Associate Dean for Rural Health and Director of the Center for Rural Health – Office of the Dean of the SOM and Department of Family Medicine - Open Rank- Associate, Professor

University of Colorado•Aurora, CO

68d•Hybrid

About The Position

This posting represents the confluence of three closely related positions: 1) the Associate Dean for Rural Health in the School of Medicine (SOM), which is an endowed position—the Williams Family Foundation Endowed Chair for Rural Health; 2) the Director of the emerging Center for Rural Health, which will be housed in the Department of Family Medicine (DFM); and 3) the current incumbent leader of the SOM’s and DFM’s rural activities, who, among many other things, currently directs the SOM’s Rural Program. The position to which we are recruiting expands and consolidates these and other rural programs and activities, some with incumbent directors. Because of these related activities, in this Job Description we will refer to the person in this position simply as the Leader. This Leader will coordinate rural programs and efforts at the Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC), direct rural programs in the Department of Family Medicine (DFM) and coordinate these activities with our multiple external partners and stakeholders. The Anschutz Medical Campus is one of four University of Colorado campuses located along the front range of the Rocky Mountains; to the east, one-third of the state is rural high plains; and sixty miles west lies the continental divide with the so-called western slope beyond, which also is largely rural. This is a rural state, and the University of Colorado has made the concerns of Colorado’s rural citizens a priority since its inception: the president of the university and its regents make regular visits to rural communities; the schools on the Anschutz Medical Campus (dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, medicine, and public health) all have rural health programs that work closely together; the School of Medicine has a successful medical student Rural Program with a 20-year history; and the Department of Family Medicine (DFM) has a 60-year history of rural education, research, policy work, and engagement with rural clinicians, including two rural practice-based research networks and a policy center with a specific rural emphasis. We have excellent relations with other academic departments, the other CU health professional schools, various CU academic centers and institutes, and partner across multiple programs with external state and national organizations that have rural interests. These are established relationships that the Director will be expected to maintain and expand as new opportunities arise, under the auspices of an emerging Center for Rural Health. The Rural Program as it stands today has been under excellent leadership, is stable, has financial reserves, and faces many new or expanded opportunities for further growth and development.

Requirements

Must hold an M.D., D.O degree or equivalent terminal medical degree
At least 7 years of experience in medical education or healthcare education, including curriculum development, clinical education, or program management.
At least 5 years’ experience in research, advocacy, and/or development of clinical services or community development focused on rural health
Ability to travel to rural communities for several days at a time.
Excellent written and oral communication
Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to build and maintain beneficial relationships across multidisciplinary teams and multiple stakeholder organizations.
Ability to cultivate trusted and collaborative relationships with people and organizations in rural communities, represent their concerns and interests to the academic health center and work collaboratively to reaching solutions.
Strong understanding of clinical education models and medical education curriculum, including robust clinical experience that provides future physicians with the knowledge, skills, and support from like-minded students and faculty to serve rural and underserved communities.
Strong understanding of rural systems of clinical healthcare and challenges to their development and sustainability.
Strong understanding of the research opportunities and challenges in rural health
Commitment to fostering excellence in all education, research, clinical care, and community engagement/community health activities and environments.

Nice To Haves

Eligible for a faculty appointment in the CU School of Medicine at the Professor rank.
Personal experience having lived and/or worked in one or more rural communities.
Knowledge and experience of the CU School of Medicine and its curriculum.
Demonstrated experience in designing or leading educational programs targeting rural healthcare workforce development.
Demonstrated experience in rural-focused research, advocacy, and/or developing rural-focused clinical services or community development programs.
Demonstrated success with obtaining grant-funding to support rural-focused programs
Experience working with faculty and students in a higher education or healthcare setting.
Executive-level leadership experience, including supervising personnel, building high functioning teams, managing budgets, and collaborating across organizational levels.
Previous experience developing and implementing strategic initiatives.
Proven experience in developing and maintaining successful collaborative relationships with community organizations, national organizations, state agencies, healthcare facilities, and legislative bodies.
Demonstrated experience with philanthropic fund-raising

Responsibilities

Medical Student Education
Directing rural clerkships
Directing other rural clinical electives
Directing the Family Medicine Interest Group
Participating in the basic clinical skills curriculum
Leading and operating the year-long Longitudinal Integrated Curriculum (LIC) for second year students, the Rural Program leads and operates this curriculum at 18 rural sites
Participating in in-person on-campus teaching
Teaching of off-campus students via Zoom
Rural site visits
Mentoring of students
Participation in the admissions process
Participating in various school committees
Administrative and budgetary responsibilities along with other Rural Program faculty and staff
Lead the Colorado Rural Healthcare Workforce Initiative
Provide guidance, technical support and curriculum development to all 15 programs and is responsible for data collection, analysis and annual reporting to the Colorado legislature.
Works closely with DFM’s Career Paths into Healthcare Program (CPHP)
Works closely with Colorado’s Area Health Education Center in various capacities.
Continuing Medicine Education to help build and sustain rural clinicians’ capacity to provide high quality clinical care.
Post graduate clinical and non-clinical education conducted in rural communities as opportunities arise.
Collecting, analyzing and sharing best practices of the School of Medicine Rural Program and the Workforce Initiative within and beyond the University
The DFM Rural Program and center for rural health regularly make themselves available to the University’s State and Federal legislative team when they have questions about rural issues.
The DFM Rural Program maintains close contact with graduates after completion of medical school and then during and after residency graduation and assists with finding rural practice opportunities.
Engage with established philanthropic partners and benefactors and develop new ones to continue developing a robust philanthropic portfolio.