Leaders of the University of Kansas Medical Center and the University of Kansas Health System, which together form the region’s largest academic medical center, recently announced the decision to strengthen the existing collaboration between the two organizations.
“We recognize that only through deliberate and strategic alignment can we realize our shared vision,” said Douglas A. Girod, MD, Chancellor of the University of Kansas. “As we look to the future of health care – in terms of treatments, the evolution of tomorrow’s workforce and the impact of our academic medical center on our region – now is the time to make the structural changes necessary so we can meet the needs and opportunities of tomorrow.”
To support greater alignment and achieve our shared vision to lead the nation in care, healing, teaching and discovery, several senior leaders will assume roles in both organizations.
“What sets academic medical centers apart is the intersection of teaching, research and clinical care,” said Bob Page, president and CEO of the University of Kansas Health System. “With aligned leadership across the health system, medical center and university, we have the opportunity to do things in new and different ways, which ultimately makes us all stronger. This commitment to alignment and new structures will impact the short term, but also those who will continue to support and lead our organizations in the years to come.”
Management positions include:
- Steve Stites, MD, will serve as associate chancellor of KU Medical Center and continue in his role as vice chair for clinical affairs and chief medical officer of the University of Kansas Health System. Stites will advocate for a closer connection between the research and education functions of the medical center and the clinical care it ultimately supports and which is managed by the health system.
- Matthias Salathe, MD, will serve as chief research officer for the University of Kansas, including the medical center. He will also serve as chief medical officer for the University of Kansas Health System. Salathe will be responsible for developing a research infrastructure that spans both organizations and expanding clinical trial opportunities.
- Talal Kahn, MD, will serve as senior associate dean for clinical affairs at the KU School of Medicine and will continue his role as president of the University of Kansas Physicians and vice president for physician affairs for the University of Kansas Health System. Kahn will align the missions of the KU School of Medicine with the health system and help support the best environment for learners and research in the clinical setting.
- Additionally, the health system announced that Dr. Sean Kumer will serve as senior vice president and chief medical officer for the Kansas City division of the University of Kansas Health System and will continue to serve in perioperative and procedural services.
Although the two organizations have worked together for many years, this new structure will ensure open lines of communication, more advanced collaborative planning on our campuses, and constructive opportunities for informed discussion.
“The trajectory of the health system and medical center has never been more promising. We have seen that when we work together with purpose, we succeed,” said Dr. Steve Stites, executive vice chancellor of KU Medical Center and chief medical officer and executive vice president of clinical affairs for the health system. “We are on the cusp of breakthrough innovations in care, driven by groundbreaking research and clinical trials. The pace of change has never been faster and the opportunity to leverage our shared successes for even greater impact has never been greater.”
A key focus area will be the development of a robust and coordinated infrastructure for clinical research.
This focus on research will improve the University Hospital’s ability to attract and retain top researchers, increase its competitiveness in research funding, and increase clinical trial opportunities for patients.
“Research and scientific exploration are fundamentally about having an open mind. It is the opportunity to explore what is not being done today and consider what could be done,” said Matthias Salathe, MD, chief research officer for the University of Kansas and the University of Kansas Health System. “We have a research enterprise that has grown remarkably and has a goal of becoming a national leader. This focus, along with a commitment to organized and coordinated research across the university, medical center and health system, will help make the best use of resources across our organizations.”
In the past, health systems and medical centers have worked together, but not in a defined and comprehensive way. This new agreement opens the doors to additional areas of cooperation.
“We have accomplished amazing things over the last 25 years,” said Tammy Peterman, president of the health system’s Kansas City division and executive vice president and chief operations officer for the health system. “We already do this in several areas, including cancer, IT, graduate medical education and research informatics. This new strategic direction will create an organized structure and program to accomplish even more, outside of the silos we have today.”
As the two organizations continue to develop this broader direction, their shared vision and commitment to transforming lives in the region and beyond demonstrate their commitment to the future.
“This announcement is about more than just specific individuals,” Page said. “It is about a shared commitment from our organizations, supported by new structures that will encourage greater collaboration in the years to come. Ultimately, this will enable us to better deliver on the promise of academic medicine.”
