Chair of the Department of Family, Internal, and Rural Medicine at College of Community Health Sciences at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Job Description:

The FIRM Chair will play a senior leadership role in the College and hold an adjunct appointment with the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine (HSOM). The chair of FIRM will report to the Dean of CCHS and will oversee its fully-accredited residency program in Family Medicine (The University of Alabama Family Medicine Residency), Family Medicine fellowship programs, Family and Internal Medicine clerkships, rural pipeline programs, supporting ambulatory and hospitalist patient care programs, and activities in collaboration with the division faculty leadership. The Chair is also responsible for the financial management of FIRM, faculty recruitment, retention and development, and providing appropriate resources to support and advance the Department's education and research initiatives.

CCHS seeks a dynamic, visionary, and collaborative primary care physician leader with a strong record of fostering cutting-edge teaching, strengthening a broad variety of underserved community programs, partnering with community-based agencies, and building research. This individual will serve as the external representative and advocate for the Department and provide thought leadership in the field of family and rural medicine nationally. Reporting to the Dean, the successful candidate must hold an MD or DO and be Board Certified in their field. The key opportunities and challenges facing the next Chair include crafting a dynamic, actionable, and forward-thinking strategic vision for the department; recruiting, retaining, and developing skilled, productive, and culturally proficient faculty and staff; forging strong external clinical partnerships; growing impactful research; as well as sustaining and enhancing educational excellence.
The faculty search committee will review candidates beginning immediately and will continue until the position has been filled.

The Department Chair is a member of the senior leadership of CCHS and reports directly to Dean, Dr. Richard Friend. The Chair is responsible for the comprehensive leadership, management, and stewardship of the Department's mission, related to patient care services, education, and research. The Chair is responsible for maintaining standards of excellence in these missions and for allocating departmental resources to achieve the objectives of both the clinical and the academic enterprises.
The Chair will oversee department of more than 45 faculty including adjunct faculty staff physicians and a senior leadership team consisting of the Residency Director, Rural Programs Director, Fellowship Directors, Hospitalist director and FIRM Administrator. The Department's FY 2024 revenues exceeded $14 million and the total departmental budget was $15 million.
CCHS has a history of deep commitment to teaching, research, and health promotion with and for Alabama's rural communities. The next Chair will carry on this tradition of mission-driven excellence, leveraging the College's strengths to further its role and impact within the University, the community, and the state of Alabama.
More specifically, the Chair will address the following challenges and opportunities:

Craft a strategic vision in concert with departmental, institutional, and community leadership.
The Chair will serve as the primary advocate for the Department, clearly articulating its mission across all levels. This role involves collaborating with key internal and external stakeholders to create a vision that aligns departmental goals with those of CCHS and the College's strategic plan. The Chair will balance the missions of clinical care, education, research, and community service, driving the Department's commitment to providing compassionate, high-quality care to the community. Additionally, the Chair will lead a dynamic team to identify new internal strengths and develop an innovative plan for the Department's future.
Forge strong external clinical relationships. FIRM provides patient care across the state of Alabama. The next Chair has an opportunity to have continued meaningful impact on the state's diverse population through its research and community engagement. The Department has developed strong relationships within the Tuscaloosa and rural West Alabama communities. The next Chair has an opportunity to continue to grow research and better address the health care needs of the underserved in rural settings. The Chair will need to support the work in FIRM and broaden the variable sources of grant funding that is awarded to the Department.
Enhance research productivity within the Department. The University of Alabama's new strategic plan places priority on building research across the UA campus, and the next Chair will partner with deans and leadership of UA's colleges and schools to find ways to grow research productivity that originates in the Department and that is interdisciplinary in inquiry and discovery.

Research and scholarship within the College of Community Health Sciences originates primarily from its Institute for Rural Health Research and The University of Alabama Center for the Study of Tobacco and Society. Additional research, either clinical or interdisciplinary, has been mainly opportunistic in nature due to the clinical and educational demands on faculty. In the midst of the College's clinical mission, the Chair will explore ways to incentivize faculty to build their own areas of scholarship while providing the resources and continued mentorship. Many opportunities exist to broaden the reach of research within the College, including strategic recruitments, internal partnerships between researchers and clinicians, and partnerships across colleges, as well as the newly created Alabama Life Research Institute (ALRI), which presents exciting opportunities for collaboration and shared discovery.

Sustain and enhance educational excellence.
The Department has a longstanding reputation for educational excellence, a core element of its mission and values. While expanding research activities is a top priority, it is equally important for the Chair to uphold the quality of medical education and residency programs, as well as strengthen partnerships throughout the College's geographic region. Faculty members have taken on leadership roles in curriculum development, establishing the Department as a frontrunner in the field. The Chair will build on these efforts, addressing challenges such as funding changes and program transitions, while ensuring the integrity of the Department's educational mission. A key focus will be clarifying faculty expectations regarding teaching, research, and clinical responsibilities during this transformative period.
Build and nurture faculty and staff.
The incoming Chair will take the helm of a department filled with dedicated faculty and staff who have become increasingly engaged as the College and its clinical programs have expanded. This leader will prioritize initiatives aimed at enhancing wellness and addressing burnout among faculty and staff. Additionally, the Chair will promote a culture of equity and inclusion through effective policies, training, and recruitment practices. They will also play a pivotal role in shaping the future of faculty and staff while developing a departmental framework that meets the evolving challenges and opportunities in family, internal, and rural medicine.
Develop sufficient resources to support the ambitions of the Department.
The Department benefits from a solid financial foundation, bolstered by the growth of its clinical practices. With a positive financial margin, this reflects the strong support from CCHS for the FIRM clinical department. As such, the incoming Chair will be expected to bring robust financial acumen to the role. Understanding the intricacies of healthcare economics and physician compensation models will be crucial for attracting new funding sources and navigating the evolving landscape of the healthcare industry.

Candidates must hold an MD or DO degree, current DEA certificate, current (or eligibility for) Alabama licensure, and be board certified in candidate's specialty.

Strong preference will be offered to family medicine and primary care candidates with at least five years of experience in a clinical and academic medicine leadership role. The ideal candidate will have experience in primary care residency leadership (program director, assistant program director, etc.). The ideal candidate will have experience in LCME and ACGME requirements, developing clinical practice plans, engagement in scholarly activities, and fostering collaborative working relationships with colleagues and community partners. Individuals will have time allocated for clinical practice and/or precepting. The position requires clinical work in inpatient and outpatient environments supervising medical students and Family Medicine residents. The College offers a competitive salary and benefits package. Rank and tenure consideration will be based upon candidate credentials.

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