Description
Position Description
The University of Minnesota Medical School seeks a driven and innovative leader to serve as the founding director of the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Care Medicine (GPM) in the Departments of Medicine (DOM) and Family Medicine and Community Health (FMCH), as well as the founding director of Center for Geroscience and Healthy Aging (CGHA). This individual will have the opportunity to leverage the strong clinical, education, and research infrastructure of UMN to build the division into a national leader in geriatric and palliative care medicine. This recruitment is backed by substantial philanthropic support and institutional commitment, providing the incoming Director with the resources to build a nationally recognized program. These unique funds underscore the strategic importance of geriatrics, geroscience, and healthy aging to the Medical School, the University, and partners across Minnesota.
Role & Responsibilities
Set a strategic vision for the division.
The Division of GPM is the first geriatrics and palliative care program UMN Medical School (MS). The division director will set the vision for the growth of the division within the greater strategic plan of the departments and UMN MS. The director will oversee all missions of the division and pursue opportunities to expand the reach of UMN MS in geriatrics and palliative care. With the swift increase in older adults, the division is an institutional priority and the director will be encouraged and supported to provide and enact a bold plan for the division.
Recruit and mentor faculty and staff.
The division of GPM will be a diverse mix of faculty across geriatrics and palliative care. It is expected that most future faculty will be trained in internal medicine or family medicine and to accommodate the needs of these faculty, the division will be housed in both departments. The division director will look to grow the division, recruiting externally and retaining residents and fellows. The division director will showcase the opportunities in geriatrics and palliative care to medical students and residents. The director will also serve as a mentor to faculty, staff, and students, guiding them as they pursue their individual passions. The division director will prioritize faculty development and use the resources available to them to protect time for scholarly activity in the group.
Serve as a leader and advocate for an age-friendly health system.
With population demographics shifting to a higher proportion of people over the age of 65, the health care system is at an inflection point in care delivery. The division director of GPM will be a leading advocate for an age-friendly health system across in and out-patient settings. The division director will embrace the 4Ms Framework (What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility) as defined by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and focus on treating the patient as a person. The division director will work with clinical leadership to provide the proper physical, social, and emotional support for aging patients and delivering compassionate and excellent care that addresses each patient’s unique needs.
Develop and support a robust research program in geriatrics and palliative care.
As research in aging and geroscience grows, the UMN MS is poised to take on a leading role in the discussion. With excellence in preclinical research in the field, including the Institute for the Biology of Aging and Metabolism, the M. Bud Grossman Center for Memory Research and Care and campus-wide initiatives like the Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation, the next division director will seize the opportunity to build a research program targeting the translation of UMN MS research into clinical trials and interventions for patients. There are opportunities to expand upon health informatics work in the Institute for Health Informatics and the University of Minnesota is positioned to lead an NIA-sponsored Pepper Grant in the future.
Support the education mission of the division and department.
The division of GPM will be an important source of medical education for UME, GME, and CME learners. The faculty in GPM will strongly support the education and training mission of the division, and the director will match that ideology. The division director will work closely with colleagues at Hennepin Healthcare to grow fellowship programs in palliative and geriatric medicine and find additional ways to provide education opportunities to faculty and staff. The division director will also leverage the Minnesota Northstar Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program to provide geriatrics training opportunities across the state.
Set and promote a culture of inclusive excellence in the division.
The division director will be a champion for inclusive excellence, working with the Medical School Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Ana Núñez, MD, FACP. The division director will implement best practices in recruiting, hiring, mentorship, and promotion while setting a culture that promotes equity and inclusivity.
Full Job Description: https://academic-med.com/job/umn-director-of-the-center-for-geroscience-and-healthy-aging-cgha/
Requirements
Required Qualifications
Medical degree (MD or equivalent) and board certification in a relevant field.
Eligibility to work in the United States and ability to be licensed in Minnesota are required.
Eligible for appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor.
Record of clinical excellence and understanding of geriatric, palliative, and complex patient care.
Outstanding scholarship, including a track record of publications and extramural funding.
Demonstrated record in supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Preferred Qualifications
Strong visionary, inspirational leader who can develop and communicate a long-term vision for the advancement of the division and is equally skilled at developing and operating a detailed plan to achieve that vision.
Highly approachable and compassionate; a record of promoting a culture of innovation, collaboration, teamwork, respect, and honesty; professional and personal demeanor characterized by integrity, graciousness, sincerity, and a passion for the organization’s mission and objectives.
Exceptionally team-oriented; skilled at working well and partnering with providers across a large, complex organization and community.
Highly adept and at ease managing the day-to-day operational details with the ability to be decisive, to conceptualize and analyze complex business opportunities, and oversee multiple projects.
Demonstrated experience in recruiting, retaining, and mentoring a diverse and highly skilled cadre of faculty, staff, and students.
