It is my understanding that it had generally not been customary for Deans to supply a written charge to search committees. This custom will no longer be continued. Clearly provided instructions to the search committee are likely to facilitate your work and achieve a work product, for me, which will match my expectations. To this end, I provide the following charge to the Search Committee for the Chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health of the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

The job description

You are seeking a Chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health who will report to the Dean and who will, in turn, be reported to by the faculty and staff of the department. You are seeking an academic leader who will fulfill the clinical, education, and research missions of the department.  Furthermore, good clinical negotiating skills are important to deal with the multiple pushes and tugs of our relationships with multiple hospitals.

The Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health is central to our school’s UME, GME, and CME missions; our research enterprise; and clinical care.  The department is deeply enmeshed in our relations with our partner hospitals. 

I have elected to proceed with a national search because I feel that it would be a disservice to the department not to have a fulsome discussion of the department’s present and future and to have a broadly cast net for a search.  The department requires an empowered and firm hand on the tiller. 

As I review the current status of the department, I have several specific issues I wish to emphasize: 

• Dr. Cook has served this department with great dignity, commitment, and effort.    I instruct the committee to offer her the opportunity to provide wise counsel and to consult with her with all appropriate deference. 
• Our relations with Jewish/St. Mary’s, Norton, University, and the VA Medical Center are essential to the success of this enterprise.  This department’s hospital relations have been mixed.  Emphasize candidates who will foster our hospital relationships.
• The strategic plans of this university and health sciences campus have described success in obtaining NCI designation for the Cancer Center, successful opening of the Faculty Office Building, and implementation of the new management structure of University Hospital and the combined faculty practices as priorities.  I urge you to seek a Chair of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health who is committed to these goals.
• I feel strongly that we must maintain our focus on medical education.  I am very concerned about the adequacy of the medical student core rotation in obstetrics-gynecology and the department’s residency program.  You are to seek a Chair of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health who is enthusiastic and proud to be a school teacher. 

In any economic undertaking, including the selection of a department chair, you must consider the allocation of resources “compared to alternatives.”  The University of Louisville School of Medicine has several major commitments either ongoing or upcoming.  We must identify Chairs of Orthopedics and Microbiology/Immunology.  It is likely that one or two other Chairs will be vacated in the next one to two years. We are in the midst of another state budget cut.  This being the case, we will have to be good stewards of limited resources.

Interviews

The committee shall conduct a series of interviews with key stakeholders during the selection of the Chair.  I ask you to be certain to interview me, the Division Chiefs, Chair Cook, members of the faculty of the Department, members of the House Staff, and appropriate individuals representing the major departments/divisions that interact with Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health, basic science researchers, and appropriate representatives of the hospitals.

Advertising

The individual selected may either be an internal or external candidate. To identify candidates I ask that an appropriate phone and mail campaign be undertaken. In addition, please run appropriate advertising in journals or websites for two to three months.

The process

• Allow 6 to 12 weeks to receive letters of nomination or applications with accompanying CV’s.
• Check references.
• Conduct at least two rounds of interviews. I believe it is appropriate, as a matter of courtesy, to offer all internal candidates at least a first round interview.  Several internal candidates have already been recommended to me. 
• The committee chair and/or I will actively seek outside candidates who we believe merit the committee’s evaluation.  This may include “reverse site visits.”
• By November 1, 2010, and earlier if possible, please provide me with a list of four or five finalists, unranked. Under no circumstances include anyone on this list whom the committee would not feel comfortable being offered the job.
• The last meeting of your committee should be with me where members of the committee will have the opportunity to discuss the final list.

My thanks to the group for being willing to serve.

Edward C. Halperin, M.D., M.A., FACR
Dean of the School of Medicine