Steve Goldschmid, MD, who has served as dean of the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson since July 2009, has been appointed associate vice president for clinical affairs at the Arizona Health Sciences Center.
Dr. Goldschmid will begin his new duties March 3 and will report to Joe G.N. “Skip” Garcia, MD, UA senior vice president for health sciences, who now also will serve as interim dean of the UA College of Medicine – Tucson.
In a parallel appointment, Dr. Goldschmid also will serve as vice president of physician services for The University of Arizona Health Network.
In his new role, Dr. Goldschmid will provide senior leadership in developing clinical practice strategies and opportunities for the UA’s health colleges (the UA College of Medicine – Tucson; the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix; the UA College of Pharmacy; the UA College of Nursing and the UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health).
Dr. Goldschmid will work in close professional collaboration with the Arizona Health Sciences Center deans, clinical department heads, institute and center directors and The University of Arizona Health Network executive team, providing leadership in AHSC-UAHN efforts to advance clinical practice programs and services. He also will oversee development of clinical affiliation and practice opportunities and manage existing strategic relationships with affiliates, such as the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System.
In his UAHN role, Dr. Goldschmid will serve as a key member of the UAHN executive team, with involvement in health system strategic planning, clinical quality and patient safety, monitoring and accreditation of programs and financial management and oversight. As UAHN’s vice president of physician services, he will maintain and improve relationships among clinical departments and hospital-based operating units, contributing to the building of multi-disciplinary clinical programs and teams, and will promote professionalism standards among clinical providers and staff.
Board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology, Dr. Goldschmid joined the UA College of Medicine – Tucson in 2000, when he was recruited to establish a state-of-the-art gastroenterology service/endoscopy lab. He was chairman of the UA Department of Medicine from 2006 until July 2008, when he accepted the role of interim dean of the UA College of Medicine – Tucson. Before joining the UA, he served as director of clinical services in gastroenterology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Ga.
“We are grateful for Steve Goldschmid’s years of service as dean of our Tucson medical school,” Dr. Garcia said. “Through his leadership, the college has made great strides in fulfilling its mission of education, research, patient care and service. At a critical time, he played a key role – and provided a stabilizing force – during the integration of then-University Medical Center and University Physicians Healthcare to form The University of Arizona Health Network. With this foundation in place, he is the perfect individual to serve in this critically important position for the Arizona Health Sciences Center and the UA Health Network.”
Andrew Comrie, PhD, UA senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, who oversaw AHSC during the national search for a senior VP for health sciences, said, “We’re extremely pleased that Steve has accepted this important position at the Arizona Health Sciences Center and the UA Health Network. In this era of health care reform, developing strong relationships and collaborations with other organizations is critical for success. We think Steve Goldschmid is the right person to lead that effort for the University of Arizona.”
Dr. Goldschmid said, “In serving as dean for the past 5 ½ years, I gained a deep understanding of just how important the success of the UA Health Network is to the vitality of the College of Medicine. I’m extremely excited to take on this new role, focusing on efforts to strengthen the performance of our clinical practice in full support of our academic mission.”
Media Contact: George Humphrey, MA