Chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
The University of Kentucky College of Medicine invites applications and nominations for chair of its well-regarded department of family and community medicine. THE OPPORTUNITY The UK College of Medicine seeks a visionary chair with a successful record of achievement in academic medicine in family and community medicine. Exceptional accomplishments as a clinician and academician are a must as the chair’s duties will include clinical practice and ongoing academic activities. The predominant criteria for appointment as chair include the proven ability to deliver excellent patient care while training future leaders in family and community medicine. The successful candidate will be a nationally prominent academic leader and role model with an established record of excellence in clinical care, research, clinical education, and mentorship. The successful candidate should demonstrate strong leadership skills as a listener, decision-maker, humanist, and an effective advocate for the department, its divisions, and its faculty. The candidate should have experience developing collaborative initiatives and the personal characteristics needed to promote, foster, and facilitate the trust of colleagues and the broader University faculty. The successful applicant should demonstrate impeccable integrity and be an effective communicator. Prior extensive administrative experience as a department chair, division chief, or program director is preferred. The college seeks qualified applicants who value its missions and share its commitment to creating an environment in which diversity is valued, inclusion is imperative, and belonging is foundational. As an Equal Opportunity Action Employer, we strive to foster a community in which individuals of all backgrounds, identities, and perspectives can feel secure and welcome. All applications will be handled in a secure, sensitive, and confidential manner. The position is open until filled; however, review of applications will begin on October 31, 2022 . Please submit by this date to ensure full consideration. DEPARTMENT CHAIR ANTICIPATED DUTIES This position is established in keeping with the mission statement of the UK College of Medicine. Mission Statement The College of Medicine promotes a diverse and inclusive environment that provides excellence in education, equitable health care, and transformative research to improve the health and wellness of Kentuckians and beyond. Scope of Role The chair of family and community medicine will make vital contributions to implementing the organization’s most critical strategies and will strive to achieve excellence in a full range of quality measurements. The chair will serve as a liaison between the department and the enterprise, reporting directly to the dean of the College of Medicine. They will be directly involved with strategic planning and service development as well as market development and outreach strategy. Planning for future growth and recruitment to accomplish department goals will be integral to the duties of the chair of family and community medicine. Specific Responsibilities: Work collaboratively with leadership inside and outside of the department to create an infrastructure comprised of high-quality clinical care that incorporates scholarly and teaching activities. Cultivate and maintain professional relationships with clinical leadership including physician groups, patients, and external entities to foster opportunities for revenue enhancement, enhanced customer service, and to positively impact core clinical measures. Define improved standards of department protocols, goals, and methods for implementation that reflect the department’s vision for regional and national standing as a leader in academic medicine in family and community medicine as well as a respected service provider in Kentucky. Be responsible for quality management and provider performance including physician, resident, and advanced practice providers (APP) for the department. Review and report on provider performance annually. Recruit and mentor those of character into a culture of respect, kindness, and professionalism where teamwork, innovation, and work satisfaction thrive. Research The chair of family and community medicine will ensure that department faculty work in conjunction with one another and with other groups across the college and campus sharing research resources whenever possible. This will also include administrative, laboratory, and mentoring support. The chair will work to sustain and grow the research mission of the department by supporting research programs of faculty and building capacity within the university structure for research success. The chair will work closely to maximize the net yield of each project and avoid segregation or duplication of work in multiple isolated units. Specific Responsibilities: Provide oversight for the research portfolio of the department. Facilitate faculty mentoring in research. Facilitate an environment of collaborative research and conduct including maintaining records of accomplishments and facilitating acquisition of external funding. Create and support a framework to support independent or collaborative research in line with the goals of the department. Publish in peer-reviewed literature as an author and co-author. Education The chair of family and community medicine will work with each unit to provide the necessary tools and resources to allow the highest level of education and training to occur. The driving objective is to best integrate all medical practices for a complete educational experience. Specific Responsibilities Provide oversight for the educational portfolio of the department. Participate in and advocate for quality teaching programs for residents, fellows, and medical student education within the department. Support the development of residency programs and their directors. Grow subspecialty fellowship programs as applicable. Mentor faculty in various professorial series and oversee practice development and productivity of the department. Oversee CME activities within the department. Clinical Care The chair of family and community medicine, in conjunction with the medical directors and vice chair of clinical affairs, will be responsible for directing provider assignments and coverage of clinical needs. The position will also address budget priorities within the various units including recruitment priorities and outreach decisions. This individual will coordinate with the leadership of ambulatory clinics, surgical departments, and procedural units. The chair will review the overall departmental budgets and actively participate in the annual enterprise budget meeting. Specific Responsibilities Provide oversight for the clinical portfolio of the department. Provide excellent clinical care. Participate in in-house/consult service as needed. Perform at a consistently high level in their clinical practice. Ideal Candidate Experience and Attributes Strong, visionary, inspirational leader who can artfully convey a long-term vision for the department and is equally skilled at implementing a detailed plan to achieve that vision. Highly approachable and compassionate; a record of promoting a culture of innovation, collaboration, teamwork, respect, and honesty; a professional and personal demeanor characterized by integrity, graciousness, humility, genuineness, empathy, and sincerity; and a passion for the organization’s mission and objectives. Exceptionally team-oriented; skilled at working well and partnering with providers across the care continuum to identify, build, and negotiate “win-win” relationships; politically astute yet apolitical with an ability to break down silos and ensure a collegial and productive work environment. Highly adept and at ease managing the day-to-day operational details with the ability to make strong and decisive decisions when needed while at the same time creating unity within a diverse department. Ability to conceptualize and analyze complex business opportunities and to understand the business of medicine and apply that knowledge to appropriately manage the financial aspects of a department. Strong clinical skills and ability to continue to practice their field of expertise while serving as chair; should have skills in collaboration and the ability to learn and share. Actively develop the department’s mission, strategies, and practices to support a diverse and inclusive workplace. Actively embody, encourage, and support the five UK HealthCare DIReCT values to help guide actions, behaviors, and decision making to foster a cohesive work culture focused on patient-centered care. The DIReCT values are Diversity: We foster a people-centered environment that is inclusive of all. Innovation: We embrace continual learning and improvement to drive positive change. Respect: We value our patients and families, our community, our co-workers, ourselves, and the resources entrusted to us. Compassion: We express empathy for the needs, thoughts, and feelings of those we serve and with whom we work. Teamwork: We cultivate and maintain meaningful relationships to create positive outcomes DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY MEDICINE The department of family and community medicine has approximately 40 faculty, 30 residents, three fellows, 15 advanced practice providers, and over 115 staff members as of spring 2022. The department is currently led by Acting Chair Ginny Gottschalk, MD, and is supported by an executive leadership team consisting of the vice chair for academic and faculty affairs, vice chair of clinical operations, vice chair of research, department administrator, and associate department administrator. Clinical Services The department provides ambulatory and inpatient services in Central and Eastern Kentucky and had 1,625 discharges and completed 103,000 outpatient visits in fiscal year 2022. Our units include: Turfland Family Medicine Clinic Services are provided in Lexington at the Turfland multispecialty complex located at 2195 Harrodsburg Road. Family Medicine faculty physicians provide specialized care within our family medicine clinic in the areas of gynecology, dermatology, sports medicine, and LGBTQ+ care (Transform Health Clinic). These dedicated clinic sessions allow for adequate time for more complex procedures and allow our patients to receive needed services in their primary care practice that their PCP may not be able to provide. Services offered include IUD insertion, Nexplanon insertion, EMB, colposcopy, advanced dermatologic excisions of skin cancers, joint injections with and without ultrasound guidance, and initiation and maintenance of hormone therapy for patients with gender dysphoria. The building contains X-ray facilities, two mobile MRI units, physical therapy, clinical lab/phlebotomy, pharmacy, dentistry, and other specialties including orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine, hand surgery, bariatric surgery, optometry/ophthalmology/optical shop, Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, endocrinology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, aesthetics, otolaryngology, audiology, general surgery, and pediatric neurology. The operating hours for the family medicine clinic are Monday through Friday 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. Same-day and telehealth appointments are accepted. Turfland Urgent Care Clinic The Urgent Care Clinic (UCC) provides services in the Turfland multispecialty complex. The UCC is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. and is a pure walk-in clinic. It is staffed by five full-time advanced practice providers. Management of the UCC is provided by a family and community medicine practice manager, nurse manager, medical director, and vice chair of clinical affairs. The UCC is open to all patients in the community. Georgetown Family Medicine Clinic The Georgetown office is a family medicine only site located in the Landmark Office Complex at 202 Bevins Lane in Georgetown. The operating hours are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. with walk-in sports medicine urgent care from 7:30 - 8 a.m. each day and 3 - 3:30 p.m. each day except Wednesday. All after-hours coverage is performed by the on-call resident from the Lexington Family Medicine Residency. Hazard Family and Community Medicine in Hazard, Ky. [North Fork Valley Community Health Center] and Hindman, Ky. [June Buchanan Clinic] Services are provided at two fixed, clinical sites: North Fork Valley Community Health Center (NFVCHC), located at 750 Morton Boulevard, in Hazard and the June Buchanan Medical Clinic (JBMC), located at 59 Cowtown Road, in Hindman. Both clinics are located in the hub of the areas they serve in Perry and Knott counties. Two mobile dental units provide much needed preventive dental services to children and pediatrics at area schools, day care centers, and head start programs totaling approximately 38 sites. The mobile units also serve locations in the surrounding areas of Leslie and Letcher counties. Operating hours of the NFVCHC site are 8 a.m. - 6 a.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Friday. The JBMC clinic hours are 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. After-hours services are available to health center patients by calling our resident provider on call at the hospital located adjacent to the NFVCHC site. UK Good Samaritan Hospital Family Medicine Hospital service The family medicine residents in Lexington and faculty from the Georgetown and Turfland clinics run the inpatient service at Good Samaritan Hospital, located at 310 South Limestone, Lexington. In fiscal year 2022, 840 patients were discharged from the service. The hospital service admits patients for the Turfland and Georgetown clinics, local FQHC clinics, and unassigned patients every Monday and every third Saturday. The daily census ranges from 10 to 25 patients. Our inpatient medical director oversees the operational details of the service in coordination with our residency program director. Appalachian Regional Hospital (Hazard) Family Medicine Hospital service The family medicine residents and faculty from the Hazard and Hindman sites run the inpatient service at ARH located at 100 Medical Center Drive Hazard. In fiscal year 2022, 785 patients were discharged from the service. Patients from the Hazard and Hindman clinic sites as well as the Eastern Kentucky Veterans Center are admitted to the service. The daily census ranges from 10 to 20 patients. Research Mikhail Koffarnus, PhD, vice chair for research, is leading the department’s status in national and regional research recognition through focus on development of funding streams and interdepartmental collaborations leveraging a team science approach. The growth in research in the last several years has been exponential where, most recently, the department was ranked 10 th in the U.S. in family medicine research funding by Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research rankings. Over the last 10 years, the department obtained 81 externally funded grants in the amount of $37,528,767, and it also published 174 publications in peer reviewed journals and 33 book chapters. The department's research is predominantly clinical translational with a long-standing history of excellence in substance use and chronic disease research. Education Graduate Medical Education The department has two Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited (ACGME) family medicine core residency training programs, one preventive medicine residency, and a primary care sports medicine fellowship program. Overall, the UK College of Medicine offers 72 ACGME–accredited residency and fellowship programs across our Lexington, Bowling Green, Hazard, and Morehead campuses. Overall, 37% of 2022 graduates stayed in Kentucky for their residency program, and 47% of our resident and fellow graduates who trained at UK HealthCare stayed in Kentucky to practice. Details of the department’s programs include: Lexington Family Medicine residency Accredited in 1973, our?department?of family and community medicine was established for the purpose of training family physicians to provide primary care for the?Commonwealth?of Kentucky.?Since then, our Lexington residency program?(six residents per year), located at the Turfland site, has graduated over 300 family physicians?under the guiding mission to?provide high quality residency education that yields primary care family medicine providers to practice in Kentucky.?The?residents?are trained?in?a busy academic medical center?(Chandler Hospital, 850+ beds)?and provide?continuity inpatient care in a smaller, more patient-centered, community hospital within UK HealthCare?(Good Samaritan Hospital, 200+ beds). Hazard Family Medicine residency The Hazard Family Medicine residency program was started in 1991 with the purpose of training family physicians to provide primary care for the people of Southeastern Kentucky. Since then, the program, which has four residents per year, has?graduated?over?100?family physicians.?The outpatient continuity clinic site is a Federally Qualified Health Center with?24,225?visits annually.?Residents are also trained at Hazard Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH), a?community-based?hospital?that serves as the hub for all other ARH hospitals. Preventive Medicine residency The UK General Preventive Medicine-Public Health Residency 2/2 program is a fully accredited (ACGME) residency program which combines practicum rotations and academic coursework over two post- graduate years (PGY 2 and PGY 3). Primary Care Sports Medicine fellowship The UK Sports Medicine Fellowship Program has been fully accredited by the ACGME since 1999.?There?has?been a total of 39 graduates and three current fellows of the program.?The mission of the program is to provide high quality sports medicine training which is driven by a robust clinical experience in an academic environment?that provides high-level care to athletes and active persons through clinical practice and outreach medical services throughout the Central and Eastern Kentucky regions. Undergraduate Medical Education The department is active in undergraduate medical education as well. Department faculty participate in the first two years of medical school education teaching in various courses such as “Introduction to Clinical Medicine.” A majority of faculty are active in teaching and mentoring in the following areas: Family Medicine clerkship The department operates the core family medicine clerkship for the College of Medicine across its clinical sites and in collaboration with Area Health Education Centers and the department’s 100+ voluntary faculty. This four-week clerkship aims to immerse students in the practice of primary and preventive care in order to identify, evaluate, and manage a variety of acute and chronic conditions in the outpatient setting, compare the impact of acute vs. preventive care and understand the roles of each, apply evidence-based guidelines to individual patient situations in a busy clinical setting, and understand the impact of the patient-centered medical home model on quality and cost-effectiveness of care. Electives The department offers several electives across all years of medical education. This include social medicine, research, complementary and integrative medicine, acting and clinical clerkships in family medicine and sports medicine. FamTrack This 18-month program provides early clinical experiences for a cohort of students who are interested in pursuing family medicine. Students are partnered with a family medicine faculty physician from January of the M1 year through the end of the M2 year. They will be in clinic one half-day per month and will meet once a month for facilitated discussions around their patient experiences. Students will have the opportunity to develop interviewing and patient advocacy skills through an ongoing relationship with one patient or family. During the M1/M2-summer break, students will have the opportunity to engage in an intensive experience in clinical medicine, research, practice management, or a combination thereof. UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE The College of Medicine, in its 62 nd year, produces highly qualified, caring physicians and biomedical scientists to serve the people of Kentucky and the nation. Beginning in the 2022-2023 academic year, the college was comprised 818 medical students – 284 of whom are studying at regional campuses located in Bowling Green, Northern Kentucky, or Morehead; 142 PhD students; 102 graduate students; 76 post-doctoral fellows; 807 medical residents and fellows in ACGME-accredited programs; 2,183 full-time, part-time, and voluntary faculty; and 2,469 staff members. It is one of six health-related colleges at the University (Dentistry, Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health), encompassing a combined 25 basic science and clinical departments and more than 1,300 faculty members. In 2018 and 2019, the college expanded its educational and research efforts, adding two new regional campuses in Bowling Green and Northern Kentucky with educational opportunities that align with those offered at the main campus in Lexington. The college also houses its Rural Physician Leadership Program in Morehead, a component of its effort to address the Commonwealth’s physician shortage by offering third- and fourth-year medical students a curriculum that emphasizes rural medicine. In recent years the College of Medicine has put a heavy focus on research. In fiscal year 2022, total research funding exceeded $199.5 million including more than $99.5 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. This has allowed, and will continue to allow, UK researchers to dedicate more time and resources to alleviate the health issues Kentuckians face. ACTING DEAN, COLLEGE OF MEDICINE – CHARLES “CHIPPER” GRIFFITH, MD, MSPH Charles Griffith, MD, MSPH, became acting dean of the UK College of Medicine in July 2021. He is a professor of medicine with more than 30 years of unwavering commitment to the college’s mission of training well-prepared physicians and scientists to improve health in the Commonwealth and beyond. As vice dean for education, Dr. Griffith made substantial contributions to improve the structure and academic standards while playing a key role in the addition of our regional campuses in Bowling Green and Northern Kentucky. Dr. Griffith also has overseen the expansion of our resident, fellowship, and graduate student program opportunities to further establish the College of Medicine as a competitive academic medical center for advanced medical training. Before his role as vice dean, Dr. Griffith was senior associate dean for medical education and associate dean for student affairs at the College of Medicine. He is an educational scholar of national reputation having published multiple articles and received numerous awards for his teaching including the Association of American Medical Colleges/Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award in 2004, the most highly regarded medical school teaching award in the country. In 2006, the Clerkship Directors of Internal Medicine national organization honored him by renaming their educational research award the Charles H. Griffith Educational Research Award. ABOUT UK HEALTHCARE UK HealthCare, the University’s health care enterprise, is an award-winning, nationally recognized health care system dedicated to patient-focused care. Its designation as a Level 1 trauma center and its reception of Magnet status means its team of more than 9,000 physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care professionals is heavily qualified to treat Kentucky’s sickest patients. The hospital system, which includes more than 80 specialized clinics and 140 outreach programs, reported more than 37,000 discharges of patients and 1.9 million outpatient visits in fiscal year 2021. Under the leadership of Mark Newman, MD, executive vice president for health affairs, and Jay Grider, DO, PhD, MBA, chief physician executive, UK HealthCare has been named the No. 1 hospital in Kentucky by U.S. News & World Report for the past seven years. THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY The University of Kentucky is a public, land grant university and Kentucky’s flagship institution with a mission to serve the Commonwealth through excellence in education, research, creative work, service, and health care. The University has been named a “Great College to Work For” and is among only 22 universities in the country on Forbes’ list of “America’s Best Employers.” Those who work here enjoy competitive employee benefits along with a variety of enriching arts and entertainment experiences including concerts, museum visits, and spirited athletics events. For more information about UK’s campus, watch: https://visit.uky.edu/virtual-visit LIVING IN LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and home to a welcoming, open-minded, and diverse community full of Southern hospitality. The city is a blend of scenic beauty from its rural countryside and a vibrant nightlife with campus happenings and downtown attractions. It also maintains a thriving economy thanks to its abundance of various industries. Large worldwide companies such as Lexmark and Valvoline are headquartered in Lexington, and other major employers such as Amazon and UPS have large warehouses here. For more information and an engaging video overview, click here: ? https://www.uky.edu/ofa/welcome-lexington Also known as the “Horse Capital of the World,” the city is located in the heart of the Bluegrass, surrounded by beautiful horse farms. The region’s fertile, limestone-enriched soil and vast green grasslands are major components of its capability to raise title-winning horses. While Lexington is large enough to host a variety of events and maintain a bustling downtown scene, it also holds a number of large parks and greenspaces. When it’s time for a weekend escape, popular areas for outdoors activities such as Natural Bridge State Park and Red River Gorge trails are just a short drive away. For additional information on the city of Lexington, visit: http://www.visitlex.com/about/visitor-guide/ HOW TO APPLY Follow this link for the application: https://ukjobs.uky.edu/postings/420201 Upon offer of employment, successful applicants must undergo a national background check and pre-employment drug screen as required by University of Kentucky Human Resources. The University of Kentucky is an Equal Opportunity University that values diversity and inclusion. Individuals with disabilities, minorities, veterans, women, and members of other underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. The University of Kentucky considers the health, safety and well-being of our entire community to be a top priority. In alignment with this priority, all new hires must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or obtain an approved medical or religious exemption as a condition of employment. For areas that fall under the federal CMS mandate, start of employment cannot occur until two weeks after receiving the full COVID-19 vaccination series or upon obtaining an approved exemption. Only vaccines approved by the World Health Organization can be accepted.
