region provides recreational opportunities for children and adults.

 

The Department of Pathology

 

The Department of Pathology has 55 full-time faculty, including 13 Ph.D.’s, who provide clinical services to the DMC and KCI.  Clinical revenues are approximately $15 million.  The Department currently has 12 residents and seven fellows in the following specialties:  surgical, pediatric, cytopathology and hematopathology.  The Department provides a large volume of services in both clinical and anatomic pathology through DMC University Laboratories.  Approximately 12 million clinical laboratory procedures and 50,000 surgical specimens are processed annually.  The Department of Pathology has robust research activity, with approximately $5 million in sponsored research funding.  Major areas of interest include cancer, cardiovascular and neural diseases.  The Department possesses a wide range of sub-specialty expertise and provides consultation services in the metropolitan region, as well as state-wide, in such areas as renal and transplant pathology, tissue typing, prostate and urinary tract pathology, breast pathology, GI pathology, pediatric pathology and pulmonary oncologic pathology.

 

 

 

THE POSITION

 

Overview and Reporting Relationships

 

The Chair of Pathology is responsible for overall management of the Department, to include direct oversight of the financial and human resources of the Department, as well as ensuring that cutting edge research is conducted and that the highest quality of clinical service is delivered to DMC’s patients.  This physician executive, working closely with the Dean, senior leadership within the DMC, and President of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, will play an instrumental role in strategic planning and implementation for the Department and have accountability for the department’s clinical service, its economic performance, and its growth.  The Chair is also expected to work with the Dean in developing a regional strategy for the delivery of WSU’s pathology services.  The Chair of Pathology will promote and foster research, both basic science and clinical research and trials, oversee the continuing education of the department’s faculty and overall educational mission, and also serve as an important spokesperson for WSU’s pathology services and research at the local, regional and national level. 

 

The Chair of Pathology will report to the Dean, WSU School of Medicine, and together with other department chairs, will play a significant role in helping the Dean maintain a commitment to academic leadership and continuing excellence in resident and student education.  The Chair of Pathology is also expected to work collaboratively with the Vice President/DMC Laboratories to maximize the levels of pathology services, to ensure that WSU’s clinical pathology services are state-of-the-art, as well as to support effective management of the hospital laboratories.

 

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

 

·        Establish credibility and respect with members of the Department, the Dean and other senior leadership within the WSU School of Medicine, as well as with senior management within the DMC and KCI as a leader, manager, clinician, academician and communicator.

 

·        Articulate a vision and corresponding implementation plan for the Department of Pathology that will result in the Department being viewed nationally as a leader in cutting-edge clinical care, education and research.  This will include:

 

-       Developing a strategic assessment and implementation plan with members of the Department, linking it to the WSU School of Medicine’s strategic plan; further building capabilities in clinical care delivery and research.

-       Evaluating the Department’s current organization and management, making appropriate changes that will result in improved performance and enhanced collaboration between Pathology, other departments within the medical school and the DMC.

-       Developing a cohesive team among the Department’s faculty and staff by focusing faculty on the achievement of common goals; building morale by making each faculty member feel an important part of the Department with an atmosphere of openness, trust and accountability.

 

·        Assess current and long-term recruiting needs; recruit additional highly qualified junior and mid-career faculty, as well as senior faculty with strong records in clinical care, research and/or education; nurture the ongoing professional development of the faculty.

 

·        Develop a robust research program that builds upon existing research strengths in cancer, cardiovascular diseases and neural diseases and enhances or expands research in other areas, such as diabetes and developmental biology.  This will also include:

 

-       Promoting interdisciplinary research.

-       Evaluating space and equipment needs and making the necessary changes that support the appropriate allocation of space and resources, enhance research productivity and eliminate the unnecessary duplication of resources.

 

·        Further strengthen undergraduate and graduate medical education.  Efforts will include:

 

-       Developing a forward-thinking educational program that provides balanced exposure in clinical and anatomic pathology.

-       Mentoring residents in research activities.

 

·        Continue the growth of services in clinical and anatomic pathology, seeking opportunities for increased volume and revenue.  This will include:

-       Working with the Dean to identify strategies for aggressive regional expansion,

-       Collaborating with the Vice President/DMC Laboratories on the evaluation of current clinical operations in order to identify ways to efficiently meet current and anticipated clinical demand.

-       Identifying ways to improve the Department’s responsiveness and turnaround times while maintaining quality. 

-       Improving sample collection from the operating rooms to best support the specific needs of the basic scientists.

-       Developing new assays to be provided as part routine laboratory services.

 

·        Play a prominent role in expanding clinical service to KCI and enhancing research in oncology. 

-       Working closely with KCI’s leadership, identify the resources required to meet KCI’s service, space and resource requirements.

-       Provide pathology support to the organ-based multidisciplinary teams within the KCI including support for tumor boards. Identify and recruit pathologists with special interest and expertise in a system’s pathology as part of the multidisciplinary team.

-       Collaborate with basic and clinical researchers in translational research.

-       Support core facilities at KCI for sample collection, processing and distribution.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Training

 

·        M.D. degree and/or Ph.D. from an accredited institution; physicians must be board certified in anatomic and/or clinical pathology.

 

·        Demonstrated leadership expertise in pathology.

 

·        Management education or training a plus.

 

All academic work must qualify for appointment as Professor at WSU School of Medicine.

 

Experience

 

The ideal candidate will have:

 

·        Demonstrated success as a leader in a Department or Division of Pathology, of an interdisciplinary institute, or of an academic entity of comparable size and scope.

 

·        A reputation for building clinical excellence.

 

·        Successful track record of recruitment and development of faculty, trainees and students.

 

·        Reputation among peers and colleagues as an outstanding physician, scientist and administrative leader in pathology.

 

·        A national reputation for academic achievement through excellence in teaching and research, as demonstrated by publication in high impact journals and peer-reviewed research funding.

 

·        A track record of solid performance as a skilled manager with a demonstrated ability to grow revenues, meet budgets, assess clinical, economic and market performance, measure and improve outcomes and take appropriate business risks to achieve goals.

 

·        A track record of working collaboratively across clinical and research disciplines with administration.

 

Personal Characteristics

 

The Chair of Pathology will:

 

·        Be an insightful leader who can establish an inspiring vision for the Department’s future and who is committed to growing and developing staff and achieving prestige through the success of the Department and its members.

 

·        Have outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, along with the ability to work effectively with all levels of the medical and administrative staff and to identify and align key stakeholders to his/her cause. 

 

·        Be a consensus builder with a collaborative, partnering style who engenders trust and enthusiasm in others and can channel that energy to the accomplishment of the Department’s goals and objectives. 

 

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