Lead, Inspire, Thrive

Fred Sanfilippo MD, PhD is Director of the Emory-Georgia Tech Healthcare Innovation Program and Professor, Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, and Health Policy & Management at Emory University. He previously served Emory as Executive VP for Health Affairs, CEO of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center, and Board Chair of Emory Healthcare, Ohio State University as Senior VP and Executive Dean for Health Sciences, Medical Center CEO, Dean of the College of Medicine and Public Health, and Board Chair of Managed Health Care Systems, and Johns Hopkins as Chair of Pathology. He has published over 300 articles, served on 15 editorial boards, received three patents, and been awarded over $30 million in sponsored research. Among his many awards, he has received Distinguished Medical Alumni Awards from Duke and Johns Hopkins Universities, the Distinguished Service Award from the Association of Pathology Chairs, the Norman Cohn Hope Award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the Minton Hero of Hope Research Champion Medal of Honor from the American Cancer Society. He has been an invited speaker at hundreds of meetings, served as board chair of five non-profits, and elected president of seven professional organizations including the American Society of Investigative Pathology and the American Society of Transplantation. Dr. Sanfilippo has formally mentored and coached over 60 faculty and department chairs at more than 40 institutions, been a consultant to numerous university, government and corporate institutions, and been a supervisor and advisor to hundreds of students, trainees, faculty, deans and institutional leaders.

Claire Pomeroy is president and CEO of the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation since 2013, where she works to improve health by accelerating support for medical research through recognition of research excellence, education and advocacy. As an infectious disease physician, she is passionate about caring for the underserved, strengthening public health infrastructure and addressing the social determinants of health. She is committed to advancing inclusion in science, including advocating for gender and racial/ethnic equity in academic medicine. Dr. Pomeroy previously served as Vice Chancellor for Health and Dean of the School of Medicine at University of California, Davis.  She was inducted into the National Academy of Medicine in 2011 and has received honorary degrees from University of Massachusetts Medical School (2016) and the University of South Florida Morsani School of Medicine (2022). She has been recognized with numerous awards, including: Distinguished Leadership Award (Huntington's Disease Society of America); Hispanic Health Leadership Award (National Hispanic Health Foundation); Humanitarian of the Year Award (United Cerebral Palsy- Sacramento); Trailblazer Award (Leadership California); President's Award (American Association of Blood Banks); and Alumni Hall of Fame (University of Kentucky Gatton School of Business). She has served on numerous philanthropic and corporate boards, and as chair of the AAHC and chair of the AAMC Council of Deans. She currently serves on the Boards of the Morehouse School of Medicine; Science Philanthropy Alliance; Science Communication Lab; Center for Women in Academic Medicine and Science (CWAMS); Sierra Health Foundation; Haemonetics Corporation; and Embecta Corporation.

David N. Bailey is University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) Distinguished Professor of Pathology and Pharmacy Emeritus, Vice Chair for Education and Academic Affairs in the Department of Pathology, and Deputy Dean at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.  Prior leadership positions have included service as Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine at UC San Diego and at UC Irvine, Chair of the Department of Pathology at UC San Diego, and Director of Clinical Labor

This handy reference will help medical school department chairs and other Academic Health Center (AHC) leaders navigate the important, challenging and complex responsibilities and opportunities of their positions, whether they are new, experienced or future leaders. Medical school department chairs support four distinct missions (education, research, clinical care and public service), which serve multiple constituents, have different measures of success, and sometimes are in direct conflict for resources across the different priorities of their AHC and its component organizations. Having served as medical school department chairs, program and center directors, medical school deans, and AHC chief executives, the authors have seen first-hand the increasing difficulty and complexity of these roles and the inspiring impact these leaders can have on those they serve.  This book shares their insights by providing contemporary and comprehensive information to help these leaders navigate the many issues and opportunities they face.

While serving as a medical school department chair is challenging on many levels, it is one of the most important roles in AHCs and can be an extremely rewarding leadership position. Timely advice and guidance are keys to success, and this book articulates and answers the most common questions faced by medical school department chairs and other leaders over their careers.

Abbreviations used in the Text.- Introduction.- Section 1: Getting Started.- Setting Initial Goals.- Expectations.- Dealing with Your Predecessor.- Section 2: Interpersonal Interactions, Culture, and Behavior.- Communication.- Organizational Culture.- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.- Building Collaborations and Collegiality.- Promoting Department Work-Life Balance.- Negotiation.- Section 3: Operational Issues.- Organizing the Department.- Strategic Planning.- Resources.- Budgets and Finance.- Balancing the Missions.- Crisis Management.- Section 4: Faculty Issues.- Faculty Recruitment and Retention.- Faculty Career Development and Wellness.- Faculty Compensation Plans.- Dealing with Difficult Faculty.- Section 5: Student and Trainee Issues.- Student and Trainee Recruitment.- Student and Trainee Career Development and Wellness.- Dealing with Difficult Students and Trainees.- Section 6: StaffIssues.- Staff Recruitment and Retention.- Staff Career Development and Wellness.- Staff Compensation.- Dealing with Difficult or Unproductive Staff.- Section 7: Interactions Beyond Your Department.- Interacting with Institutional Leaders.- Interdepartmental Interactions.- Departmental and Institutional Alignment.- Interactions with External Entities.- Fundraising and Donor Development.- Section 8: Personal Issues.- Leadership Attributes.- Getting Advice and Assistance.- Handling Reviews.- Achieving Work-Life Balance.- Career Transitioning.- Changing Positions.- Final Thoughts.- Acknowledgements.- References.- About the Authors.