UCSF Chancellor Issues Update on Priorities, People and Budget

UCSF Chancellor Sue Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH, on Nov. 5 issued a message to the UCSF community, noting two important leadership changes, an effort to reduce costs and the addition of education as one of her top priorities.

Desmond-Hellmann said in her message that she added education to her list of top priorities after receiving feedback from her address at her first town hall meeting on Oct. 26. The town hall meeting is posted on video.

The chancellor also announced that she has asked Interim Vice Chancellor Randy Lopez and Michael Hindery, vice dean of the School of Medicine, to co-chair a work group to realize cost reductions in the range of $28 million to $40 million beginning in fiscal year 2010 -2011. She will oversee this group, which will expand on the work that was conducted earlier this year and “move the most viable ideas to implementation.”

Desmond-Hellmann also announced these two upcoming changes in leadership:

• Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Eugene Washington, MD, has accepted the position of dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine and vice chancellor for Health Sciences at UCLA. The appointment is effective Feb. 1, 2010, pending the approval of the UC Board of Regents.
• Kathy Dracup, RN, dean of the UCSF School of Nursing, will relinquish her role as dean and return to the faculty in October 2010. 

The search to replace Washington and Dracup will begin immediately, said Desmond-Hellmann, who praised the two leaders for their significant accomplishments and commitment.

In separate email messages to the UCSF community in recent days, both Washington and Dracup reflected on their careers at the University.

“My association with UCSF spans 37 years, dating back to when I entered medical school,” Washington said in a message on Nov. 4. “Reflecting on this period, I feel exceedingly fortunate to have worked in such an enabling community with so many extraordinarily talented, dedicated and supportive colleagues. You have shaped my professional world in ways unimaginable when I arrived and helped me grow as a teacher, researcher, clinician, mentor, administrator, leader, and public servant. And whatever contributions I have made to strengthening UCSF and improving human health, I owe principally to collaborations with you.”

Dracup announced her decision to step down as dean on Oct. 23. “Reflecting on my almost four decades at the University of California, I have never enjoyed a job more than I have this deanship,” she said. “I will leave a piece of my heart in the dean’s office. I want to thank each and every one of you for your generous advice, counsel and wisdom over the years. Working with you has made me so very proud to be dean of the UCSF School of Nursing and a part of the leadership team on this campus.”

Here is the chancellor’s Nov. 6 message in full:

Dear Colleagues:
Following up on my commitment to communicate regularly, I want to briefly update you on a few important but diverse matters.

Revised Priorities

I asked for and was grateful to receive feedback in response to my presentation to the campus community on October 26th.  What I learned from the feedback is that education should be a separate and visible priority.  My top five priorities now are:

• Patients/Health
• Discovery
• Education
• People (management and diversity)
• Business (efficiency and resources)

I look forward to providing periodic progress reports on each of these areas throughout the year.

People

Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Washington
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost (EVCP) Washington has accepted the position of Dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine and Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences at UCLA effective February 1, 2010, pending the approval of The UC Board of Regents.  EVCP Washington’s outstanding leadership skills, drive to advance UCSF to the next level, and ability to engage members of the UCSF community is evidenced by the many significant initiatives that he has championed, including UCSF’s first strategic plan, the 10-point diversity plan, the Clinical Translational Sciences Institute, and quality of life on campus for faculty, staff and students. 

EVCP Washington’s contributions extend well beyond his administrative role.  He has been actively engaged in the training of medical students, residents, fellows, and junior faculty at UCSF and is a national leader in assessing medical technologies, developing clinical practice guidelines, and establishing disease prevention policies, particularly for women’s health.  Please join me in extending heartfelt thanks to Gene for his indelible mark on UCSF and wishing him well in his new role.  Although his move to UCLA is a great loss to UCSF, I am pleased to know I will have him as a close colleague to call upon within the UC system.

I will immediately commence a search for the next Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost.

Dean Kathleen Dracup

Kathleen Dracup has announced her intention to relinquish her administrative appointment as dean and return to the faculty in October 2010.  Dean Dracup’s accomplishments over the last 10 years have kept the School of Nursing in the forefront of research and academic renown in the U.S. and internationally.  Rated overall in the top two to three graduate nursing programs nationally, the School of Nursing has consistently ranked #1 in NIH research funding during the period of her deanship. U.S. News & World Report has recognized the School for its excellent programs in primary care, midwifery, and clinical specialties.  Faculty recruitment has succeeded in increasing the diversity of academic appointments and student enrollments, and a culture of continued commitment has been firmly established. 

On a campuswide level, she is an esteemed and valued colleague.  Beyond these accomplishments in her administrative role, Dean Dracup’s ongoing dedication to helping others with career development has been recognized by the American Heart Association, as she was the first nurse to receive the Eugene Braunwald Award for Mentorship.  Her success in NIH funding for her work in cardiac events and their impact upon families means that the campus will continue to benefit from her academic accomplishments.  On behalf of the entire UCSF community, I thank her for her many contributions and extend best wishes for continued success with her academic pursuits at UCSF.

The School has my commitment for active engagement in a national search to identify a suitable successor.  This search will also commence immediately.

Chief Business Officer/Senior Vice Chancellor Financial and Administrative Services

For over a year, the campus has been operating with an interim organizational structure that divided, on a temporary basis, responsibilities for oversight of various aspects of the Financial and Administrative Services (FAS) organization.  A search is now well underway for a Chief Business Officer whose responsibilities will include oversight of the entire FAS organization, plus Real Estate Services and Campus Planning, two units that formerly reported elsewhere. The search is being led by Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Washington and is being conducted with the assistance of a search consultant. I anticipate having the search committee’s report before the end of the calendar year.   

Business Efficiency

A short-term priority is to reduce expenses through administrative efficiencies and to support ending the furloughs by summer 2010.  To that end, I have asked Interim Vice Chancellor Randy Lopez and School of Medicine Vice Dean Michael Hindery to co-chair a work group to realize cost reductions in the range of $28 million to $40 million beginning in fiscal year 2010 -11. This group will expand on the work that was conducted earlier this year and move the most viable ideas to implementation. 

I will personally oversee the group’s efforts and will seek input on its recommendations from others, including senior administrative and faculty leaders on campus and a small steering committee of external business advisors that will help me think creatively about how we can best manage our resources efficiently.  I am in the process of determining the membership of the work group and the business advisory committee, but will make those details available in a future communication.

A short-term priority is to reduce expenses through administrative efficiencies and to support ending the furloughs by summer 2010.  To that end, I have asked Interim Vice Chancellor Randy Lopez and School of Medicine Vice Dean Michael Hindery to co-chair a work group to realize cost reductions in the range of $28 million to $40 million beginning in fiscal year 2010 -11. This group will expand on the work that was conducted earlier this year and move the most viable ideas to implementation.

UCSF is a remarkable place, and I am committed to working with the campus community to ensure that its excellence is maintained and enhanced. 

Sincerely,

Susan Desmond-Hellmann, M.D., M.P.H.
Chancellor

Washington photo by Elisabeth Fall/fallfoto.com
Chancellor photo by Susan Merrell