Chairperson of Physiology - Position Specification
The Organization / The Department / The PositionTHE 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 1200 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 several health systems, 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.
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. 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, cardiovascular disease, women’s and children’s health, neuroscience and health disparities and population sciences. The School recently established a Cardiovascular Research Institute and successfully recruited a director to oversee the Institute.
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 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 (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 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.
RESEARCH AND CLINICAL TRAINING SITES
The School of Medicine is located on one campus where education and research take place side by side. Located at the hub of this medical campus are WSU’s Gordon H. Scott Hall for basic medical sciences, Shiffman Medical Library, C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development as well as the Lande building for basic science, Elliman building for clinical and animal research, and the Prentis and Hudson-Webber cancer research buildings. Construction of the Richard J. Mazurek, M.D., Medical Education Commons is anticipated to be completed in December 2008 and plans for a new multidisciplinary research facility are underway.
The medical students, residents and fellows are trained in 5 primary hospital systems; the Detroit Medical Center, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Center, the Veteran Administration Hospital, with which the School of Medicine shares its downtown campus, and Oakwood Healthcare, Inc. and Crittenton Hospital Medical Center.
Detroit Medical Center
The Detroit Medical Center (DMC) campus includes a 110-acre campus located in Midtown Detroit as well as three additional hospital sites in Southeast Michigan. Its hospitals include Children’s Hospital of Michigan; Detroit Receiving Hospital and University Health Center; Harper University Hospital; Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital; Hutzel Women’s Hospital; the Kresge Eye Institute; Michigan Orthopaedic Specialty Hospital; Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan; and Sinai-Grace Hospital. The system accounts for approximately 15 percent of the total inpatient days of the major hospitals in Southeast Michigan and approximately 22 percent of the total inpatient days within Wayne County. The WSU faculty physicians and its training programs provide approximately 80 percent of all patient care provided through DMC facilities.
Veterans Administration Hospital
The new John D. Dingell Veterans Administration (VA) 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.
Karmanos Cancer Institute
The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute (KCI) is one of 39 National Cancer Institute designated comprehensive cancer centers. It is also one of only eleven free standing cancer centers. Research is conducted across five major core grant programs (Breast Biology, Proteases and Cancer, Molecular Oncology and Genetics, Developmental Therapeutics and Population Sciences) and is supported by nearly $40 million in annual peer reviewed direct funding. Research is carried out in the Hudson Webber building adjacent to the medical school and the Prentiss Labs about 3 blocks away.
The clinical side of KCI is known as the Karmanos Cancer Center and cares for nearly 7,000 newly-diagnosed cancer patients annually on a budget of $216 million, conducting more than 700 cancer-specific scientific investigation programs and clinical trials. All care is provided via fourteen multidisciplinary teams where physicians from all specialties collaborate to provide exemplary patient care. Karmanos was recently ranked as southeastern Michigan’s most preferred hospital for cancer care.
Oakwood Healthcare, Inc
Oakwood Healthcare, Inc. is a comprehensive regional network of hospitals, healthcare centers, skilled nursing centers and related healthcare facilities. Oakwood has a medical staff of more than 1,200 doctors, and provides service to more than 1.2 million people in 35 southeastern Michigan communities.
Crittenton Hospital Medical Center
Crittenton Hospital Medical Center provides health care service to the communities of Oakland, Macomb and Lapeer counties with its team of highly skilled specialists and primary care physicians.
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 Physiology
The Department of Physiology is a key and respected department at WSU. There are 22 faculty within the department, consisting of 14 full-time positions, 4 fractional appointments and 4 faculty with administrative responsibilities within the university (Dean of the School of Medicine, Associate Dean for Research, Director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute and the WSU Associate Vice President for Research). In addition, there are ten postdoctoral scientists and thirty predoctoral students. The department is active in research, teaching and provides service at the school, university and national levels. The faculty, students and staff are housed in 23,000 square feet of space, located primarily in Scott Hall, with some laboratories in the nearby Elliman Clinical Research Building and John D. Dingell VA Medical Center. Strong ties to the WSU Cardiovascular Research Institute, the NIH Perinatology Research Branch and the research division at Henry Ford Health System have contributed to the department’s research strengths in the area of cardiovascular, cellular/molecular, neural, endocrine, renal and respiratory physiology. The teaching mission includes educating first year medical students, graduate students, and undergraduate students in the discipline of physiology. The goals of the department are to continue to advance our knowledge and training of students in physiology through basic research, with strong connections to clinical science and practice.
THE POSITION
Overview and Reporting Relationships
The Chair of Physiology 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. This executive, working closely with the Dean and senior leadership of the School will play an instrumental role in strategic planning and implementation for the Department and have accountability for the department’s vibrancy and growth. The Chair of Physiology will promote and foster research, both basic science and collaboration with 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 teaching and research at the local, regional and national level.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
• In collaboration with School of Medicine leadership, develop and implement short- and long-term strategic business plans and execute appropriate evaluation functions with respect to education, research and service.
• Recruit, select, and retain excellent faculty by providing mentorship and an environment conducive to research excellence.
• Assure that the department expands an active basic science and translational research program with national peer-reviewed grant support.
• Maintain responsibility for faculty appointments, promotions and tenure. Complete meaningful annual performance reviews for each faculty member within the department. Assure mentoring for junior faculty, and, when needed, for senior faculty as well.
• Oversee and maintain excellence in the educational programs for graduate education in Physiology at the masters, doctoral and postdoctoral levels. Serve on theses and dissertation committee of graduate students.
• Oversee the undergraduate and graduate medical education curriculum in preparation for USLME. Forster initiatives in collaborative or cross disciplinary education with clinical programs.
CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS
Education/Training
• MD or PhD degree from an accredited institution.
• Extensive research leadership in any domain related to Physiology.
• Management education or training a plus.
Experience
The ideal candidate will have:
• Demonstrated success as a leader in physiology, of an interdisciplinary institute, or of an academic entity of comparable size and scope.
• A reputation for building research excellence.
• Successful track record of recruitment and development of faculty, researchers and students.
• Reputation among peers and colleagues as an outstanding scientist and administrative leader in Physiology.
• 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 political acumen and senior-level managerial experience coupled with demonstrated profit and loss responsibility.
• The demonstrated ability to manage human relationships at all levels, and communicate broadly and effectively to all stakeholders.
• A track record of working collaboratively across clinical and research disciplines with administration.
Personal Characteristics
The Chair of Physiology 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.
• Be both business and politically savvy and able to work successfully within a matrixed environment.
• Be decisive, hold people accountable while promoting a team philosophy, and have the courage to make the necessary, yet perhaps unpopular, decisions. Have a commitment to achieving goals while establishing a culture of responsibility and fairness.
• Bring real energy and enthusiasm to relationship building, be approachable and have a positive, upbeat demeanor.
• Be a strategic thinker with a vision of how to best develop research programs and collaboration, possess an entrepreneurial orientation, identifying opportunities for growth and enrichment of the department.
• Demonstrate a credible commitment to the missions of WSU School of Medicine.
• Recognize and support the need for outstanding world-class research including basic, translational and clinical research, have a reputation for attracting strong scientists and ability to request resources and support.