It is my understanding that it is generally not been customary for the Dean to supply a written charge to search committees.  In my opinion this is a custom which ought not to continue.  Clearly provided instructions to the search committee are likely to facilitate your work and achieve a work product, for the school, which will match our expectations.  To this end, I provide the following charge to the Search Committee for the Endowed Professorship in Urban Health Policy of the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

The Job Description

You are seeking an individual to hold the Endowed Chair/Distinguished Scholar in Urban Health Policy.  Your view of this individual’s area of scholarship should be broad.  It might encompass disciplines such as drug policy, gang violence, urban environmental pollution, healthcare disparities, environmental contributors to childhood disease, the interface of urban design and planning with health, the law and health, or taxation policy.  I can envision that the individual’s academic training could have taken place in a school of medicine, public health, law, health policy, public policy, or graduate school.  The successful candidate might possess any one or combination of the following degrees: Ph.D., M.D., M.P.H., D.P.H., M.P.P, M.M.M., J.D., and Ll.D.  You are seeking an academic leader who will fulfill the public advocacy roles, education, and research missions associated with this Chair.  Furthermore, good negotiating skills will be important to deal with the multiple pulls and tugs related to such a position from advocacy groups, governmental bodies, and the university. 

The specific wording of the charitable gift agreement, pertinent to your search, is as follows:
“The gift is made for the purpose of establishing The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky Endowment Fund (hereinafter referred as “Fund”) in support of an endowed Chair/ Distinguished Scholar in Urban Health Policy at the University of Louisville School of Medicine to support health policy research and development with an emphasis on urban health... The focus of the work of the Chair/Distinguished Scholar shall be in the area of urban health policy in concert with the University of Louisville Institute for Bioethics, Health Policy and Law.  The Chair/Distinguished Scholar and the Donor will mutually agree on specific research endeavors, including interdisciplinary research within the University of Louisville and with other research partners outside of the University.  Interaction with health consumer groups, provider organizations, and legislative committees is also anticipated.  The Chair/Distinguished Scholar shall attend the annual meeting and any other major public forums held by the Donor or its Community Advisory Committee to present an overview of the Chair/Scholar’s work and otherwise participate in the work of the Donor to develop and influence the health policy debate in the Commonwealth of Kentucky… These activities will be accomplished by close and ongoing collaboration and dialogue among the Donor, the Chair/Distinguished Scholar in Urban Health Policy at the University of Louisville, and the Chair/Distinguished Scholar in Rural Health Policy at the University of Kentucky.  The work of the Chair/Distinguished Scholar in Urban Health Policy shall complement, inform and assist the overall work of the Donor as a participant in the debate on health policy that leads to cohesive, integrative health care delivery in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  The duties and responsibilities of the Chair/ Distinguished Scholar will be defined by the Vice President for Health Affairs and the Dean of the School of Medicine and the Director of the University of Louisville Institute for Bioethics, Health Policy and Law in close consultation with the Donor.  Periodic evaluation of the Chair/Distinguished Scholar will be made by the Vice President for Health Affairs and the Dean of the School of Medicine and the Director of the Institute in a manner consistent with University policy and in consultation with the Donor...  The Chair/Distinguished Scholar shall be appointed for a period not to exceed five years and may be reappointed based on performance.”

A special role for the individual possessing this chair is that of serving as a public intellectual.  The successful candidate ought to be prepared to testify before state governmental bodies in Frankfort, federal agencies in Washington, and make a contribution in shaping public opinion via op-ed articles in the newspapers and public lectures. 

It is important to have a broad view regarding the academic departmental home of the successful candidate.  While this is clearly an endowed chair within the School of Medicine, the determination of which department or departments the individual should reside in, whether the individual should have a primary academic appointment in the School of Medicine and a secondary academic appointment in another school, and which, if any, institute(s), they should be members of will be determined by the qualification of the individuals you identify.  You are not constrained to identify individuals who will be a full professor.  If you identify a promising scholar who would be most appropriately ranked at the level of assistant or associate professor, I ask you to be open to such a possibility. 

I would ask you to bear in mind that we are growing and nurturing a program in the medical humanities at the School of Medicine.  An individual who can provide some instruction to medical students in urban health policy, correlative areas of bioethics, and similar disciplines is highly desirable. 

In any economic undertaking, including the selection of endowed chairs, you must consider the allocation of resources “compared to alternatives.”  The School of Medicine has several major commitments either ongoing or upcoming.  We must identify new chairs of neurology and biochemistry as well as a vice dean for research.  It is likely that another two to three major chairs will be vacated in the next few years.  This being the case, we will have to be good stewards of limited resources. 

Interviews

I ask the committee to conduct a series of interviews with key stakeholders during the selection of this individual. 

Please be sure to interview the current holder of the chair Professor Palmer, Professor Doukas, and any appropriate individuals you’ve identified who represent the major schools, departments, divisions, or institutes that will interact with this chair. 

Advertising

Individuals selected maybe either internal or external candidates.  To identify candidates I ask that an appropriate phone and mail campaign be undertaken.  In addition, please run appropriate advertising in journals or on websites for two to three months.  I ask you to be mindful of the expense of print advertising in view of the fact that it is now quite debatable as to whether or not the standard advertisements in print journals remain useful tools in identifying candidates. 

The Process

•    Allow ten to twelve weeks to receive letters of nomination or applications with accompanying CVs after you post the position. 

•    Check references.

•    Conduct one or 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. 

•    By February 1, 2008, and earlier if possible, please provide me with a list of two to four 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 wherein members of the committee will have the opportunity to discuss the final list. 

My thanks to the group for being willing to serve on this important committee. 


E.C. Halperin, MD, MA, FACR