University of Utah Health - 2023 System Summary

TRANSFORMING HEALTH OVERVIEW AND SYSTEM SUMMARY

MESSAGE FROM THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

Institutions do not accomplish great things—it is the people in them who do. And the people of University of Utah Health are changing the training, practice, and delivery of health care in profound and meaningful ways.

U of U Health is full of remarkable leaders, teams, and individuals who continuously help patients conquer health challenges and learners master their educational programs—all while advancing the research and discoveries that lead to improvements in both. As a system and an organization, we are deeply committed to the health and wellness of our faculty, students, and staff, as well as of our community.

This is one of the strongest, most collegial public academic health centers in the nation. With tripartite missions of clinical care, research, and education all reporting to a single office, U of U Health is nimbler than many of our peers. We have a tremendous opportunity to serve our communities and region by working across our health system to innovate care that is accountable for outcomes, produce groundbreaking research, and develop novel educational models all in an inclusive culture of well-being and belonging.

Here in Utah, we share a deep belief in our core missions of patient care, research, education, and service to our communities. With a university campus co-located alongside the health system, we can positively collaborate with our communities and society at large. We were elected to the prestigious Association of American Universities in 2019 as a recognition of the world-class faculty, increasing research funding, and exceptional student outcomes at the University of Utah.

More importantly though, we share a deep belief in the people of U of U Health. I believe that when each of us works each day to help others achieve their success, a unique and powerful energy is unleashed that drives us forward in amazing ways. It is my privilege to work for the impressive faculty and staff at U of U Health—to be a part of an energized community on an impressive trajectory of excellence to improve health and quality of life in the state, region, nation, and world.

Michael L. Good, MD Chief Executive Officer, University of Utah Health Executive Dean, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine

A. Lorris Betz Senior Vice President for Health Sciences

01 00 02 ADMINISTRATION & LEADERSHIP

ORG CHART » ADMINISTRATION & LEADERSHIP

MICHAEL GOOD

Chief Executive Officer, University of Utah Health

Executive Dean, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine A. Lorris Betz Senior Vice President for Health Sciences

SAM FINLAYSON AVP, Clinical Affairs

RACHEL HESS AVP, Research

PILAR VARELA Director, Operations & Logistics

WENDY HOBSON-ROHRER AVP, Education

DAN LUNDERGAN CEO, Hospitals and Clinics

JO RUDD Executive Assistant

GRANT LASSON AVP, Strategy

MARY BECKERLE AVP, Cancer Affairs

JOSÉ RODRÍGUEZ AVP, Health Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion

BRIAN SHIOZAWA AVP, Health Policy

ROBYN REYNOLDS Chief Marketing Communications Officer

MARIKA JONES Chief Philanthropy Officer

KELLY TAPPENDEN Dean, College of Health

AMY LOCKE Chief Wellness Officer

ROBERT FUJINAMI AVP, Faculty

RANDALL PETERSON Dean, College of Pharmacy

MARLA DE JONG Dean, College of Nursing

WYATT RORY HUME Dean, School of Dentistry

CATALINA OCHOA Senior Director, Finance SARAH WILSON Senior Director, Human Resource Management

CHAD WESTOVER CEO, Health Plans

WAYNE SAMUELSON Dean, Medical Education

STEVE PANISH Asst VP, Capital Programs & Space Mgmt

CATHERINE SOEHNER Director, Eccles Health Sciences Library

MISSION »

University of Utah Health serves the people of Utah and beyond by continually improving individual and community health and quality of life. This is achieved through excellence in patient care, education, and research. Each is vital to our mission, and each makes the others stronger.

» We provide compassionate care without compromise.

» We educate scientists and health care professionals for the future.

» We engage in research to advance knowledge and well-being.

VISION »

A patient-centered health care organization distinguished by collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect.

VALUES »

» Compassion

» Collaboration

» Innovation

» Responsibility

» Diversity

» Integrity

» Quality

» Trust

CEO U OF U HEALTH

Clinical Strategy Group

UUHC Board Hospitals and Clinics

Health Plans Board Health Plan

UUMG Board Medical Group (Faculty Practice)

SVPHS HEALTH SCIENCES

SVPHS Cabinet

AVP Research Finance Council

HS Deans Council

Institute/Center Director Council AVP Education AVP Clinical AVP Faculty

EXEC DEAN

SPENCER FOX ECCLES SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

SFESOM Executive Committee

SFESOM Department Chairs

Vice Dean Research

Dean Medical Education

Vice Dean Education Vice Dean Faculty Vice Dean Finance

HEALTH SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL

The Health Sciences Research Council is led by key stakeholders throughout U of U Health. The council engages with faculty and leaders within the schools and colleges to determine strategies for the future, creating better synergy between basic and translational research.

HEALTH SCIENCES EDUCATION EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

The Health Sciences Education Executive Council promotes strategic educational alignment, advances education technology, and fosters educational impact and transformation. Council membership includes educational leaders from every health science academic unit and the Office of the Senior Vice President.

Misha Bradford DPT

Ken Johnson MD, MS

Nena Schvaneveldt MLIS

Gretchen Case PhD

James Keddington DDS

Janet Shaw PhD

Leigh Elrod PA-C, MPAS

Sara Lamb MD

Kathy Wilets MPA

Lea Erickson DDS, MSPH

Madeline Lassche DNP

Rebecca Wilson PhD, RN

Karen Gunning PharmD

Grant Lasson MBA

Mark Harris MDCHB, MPH

Gwen Latendresse PhD, CNM, FACNM

James Herron PhD

Amy Locke MD, FAAFP

Chris Hill DPhil

Justin Rigby PhD, ATC

MD

AMANDA BAKIAN Co-director, Women in Health, Medicine, & Science

HOLLY SHARP Co-director, Women in Health, Medicine, & Science

JOSÉ RODRÍGUEZ AVP, U of U Health Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion

6 SCHOOL/COLLEGE EDI LEADERS

KOLA OKUYEMI Exec. Director, EDI Huntsman Cancer Institute

ABDULKHALIQ BARBAAR Director, U of U Health Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion

TBD Senior Director, Health Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion

HEALTH EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

University of Utah Health strives to create an inclusive climate of belonging throughout our system as we address health inequities within our institution and communities. Listening to and working with the health science colleges, schools, hospitals, clinics, libraries, institutes, and centers to resolve unconscious biases, microaggressions, and inequitable advancement of women and historically excluded individuals in our educational and health care systems is at the forefront of our work. The path forward aligns our efforts with those of the larger university.

We organize our work using the four Ds of diversity: Deliberate—The journey toward diversity is fueled by intentionality; Disruptive—Becoming a more diverse institution requires non-conventional thinking and a willingness to look for new approaches; Directed—The path toward diversity requires focus on specific groups; and Desirable—As we become a more diverse team, we become smarter and create higher value.

We strive to make equity, diversity, and inclusion individual commitments for all employees and learners associated with University of Utah Health.

ACTION ITEMS 2022

U of U Health continues to increase employee engagement through affinity groups, deepen connections with the Spanish speakers in Utah, and expand the Basic Needs Center. New expertise within our communication teams has expanded our presence in Spanish-speaking media throughout Utah. And MyChart, U of U Health's patient portal, is now available in Spanish. Among U of U Health's most significant EDI developments has been the recent formation of the Health Sciences Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Executive Council. This council, composed of titled EDI officers and others, has helped identify and shape strategic directed steps for the future. It has also been

instrumental in implementing several important EDI-related goals:

• Seven EDI leaders from University of Utah Health completed the Healthcare Executive Diversity and Inclusion Certificate (HEDIC) program offered by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

• Special EDI training modules are being created for use across the health system.

• EDI leaders across campus developed a self-study tool to help us explore the climate for diversity within U of U Health.

• Functioning EDI committees have been established in academic and clinical units across our campus. They are empowered to implement reforms in their respective units.

• Several U of U Health entities participated in the Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, and Equity (DICE) Inventory survey developed by the AAMC. The survey showed us where we excel and helped us identify areas for improvement. It provided valuable direction for policy corrections and working with stakeholders across campus.

WIDENING EDI'S REACH

U of U Health was recently designated as an AgeFriendly Health System by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

Since early 2022, working with geriatrics scholars and clinicians across the health sciences, we identified areas in which our work overlapped. For instance, Latin women have one of the highest life expectancies in the U.S. As such, our work in anti-ageism may be more applicable to people in that community. Our experience combating other forms of discrimination has been useful in our anti-ageism campaigns. We are excited by this new partnership.

Recently, U of U Health has seen a surge in EDI-related scholarship. One highlight is “Towards a Common Lexicon of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion terms in Academic Medicine.” This manuscript is a glossary of terms used in EDI work, with many first proposed by U of U scholars.

Annals of Family Medicine, the world’s leading primary care journal, published four articles by U of U Health scholars, including editorials and implementation of high-quality primary care using a health equity lens. These articles already have multiple citations. A complete list of recent publications can be found online: uofuhealth.utah.edu/inclusion/resources/research-scholarship.

U of U Health remains committed and optimistic in our efforts to enhance diversity and belonging in our institution and elsewhere. Utah is a special place. Our core identity of supporting each other has never been more evident.

ORG CHART » WELLNESS

AMY LOCKE Chief Wellness Officer Exec. Director, Resiliency Center

WHITNEY WERNER Director, Administration Health Sciences

15 WELL-BEING LEADERS IN 8 DEPARTMENTS 120+ WELLNESS CHAMPIONS

Director of Research

Medical Advisor

PEAK Director & Education Director

Employer Wellness Program Manager

MAXFIELD Clinical Operations Manager

CALL Resiliency Center Director

Mobile Health Operations Manager

CREATING A CULTURE OF WELLNESS

The Osher Center for Integrative Health (OCIH) exists to facilitate personal and professional wellbeing across campus and our community.

PERSONAL WELL-BEING

The ability to understand how psychological and physical health interact is critical to preventing and treating disease. Personal well-being work at OCIH focuses on a whole person approach to health that takes advantage of all available tools to prevent and treat disease with a focus on the foundations of health: food, movement, sleep, and connection. These foundations, along with other social determinants of health, impact an individual’s ability to manage stress, which impacts well-being.

PROFESSIONAL WELL-BEING

OCIH shares a vision for the future where people consistently feel seen, heard, and valued by the organization and consistently find meaning in their work. The U of U Health Resiliency Center leads system strategy to address opportunities for individuals, teams, and leaders to impact the well-being of those who work, learn, and receive care at U of U Health.

In addition to providing support when traumatic events happen, the Resiliency Center works to change the longstanding culture of health care that has minimized the need to care for ourselves in order to care for others. It focuses on building a connected community of support that has the tools needed to change the system, embracing a culture of value and safety.

In service of U of U Health’s clinical, educational, research, and community collaboration missions, OCIH aims to:

• Define and deliver on high-quality, integrative health and wellness services to University of Utah employee and patient populations.

• Cultivate a wellness culture and community in support of an exceptional workplace at the University of Utah.

• Reduce chronic disease burden across the state of Utah through prevention and outreach, with a focus on whole person health for underserved communities.

• Coordinated systematic approach to health promotion and disease prevention across campus.

WELLNESS INITIATIVES AND HIGHLIGHTS

In 2022, The Osher Center for Integrative Health team facilitated numerous initiatives across the health system to infuse wellness, well-being, and belonging into the culture of the organization.

• Wellness & Integrative Health received a $5 million endowment from the Bernard Osher Foundation, joined the Osher Collaborative, and rebranded to the Osher Center for Integrative Health.

• The Resiliency Center received a $2.96 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to strengthen U of U Health programs and services and evaluate the impact the Resiliency Center has in the lives of health care workers; to further develop crisis-response and peersupport programs; and to expand professional well-being work to rural areas across the region.

• The Wellness Bus regularly serves six local communities by providing disease screenings, coaching on health behavior change, and addressing social determinants of health free of charge to high-risk individuals. The Driving Out Diabetes Initiative, which supports the mobile health programs, received a $3 million matching grant from the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation.

• Food Pharmacy pilot was launched in partnership with Nutrition Care Services at the Sugar House and Redwood Health Centers to address food insecurity and nutrition.

• Lifestyle consultants help patients achieve sustained health behavior change. After an initial consult with a lifestyle trained physician, patients are connected to health behavior experts in a variety of fields.

• PEAK Health and Fitness continues to integrate health students into programs to improve the lives of employees and patients while training the next generation of health care professionals.

• Osher Center for Integrative Health has represented U of U Health nationally in a number of venues, including collaborations with National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience, AMA’s Joy in Medicine, American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s Health System’s Council, Teaching Kitchen Collaborative, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Research Working Group on Whole Person Health, and Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health.

EXCEPTIONAL EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

In 2023, U of U Health formally launched the Exceptional Employee Experience (E2X) initiative. E2X is a long-term strategy for professional fulfillment that fosters authentic connection, cohesion, and community across our entire workforce. We are improving professional wellness by focusing on the domains of creating a culture of wellness, valuing personal well-being, and redesigning our systems to optimize workload and efficiency of work. The initiative is led by a Well-Being Steering Committee (WSC), who inform and guide broader employee and student experience efforts across all our missions.

For 2023, E2X objectives include:

• Developing a unified listening strategy by creating methodologies for collecting and analyzing employee experience data.

• Fostering authentic alignment through community building. We seek to create social cohesion, connection, and community as an organization.

• Building systems for resilience, synthesizing the lessons we learned during the COVID-19 pandemic to respond to occupational trauma proactively.

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HEALTH HISTORY

The University of Utah’s health care legacy started in 1905, when its two-year medical program began with only 14 students, six professors, and a meager $10,000 budget. In 1910, the Carnegie Foundation’s Flexner Report gave the school an excellent assessment. Spurred by the glowing report, the program

became a separate, two-year medical school in 1912. In 1942, it became a four-year school and recruited faculty from prominent and established national institutions. One of those recruits was renowned Johns Hopkins University hematologist Maxwell Wintrobe, MD, PhD. Two years after his arrival, the National Institutes of

ADVANCING HEALTH AND SCIENCE

U OF U HEALTH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY MEDICAL FIRSTS:

Utah’s first openheart surgery (Russell M. Nelson, MD’47, PhD)

1955

Region’s first neonatal intensive care unit

1968

World’s largest population database, Utah Population Database, established

1977

Nation’s first wearable artificial kidney (Willem Kolff, MD, PhD)

1979

1945

Nation’s first National Institutes of Health research grant (Maxwell Wintrobe, MD, PhD)

1964

Nation’s first biomedical informatics department, pioneering evidence-based clinical care 1976

Region’s first and only American Burn Association Verified Center established

1982

World’s first total artificial heart transplant. (William DeVries, MD’70)

Region’s first neonatal intensive care unit

Health awarded him its first-ever research grant, a $100,000 award to study hereditary and metabolic disorders.

Faculty and student clinical activities were conducted primarily at the Salt Lake County General Hospital until 1965, when University Medical Center opened its doors. Growth in

World’s first identification of BRCA1 (breast cancer and ovarian cancer gene). More than 50 additional genes discovered since.

Utah’s first level 1 trauma center established

Certified as region’s first primary stroke center

scale and reputation has continued decade by decade, keeping up with the regional demand for health care services. Advances in clinical care, research, and education at University of Utah Health continue to build an institution that is now a recognized leader locally, regionally, and nationally.

World’s first comprehensive map of the retina’s neuron (Moran Eye Center)

Dedication of Huntsman Mental Health Institute 1994

Huntsman Cancer Institute founded by Jon M. Huntsman and Ray White, PhD 2001

2004

2011

2020

Mario Capecchi, PhD, awarded Nobel Prize in Physiology of Medicine

First in-human clinical trial of Percutaneous Osseointegrated Prosthesis (POP) device

First COVID-19 vaccine administered in Utah

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HEALTH TODAY

University of Utah Health is the only academic health center in Utah and provides patient care for the people of Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, western Colorado, and much of Nevada. It also serves as the training ground for the majority of the state’s physicians, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, and other health care professionals.

With an annual budget of $5.3 billion (FY22), U of U Health is comprised of:

• Five hospitals and 12 community health care centers

• University of Utah Medical Group with 2,000 members

• Highly-ranked $458 million research enterprise (FY22)

• Six schools and colleges, including the Colleges of Health, Nursing, and Pharmacy, the School of Dentistry, the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, and the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine

• 282,000 member health plan, offering medical, mental health, and pharmacy benefits for employer groups, individuals, and families, as well as Medicare and Medicaid

• ARUP Laboratories, one of the nation’s largest reference laboratories

• Numerous institutes and centers reflecting the health system’s strengths in oncology, cardiology, diabetes treatment, genetics, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, neuroscience, psychiatry, precision medicine, population health, global health, and more.

Excellence in patient care, education, and research—all in service to the community—is vital to our overall mission. Staffed by more than 24,000 employees, U of U Health is recognized nationally as a transformative health care system and regionally as a provider of world-class care.

4,548

2.2M

1,462

STRATEGY 2025

Together as One U, we serve communities and the region, advance equity, diversity, and inclusion, lead education and discovery, and innovate care accountable for outcomes.

THE NEED

DEEPER TIES

with people we se rve to solve increasingly co mpl ex health challenges

NEW SOL UTIONS

to transform the valu e and outcomes of health care for all pe ople

OR

EX

GA

NI ZATI ONAL

CELLENC

E to ensure we achieve our missions and sustainably re ach our full pote nt ial

OU R RESPONSE WH AT IT ME AN S

We crea te our highes t valu e wo rkin g as on e te am: On e U. We ma ke changes to get her to deli ve r everincreasing va lue and to re ach ou r full pote nt ial. Ou r shared gove rnan ce emphas izes and incent ivizes th e creation of valu e.

SE RVE CO MMUNITIES & TH E REGION

EQ UITY, DIVE RS IT Y, & INCLUSION

EDUC ATION ON E U

DIS COVERY

As th e preeminent universi ty and health system in the Mountain We st, we enthusiastically embrace ou r responsibilit y to us e ou r dive rs e intellec tual , economic, and health resource s fo r th e good of all.

We eradicate sexism , racism , and bias to enable health equity in ou r co m munit y and e qui ty, dive rsit y, and inclusion in our institution.

We el evate th e influen ce of te aching and training throug h ou r strong education co mmunit y. Ac ti ve co llaboration and engagement build student kn ow ledg e and sk ill and prepare them to lead in a rapidly changing wo rld.

We improve health by advancing biomedical discoveries, innovation, and health care prac tices. Weaving discover y through all we do amplifies the impact and pace of our combined work and fur ther

INNOVATE CA RE

ACCO UNTA BLE FO R OUTCOMES

We co nt inually reimagine and innova te our unmatched ca re to make it even better fo r patients and prov i ders. Ou r uniq ue approach ma ke s us th e health system patients prefer and the p lace prov ider s stay fo r thei r care e rs.

Universi ty of Utah Health is firml y es ta blishe d as on e of th e nation’s highest-value academic health

as a national leader in care that is acco unta bl e fo r ou tcomes

ONE U

We are a high-performing health system and university. We create our highest value when we work together. Rapid changes in the environment require that we make decisions quickly and act nimbly. We organize to create new value, solve grand challenges, and reach our full potential as an integrated, high-performing organization. Shared governance helps us make correct decisions and carry them out together. We listen to our patients and employees to gain knowledge from the point of care. As one university, we are both the University of Utah and the University for Utah, achieving excellence in our missions, ensuring vitality for Utah and the region, and serving as a model for the nation.

Academic Locations

Communit y & Economic Engagement

U of U Health Clinics, A liates, and Partners

SERVE COMMUNITIES & THE REGION

University of Utah Health serves Utah and the Mountain West as care providers, educators, researchers, partners, advocates, and more. We are an anchor institution in our community. We will further the impact of our work in these roles by connecting our efforts and prioritizing service to communities and people. Service is foundational to our mission to advance health. Communities, partners, and people make us who we are, and we are fully invested in their health, wellness, and success.

EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

Members of the University of Utah community are determined to research, challenge, and eradicate systemic sexism, racism, and bias and the resultant health disparities. We proactively and creatively develop institutional actions, policies, and funding mechanisms that support the U's ongoing commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Addressing these issues will improve outcomes for all patients, creating equity among historically marginalized groups, including: Black or African Americans, American Indian or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders, Latinx [Hispanic or Latino], Southeast Asians, LGBTQ+ community, differently abled and disabled people, women, and other excluded populations. We want to be a campus of choice for learning and employment.

INCLUSIO N

Though ts , ideas, an d perspe ct ive of al li ndividuals ma tt er

Multiple identities represent ed in an organiza tion

EDUCATION

We are driven by a central vision of an exceptional educational experience for all students across all University of Utah Health colleges and schools. Through collaboration and a strong education community, we build student knowledge, skills, and attitudes. We strive for educational impact and transformation. Our educational programs actively engage communities, help address their needs, and prepare students to thrive in real-world environments. We train tomorrow’s health care experts and leaders to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

DISCOVERY

We improve human health for all by advancing biomedical discoveries, innovation, and health care practices. Weaving discovery through all we do ampli fies the impact and pace of our combined work and further differentiates us as a leading academic health system.

INNOVATE CARE

We tailor services to the specifi c needs of each patient and seamlessly move them through our health system. Care is sensitive to patient time and money and is available close to (or at) home with little to no wait. Routine care is often handled virtually on-demand. Growth is sustainable for providers. Care roles are top-of-license and team-based. Diverse, talented professionals come here and stay for their careers.

PATIENT SATISFACTION SCORES

All facility national benchmarks for University of Utah Health providers

Patient Experience Team, University of Utah Health, January 2023

HEALTH

6.8K

Utahns Screened for Chronic Diseases (Driving Out Diabetes)

$192.8M

Raised in Community Philanthropic Support

29K Under-Resourced Dental Patient Visits Statewide in 2022

EDUCATION

44.8K Utahns Taught Diabetes Prevention and Management

105 Clerkships Completed by Medical Students in Rural/Under-Resourced Areas of Utah, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming (RUUTE)

$193.3M

Provided in

SOCIAL

175.6K

Calls and Outreach Contacts via HMHI Community Crisis Services and SafeUT

419.4K

Meals Donated for Meals to Heal Food Drive (2022)

ENVIRONMENT

2022 Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Award (U of U Hospital)

2022 American Society for Health Care Engineering Energy to Care Award (Farmington Health Center – saved 47% natural gas and 29% electricity)

Took Health and Human Services Climate Pledge in 2022

PARTNERING FOR COMMUNITY IMPACT

POPULATION HEALTH SCHOLARS PROGRAM

Intermountain Health and U of U Health jointly developed a new medical educational program to train the next generation of physicians in population health. Trainees benefit from rigorous academic training in preventive care and population health concepts with real-world application from the two largest health care providers in the region. The first cohort of 11 students started in 2021, followed by a second cohort of 10 students in 2022. The program covers 50 percent of tuition expenses for every student selected. After residency, program scholars are guaranteed employment with Intermountain Health.

In 2022, Karyn Springer, MD, was appointed the assistant dean for Intermountain Population Health Clinical Learning at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine to develop firsthand population health learning experiences, including clinical rotations and mentorship for scholars in the program.

As each cohort of population health scholars completes its training and goes into practice, rural and historically marginalized communities will receive greater access to the care they need.

CARNEGIE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CLASSIFICATION

In 2020, the University of Utah became one of 359 U.S. colleges and universities to hold the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, an elective designation that indicates institutional commitment to community collaboration. This classification was awarded following a rigorous process of self-study by each institution and assessed by a national review committee.

Every 10 years, the Carnegie Foundation evaluates community collaboration in several dimensions. The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification has been the leading framework for institutional assessment and recognition of community collaboration in U.S. higher education for the past 14 years with regular classification cycles. The University of Utah received initial designation in 2010 and again in 2020.

HEALTHCARE ANCHOR NETWORK

U of U Health recognizes the importance of working side by side with communities to address social, economic, and environmental disparities. In 2019, we joined the Healthcare Anchor Network (HAN), a group of more than 70 hospitals and health systems across the country that collaborate to build inclusive, local economies.

In 2023, U of U Health signed HAN's Impact Workforce Commitment to align our hiring and workforce power with our clinical and community efforts to improve societal health and wellbeing. This alignment addresses critical workforce shortages with expanded and sustainable talent pathways. It also maximizes our community impact by focusing on local communities and populations that experience the greatest health disparities.

CO-CREATING WITH OUR COMMUNITITES

At University of Utah Health, we believe it’s essential to partner with populations to improve individual and community health and quality of life across Utah and the region. As the only academic medical center in Utah, we want to leverage our research, clinical, and educational expertise to join in health-based conversations within the community. We also aim to bring community perspectives into the rooms where decisions are happening at the health system level.

As U of U Health continues to expand to serve a growing and ever-changing population, we have to listen and respond to their priorities. When making decisions within the health system, we should always consider: How is this going to impact the community? What do they perceive as their biggest opportunities to improve health in their communities?

PARTNERING WITH WEST VALLEY COMMUNITIES

The University of Utah and U of U Health are committed to building a new model of engagement and partnership with local communities. West Valley is the second largest city in the state and one of the most diverse and thriving. We have a unique opportunity to partner with and learn from the community to plan and build a hospital and health center.

Since 2021, we have convened more than 150 meetings with community residents. West Valley area residents and city and community nonprofit leaders participate in the West Valley Steering Committee (monthly) and the Westside Community United Resident Committee (bi-weekly). We have also hosted events with the community to gather feedback on the design of the hospital and health center. And we meet frequently with neighbors most impacted by the construction to hear their concerns and answer questions.

Together, we are creating solutions to improve quality of life, increase access to health care and higher education, and change health outcomes. In addition to creating spaces for ongoing community input, we established structures to ensure community input is built into decision-making bodies at the university and U of U Health.

The 21-acre U West Valley site will eventually house around 250 health care providers and create as many as 2,000 jobs. The goal is to create and hire a local workforce. To do this, the university is developing education pathways that lead to credentials, degrees, higher education, and careers. These programs will focus on helping students from West Valley communities enter health-related careers ranging from community health workers to physicians and will be available for students of all ages and life stages.

COMMUNITY-RESEARCHER COLLABORATIONS

Research is strengthened and better meets community interests and needs when community members are consulted throughout all stages of a research study, from needs assessment to research design, recruitment strategies, data interpretation, and returning results to the community. For 15 years, the Community Faces of Utah (CFU) collaborative has been providing consultations to investigators and collaborating with them on research studies. This community-academic health partnership includes leaders from several organizations serving diverse communities in the Salt Lake Valley, including Best of Africa, Calvary Baptist Church, the Hispanic Health Care Task Force, and the National Tongan American Society, as well as Utah Department of Health staff, and faculty and staff of the University of Utah.

CFU input, feedback, and collaboration includes the perspectives of diverse communities, addressing health inequities and increasing research participation by members of communities who have historically been underrepresented in research. During 2020-2022, more than 40 investigators consulted with CFU, gaining valuable input on their research designs, recruitment strategies, and approaches for sharing research outcomes with participants and communities.

ADDRESSING HEALTH INEQUITY

SETTING COMMUNITY HEALTH PRIORITIES

Community collaboration is our opportunity to prioritize the needs of those we serve. Every three years, U of U Health engages with civic leaders, other local health care systems, nonprofits, and residents to conduct the Community Health Needs Assessment and set priorities the health system can address in partnership with the community. Utilizing this invaluable resource at all levels of our health system is key to realizing the full impact we can have on improving the health and wellbeing of the communities we serve.

In 2023, U of U Health released its 2021-2023 Community Health Needs Assessment Completion Report and its 2023-2026 Implementation Plan. The goals outlined in the Implementation Plan intentionally align with our Health Sciences System Strategy.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REPORT CARD

In 2022, U of U Health was recognized for its excellent performance on social responsibility, receiving an “A” Grade on the Lown Institute Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility. This index is the first ranking to measure social responsibility of more than 3,600 U.S. hospitals nationwide. Lown evaluates 54 metrics of health equity, value of care, and patient outcomes using publicly available data. In addition to a perfect social responsibility grade, Lown ranked U of U Health No. 1 in Utah for value of care and patient outcomes.

IMPROVING RACE AND ETHNICITY DATA QUALITY

To provide effective patient-centered care for our community, we must have better data. Reliable data—especially racial, ethnic, linguistic, sexual orientation, and gender identity data—lets us provide more compassionate and culturally responsive care. In 2023, to reduce the percentage of “unknown” or “other” data entries in our patient population, U of U Health expanded its list of racial and ethnic identities. We partnered with groups across the system and refugee/New American service organizations to identify the top countries of origin for New Americans in Utah. The Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake guided us to the names of Indigenous groups in their respective language. Patients can now self-select from more than 90 options when they complete demographic information during registration. The list is not exhaustive. We are developing a process to manage additions and subtractions.

POPULATION HEALTH CENTER

In 2023, U of U Health opened a Population Health Center to address unmet needs driving health disparities in historically excluded and under-resourced areas—particularly in Rose Park and West Valley. U of U Health’s existing Intensive Outpatient Clinic for high-risk adults with Medicaid is relocating to the center, expanding to 200 patients. Other programs and services available at the center include:

• Newcomer Health Clinic for Utah’s New American, migrant, and immigrant populations

• Rose Park student-involved clinic

• Integrated oral and mental health services

• University Neighborhood Partners

• Future plans for a high-risk clinic for pregnant people with Medicaid

In keeping with his vision for unsurpassed societal impact, U President Taylor Randall charged U of U Health’s Population Health team with using this space as a model for advancing population health across West Valley communities and eventually the entire state of Utah.

U OF U HEALTH PLANS – HEALTH EQUITY OUTREACH

Two years ago, the Outreach Team at U of U Health Plans (UUHP) conducted focus groups with the intention of learning how UUHP can improve and better serve the community. As a result, UUHP formed an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee with these objectives:

• Hire with an eye toward diversity and inclusion

• Improve customer service, specifically for Spanish speakers

• Improve cultural sensitivity

• Increase communications in other languages

In 2022, the EDI Committee created brief “What Is Health Insurance?” videos in 13 languages, conducted our Medicaid member education meetings in Spanish, created a Spanish web page, added a transportation benefit for New American Healthy U Medicaid members, distributed the Healthy U Medicaid newsletter in multiple languages, and rolled out a paid internship for applicants from historically excluded and under-resourced communities.

RURAL HEALTH CARE

Expanding access to high-quality, affordable health care in rural, tribal, and medically underresourced communities throughout the region is integral to our missions and training curriculum.

Rural & Underserved Utah Training Experience (RUUTE)

The Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine's Rural & Underserved Utah Training Experience (RUUTE) & Regional Affairs program addresses the shortage of medical resources and is committed to training physicians to meet this need. Several community collaboration programs such as the Undergraduate Ambassador program and the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) provide undergraduate students from rural/under-resourced areas of Utah, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming the opportunity to conduct research on the University of Utah campus and engage in their local communities by teaching middle schoolers. RUUTE also recruits rural physicians to act as clinical preceptors for University of Utah medical students. In 2022, more than 100 medical students completed rural/underresourced clinical experiences in Utah, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.

Tribal, Rural, and Underserved Medical Education (TRUE)

To address primary care physician shortages in Utah’s most under-resourced communities, the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine received a $7 million Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant in 2020. The Tribal, Rural, and Underserved Medical Education (TRUE) program is a four-year longitudinal graduate certificate that prepares medical students to practice in tribal, rural, and underserved communities. Through a partnership with the Utah Navajo Health System, TRUE trainees receive immersive clinical training in the Utah portion of the Navajo Nation. Encouraged by early successes of the TRUE program, HRSA awarded another $5.2 million in 2021 and $5.4 million in 2022 to further advance program objectives.

Rural Training in Nursing

Also funded by HRSA, the College of Nursing’s Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) program provides graduate nursing students with rural training opportunities. Upon completing their training, the college helps these primary care nurses, nurse practitioners, and certified midwives find employment in rural and under-resourced communities. The college's HRSA-funded Utah Rural Opioid Healthcare Consortium Collaborative Care Model (UROHCCCM) grant addresses substance use disorders through training and education. UROHC-CCM is a collaboration with the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, Southern Utah University, and community organizations in three rural Utah counties: Carbon, Emery, and Wayne. In 2023-2024, UROHC-CCM will train clinic workers in collaborative care management for office-based addiction treatment (particularly opioid use disorder), support community substance use disorder initiatives, and provide substance use disorder education for health professions students.

Satellite Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program in Southern Utah

In 2022, the College of Health and Utah Tech University launched a satellite DPT program

in St. George, Utah. The program brings more outreach and care to the residents of Southern Utah by recruiting students from rural communities in the surrounding area. The program admitted 14 students in the first cohort. A second cohort of 18 students begins in summer 2023. The plan is to expand to 24 students by year three. This will increase the number of DPT students to more than 70, with one-third in the St. George program.

Health and Biomedicine Internships

The Native American Research Internship (NARI) and Genomics Summer Research for Minorities (GSRM) programs, hosted by the Department of Pediatrics Research Education Office, help undergraduate students from historically excluded communities find their place in health and biomedicine. Students in the NARI and GSRM programs are completing their undergraduate research and planning to become PhD scientists, health care providers, and researchers in biotech companies. Participating in biomedical and health science research prepares NARI alumni to address health challenges faced by Native American communities. GSRM interns interact with a thriving community of scientists, physicians, and mentors that promotes diversity in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) workforce.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

We can’t have a healthy population without a healthy planet, and we know that our most vulnerable patients are most impacted by environmental health inequities.

University of Utah Health develops sustainable approaches to care that meet the health needs of people today and in future generations. We are committed to:

• Providing compassionate care in the most environmentally sound ways possible

• Preparing our facilities and care providers to be resilient in the face of climate-related changes and events

• Empowering future health care providers with education and research on sustainable health care

In 2022, Lily Griego, regional director of the Department of Health and Human Services, visited with leaders from Huntsman Cancer Institute, Huntsman Mental Health Institute, and U of U Health sustainability and community collaboration.

One way U of U Health is lowering our carbon footprint is through energy efficiency projects. At the Farmington Health Center, a recent pilot project put in place HVAC programming that saved energy by eliminating simultaneous heating and cooling. This project resulted in 47 percent savings in natural gas, 29 percent savings in electricity, and received an ASHE Energy to Care Award. Taking lessons learned from the pilot, this programming will be rolled out at 12 different U of U Health Hospitals and Clinics locations between 2023-2025.

LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

Surrounded by towering mountains, Salt Lake City is among the most polluted cities for shortterm particulates and ozone (American Lung Association). Polluted air is associated with negative health outcomes such as pneumonia and respiratory disease. It also contributes to increased school absences and lower test results among youth.

The U has a long history of addressing the frequent poor air quality affecting people along the Wasatch Front. It actively monitors real-time PM2.5 and NOx levels within the county and is developing an environmental dashboard to map real-time air quality at neighborhood scale.

Environmental issues and their potential economic impacts are being addressed at state levels with initiatives like Utah’s collective focus on the health of the Great Salt Lake. The state legislature convenes and financially supports the work of university and state experts to assess and provide direction to preserve this ecologically critical body of water.

DIABETES

In 2017, in partnership with the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation, U of U Health launched an interdisciplinary effort called Driving Out Diabetes (DODI), a Larry H. Miller Family Wellness Initiative to reduce the incidence of diabetes in the state of Utah and across the region. The program provides education and prevention outreach, supports innovations in clinical care, and funds new research.

DODI helps educate Utah residents of all ages about diabetes and broadens access to health information. It identifies people with a higher chance of developing diabetes and provides them with primary diabetes prevention strategies. DODI integrates and leverages strengths in the Osher Center for Integrative Health, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, College of Health, and the Diabetes and Metabolism Research Center. To date, it has served more than 200,000 Utahns. The Wellness Bus, a specially designed RV delivering chronic disease education and screening, is the flagship program of DODI, and reaches ethnically diverse and medically under-resourced Utahns across the state. During the coronavirus pandemic, the Wellness Bus tested nearly 15,000 Utahns and provided free vaccination clinics.

MENTAL HEALTH

Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI) addresses critical health dilemmas facing Utah and the nation. In 2022, HMHI saw 16,847 unique patients—63,045 visits in total—at more than 20 locations across Utah and Idaho. For years, HMHI has provided lifesaving phone crisis support to people in need. What began as the Salt Lake County crisis line in 2011 grew into the statewide Utah Crisis Line in association with the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Utah’s efforts in building an integrated crisis response system led to federal legislation for a three-digit nationwide crisis line (988) that launched in July 2022.

SafeUT grew from a crisis chat and tip app for Utah’s K-12 students, teachers, and parents to a wide-reaching system that includes the Utah System of Higher Education, the Utah National Guard (SafeUTNG), and the state’s first responders (SafeUT Frontline)—including health care workers, law enforcement officers, 911 dispatchers, fire fighters, and emergency medical services providers.

HMHI’s community-based research efforts include cooperative work with programs like SafeUT, Occupational Trauma with the Unified Fire Authority, and the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.

SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS

Treating substance use disorders begins with prevention. U of U Health offers 13 locations where patients can conveniently dispose of unused prescription medications. They safely collect and dispose of 500 pounds of unused medications every month. Other efforts likewise aim to prevent addiction or help those in recovery:

• A free 30-day recovery program helps patients with long-term treatment plans.

• The Program for Addiction Research, Clinical Care, Knowledge, and Advocacy (PARCKA) provides an interdisciplinary approach to substance use disorderrelated clinical care, advocacy, research, and education.

• The Substance Use in Pregnancy Recovery Addiction Dependence Clinic (SUPeRAD) supports mothers through addiction and recovery post-partum.

Additionally, the university's Community Physician Group’s comprehensive opioid prescribing program has drastically reduced the number of opioid prescriptions, including high-dose prescriptions. It also protects patients from being prescribed dangerous combinations of medications with opioids. Combined with a robust research effort, these and other U of U Health programs provide better alternatives for treating pain and substance use disorders.

SOCIAL NEEDS SCREENING AND SUPPORT

Social needs screening conducted during the pandemic shows that when social factors—like education, occupation, and transportation—are addressed, the health disparities impacting people of color tend to go down. Through a partnership with the College of Nursing, Emergency Department, Utah Department of Health, and United Way of Utah 2-1-1, nearly 1,700 emergency room patients were screened for social needs (July 2021-June 2022). Of those screened, 38 percent (643) had a need, with the highest needs being assistance with paying for clothing/furniture and paying utilities.

Emergency room patients who were tested for COVID-19 received a social screener through their MyChart email (July 2021-June 2022). Of the 4,390 patients screened, roughly 77 percent (3,387) had a need, primarily needing food and help paying for utilities. Of those patients, 4 percent (172) wanted to be referred to 2-1-1 for support services. 2-1-1 follows up with an average of 100 patients each month, within 48 hours of patients mentioning they need a referral.

EXPANDING ACCESS TO ORAL HEALTH SERVICES

Since its founding in 2012, the University of Utah School of Dentistry (SOD) has created one of the most innovative community-based oral health care systems in the nation. It also has the largest clinical network of any U.S. dental school— eight clinical locations across Utah from St. George to Ogden offering comprehensive dental care.

In 2022, SOD celebrated the opening of school dental clinics in Ogden and in the Rose Park area of Salt Lake City. These communities now have convenient access to oral care. Within the first few months of opening, both clinics had more than 11,000 patient visits.

RACISM IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS

After a three-year pause due to the COVID pandemic, SOD once again hosted its Give Kids A Smile event in 2023, in partnership with the Utah Dental Association, the Wasatch Front Mission, Midvale Community Building Community, and Health Access Project. Comprehensive dental care was provided cost-free to nearly 300 children in just six hours.

A new mobile dental clinic is increasing access to oral health care in rural communities across Utah. In fiscal year 2022, the mobile dental clinic facilitated 420 patient visits. Most patients are below or near the federal poverty level and uninsured.

More than 100 studies link racism to adverse health outcomes. Our society only truly thrives when everyone has an opportunity to succeed and live a healthy life. In 2021, University of Utah Health and 17 other health care systems and hospitals throughout the state declared that systemic racism is a real threat to the health of our patients, families, and communities. We are working to end oppression through selfexamination and critical thinking about implicit bias and our roles in homes, organizations, and communities.

As a member of the national Healthcare Anchor Network, U of U Health also joined 70 health systems and Washington, D.C., in a commitment to address racism and the public health disparities caused by racism.

ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION

In 2020, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute released a study showing that University of Utah's patient care, training, and research make a significant economic contribution in Utah and help people live healthier lives. Our tier 1 research institution directly and indirectly supported 47,500 jobs, $3 billion in earnings, and $3.9 billion in the Utah economy. More than a third of U of U Health's clinical revenue comes from out-of-state revenue sources, representing new money in Utah's economy.

U of U Health Economic Contribution Summary, FY2019 ($ billions)

U of U Health Revenue by Origin, FY2019

SOCIETAL IMPACT

Utah derives significant societal benefits from U of U Health that extend beyond quantifiable economic contributions. Utah’s economic output will be higher when the state’s labor force has increased access to education and health care.

U of U Health contributes to the health of the state's workforce by providing medical care to Utahns and by conducting research that leads to new health discoveries. Its training mission also contributes to the quality of labor in the Utah economy.

U of U Health prioritizes access to health care through various means, including virtual urgent care, a wellness bus, and critical care for under-resourced families and individuals. It offers financial assistance for those who are unable to cover the full cost of their care partially through these programs. It also offers a significant amount of charitable care ($193.3 million in FY22).

Theoretical Construct for Economic Growth

Source: Scott Schaefer, David Eccles School of Business, University of Utah and Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute

Team Members Providing World-Class Care for Our Community $3B

University Hospital and Clinics Budget

SOCIETAL IMPACT IN CLINICAL CARE

» Only Academic Medical Center in Utah: Serving patients in frontier, rural, and urban areas that cover 10 percent of the continental U.S., offering care in 200 specialties across five hospitals, 12 community health centers, 53 clinical outreach sites, 55 telehealth partner sites, and 22 affiliate hospitals.

» Nationally Ranked: Top 10 national ranking for 13 years in a row for quality inpatient health care among leading academic medical centers (Vizient, Quality Leadership Award). Also ranked top 10 nationally for eight years in a row for ambulatory care.

» No. 1 in Utah: For the ninth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report ranked University of Utah Hospital the top hospital in Utah. Additionally, in adult specialties, U of U Health ranks No. 10 for ophthalmology, No. 33 for cancer, and No. 50 for rehabilitation.

» Top in Patient Satisfaction: More than one-third of our clinical providers rank in the top 10 percent for patient satisfaction nationally. More than half of those are in the top 1 percent.

» High-Value Health System: Thanks to the development of an analytic cost management system, University of Utah Health has been able to control costs while improving patient care.

» Top Medicare Rating: University of Utah Hospital received a 5-out-of-5-star quality rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

» Home to Huntsman Cancer Institute: In 2020, the National Cancer Institute renewed the designation of Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) as a Comprehensive Cancer Center, the highest federal rank possible for a cancer research organization. With more than $100 million in federal and private cancer research funding in 2022, Huntsman Cancer Institute coalesces the work of more than 200 cancer research teams studying all aspects of cancer prevention, detection, and care.

» A New Era in Mental Health: In 2021, Huntsman Mental Health Institute broke ground on the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center at the future site of the HMHI Campus of Hope. The new 24/7 facility will provide immediate care at no cost to individuals. HMHI also announced plans for the Utah Mental Health Translational Research Building, a collaborative space for solving mental health challenges like suicide, child and young adult mental health, and rural mental health.

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HEALTH HOSPITALS AND CLINICS

University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics is staffed by more than 14,000 clinical and support services team members, 5,000 practicing clinicians, including more than 2,000 physicians who support five hospitals (University of Utah Hospital, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Huntsman Mental Health Institute, University Orthopaedic Center, and the Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital); 12 community health centers; 9 urgent care locations; and numerous specialty centers for cardiology, gastroenterology, men’s and women’s health, fertility services, orthopedics, surgery, neurologic conditions, and more. U of U Health physicians also provide all pediatric care through a formal affiliation agreement with Intermountain Health-operated Primary Children’s Hospital on campus.

U of U Health’s clinical care footprint covers approximately 10 percent of the continental United States, providing a Level 1 trauma center and the region’s only comprehensive burn center. Eight AirMed bases offer air transportation to care facilities within a 1,700-mile radius. A growing network of 22 affiliate hospitals and 55 telehealth partner sites further extends that reach through urban, rural, and frontier populations of the six-state Mountain West.

U of U Health Hospitals and Clinics care facilities handle 2.2 million annual patient visits. It is one of the state’s largest providers of ambulatory care services, with more than 50 general and specialty clinics for outpatients across the region. Providers and staff deliver care in nearly 200 specialties and are market leaders in bone marrow transplants, burn care, dermatology, HIV, transplants, oncology, neurology, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, plastics, psychiatry, and physical rehabilitation.

The hospitals and clinics also provide clinical training for health care providers from physical therapy to dentistry, pharmacy, occupational health, and all specialties in medicine and nursing.

FY23 OPERATIONAL PLAN

University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics continues to focus on four areas of delivering the highest value of care to our patients, community, and employees: workforce, quality and patient experience, capacity and access, and financial strength.

Workforce

• Expanding paid parental leave benefits

• Enhancing variable pay opportunities

• Initiating student debt repayment benefits

Quality & Patient Experience

• Utilizing an equity lens to develop quality improvement opportunities

• Expanding referral management projects

• Sharing aggregate patient safety data

• Improving diagnosis and treatment of mental illness

• Modernizing our patient experience data infrastructure

Capacity & Access

• Launching the Capacity Action Plan for shortand mid-term capacity gain

• Advancing the U West Valley Project

Financial Strength

• Implementing Strata, our new financial tool

• Implementing a new process for quarterly finance reviews

ORG CHART » HOSPITALS AND CLINICS EXECUTIVES

DAN LUNDERGAN Chief

Executive Officer

BRYNN HARRIS Senior Projects & Office Manager

MARIKA JONES Chief Philanthropy Officer

RYLEE CURTIS Senior Director, Community Engagement, Community Health

PHYLLIS VETTER Vice President & General Counsel, University of Utah

CHAD WESTOVER Chief Executive Officer, Health Plans

TRACEY NIXON Chief Nursing Officer

THOMAS MILLER Chief Medical Officer

CHARLTON PARK Chief Financial Officer

CHRISTIAN SHERWOOD Chief Human Resources Officer

GINA HAWLEY Chief Operating Officer DONNA ROACH Chief Information Officer

TAD MORLEY Executive Director, Network Development & Telehealth

JOHN BARRETT Executive Medical Director, CPG

U OF U HEALTH PHYSICIAN LEADERSHIP (UNIVERSITY OF UTAH MEDICAL GROUP)

MICHAEL GOOD Chair, Medical Group Chief Executive Officer, U of U Health

SAM FINLAYSON Chief Clinical Officer, Associate Vice President for Clinical Affairs

DAYLE BENSON Executive Director, Medical Group Chief of Staff for Clinical Affairs

ERICA BISSON Executive Medical Officer

MOLLY CONROY Director, Primary Care Integration

HEIDI COZART Sr. Director, Medical Group Analytics

BLAKE HAMILTON Chair, Practice Management

DAVID WEBBER Senior Director, Group Operations & Finance

PETER WEIR Executive Medical Director, Population Health

MARK ZENGER Sr. Director, Contracting & Payer Relations

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER LEADERSHIP TEAM

Bart Adams

Executive Director, Orthopaedic Center & Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital

Wayne Imbrescia Executive Director, John A. Moran Eye Center

Don Milligan

Executive Director, Huntsman Cancer Hospital

Michael Bronson Executive Director, Ambulatory Services (Interim)

Ischa Jensen Assoc. Executive Director, System Planning

Ross VanVranken Executive Director, Huntsman Mental Health Institute

CHIEF NURSING OFFICER LEADERSHIP TEAM

Rita Aguilar

Nikki Gilmore

Kavish Choudhary Chief Pharmacy Officer

Robert Kistler Executive Director, Service Lines, Ancillary, & Support Services (Interim)

CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER LEADERSHIP TEAM

Kencee Graves Assoc. CMO, Inpatient

JeanMarie Mayer Chief Medical Epidemiologist, Assoc. CMO

Mari Ransco Senior Director, Patient Experience

Russell Vinik Chief Medical Operations Officer, Assoc. CMO

Sandi Gulbransen Chief Quality Officer

Richard Orlandi Chief Medical Officer, Ambulatory Assoc. CMO

Mark Shahata Director, Business Operations

Smitha Warrier Chief Surgical Operations Officer

Mark Harris Chief Medical Education Officer, Assoc. CMO

Kim Phillips Senior Director, Transplant

Michael Strong Chief Medical Information Officer, Assoc. CMO

CHIEF VALUE OFFICERS

Chief Value Officers (CVOs) are physician leaders embedded in departments and service lines throughout the health system. They are the champions of health care value in their areas and lead improvements in quality, cost, and service. CVOs are a critical component in U of U Health’s transformational effort to create more value in health care and provide better, more affordable care to patients.

James Ashworth, MD Psychiatry

John Barrett, MD Community Physician Group

Richard Brown, MD, FACR Radiology

Benjamin Chortkoff, MD Anesthesiology

Mark Eliason, MD Dermatology

Mark Error, MD Otolaryngology

Erin Fox, PharmD Pharmacy

Alexandra Flis, MD Rehabilitation

Ying Hitchcock, MD Radiation Oncology

Troy Hutchins, MD Radiology

Richard Kendall, DO Rehabilitation

Patrick Greis, MD Orthopaedics

Bernadette Kiraly, MD Family & Preventive Medicine

Diane Liu, MD, MBA Pediatrics

Amy Locke, MD, FAAFP Resiliency Center

Mark Mahan, MD Neurosurgery (Ambulatory)

Rachele McCarthey, MD Psychiatry

Ryan Metcalf, MD Pathology

Ellen Morrow, MD Resiliency Center

Lauren Pearson, DO, MPH Pathology

Christopher Pelt, MD Orthopaedics

Craig Proctor, DDS Dentistry

Shervin Rahimpour, MD Neurosurgery (Inpatient)

Shilpa Raju, MD Emergency Medicine

Vivek Reddy, MD, MMM Neurology

Derek Sakata, MD Anesthesiology

Courtney Scaife, MD Surgery

Marybeth Scholand, MD Pulmonary Medicine

Howard Sharp, MD OB/GYN

Jennifer Van Horn, MD OB/GYN

Tom Varghese, MD Huntsman Cancer Institute

Nathan Wanner, MD Internal Medicine

Norm Zabriskie, MD Ophthalmology

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Top 10 in Quality for 13 Years Running

For 13 consecutive years, Vizient Inc. has ranked University of Utah Health in the nation’s top 10 for quality health care among leading academic medical centers. U of U Health achieved the No. 7 ranking in the nation in 2022.

Top 10 in Ambulatory Care for 8 Years Running

U of U Health has also ranked in the top 10 for ambulatory care for eight consecutive years, ranking No. 6 in 2022. The Vizient Ambulatory Care Quality and Accountability Award measures the quality of outpatient care in five domains: access to care, capacity and throughput, quality and efficiency, continuum of care, and equity.

2022-2023 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospital Rankings

For the ninth consecutive year, University of Utah Hospital was ranked No. 1 in Utah and in the Salt Lake City metro area. Additionally, U of U Health is nationally ranked No. 10 for ophthalmology, No. 33 for cancer, and No. 50 for rehabilitation.

U.S. News also rated U of U Health “high performing” in two adult specialties (Psychiatry and Pulmonology & Lung Surgery) and 17 procedures and conditions.

2022 Forbes Best Employer for Diversity

In 2022, Forbes named University of Utah Health one of the best employers for diversity. Forbes and Statista surveyed 50,000 Americans working for businesses with at least 1,000 employees to pinpoint the companies they identified as most dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion. U of U Health ranks 41st out of 500 recognized organizations in the nation, up from 98th in 2021. U of U Health is also the only health care provider from the state of Utah to receive the designation.

Digital Health Most Wired Hospital for 9 Years Running

For the ninth consecutive year, University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics has achieved CHIME Healthcare’s Digital Health Most Wired Hospitals Award for effectively applying care and advanced technologies into its clinical and business programs. In 2022, the hospitals and clinics earned a Level 10 certification, the highest designation, for acute and ambulatory care, one of only 18 systems in the country to achieve this designation.

National Cancer Institute’s Comprehensive Cancer Center Status

In 2020, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) renewed the designation of Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) as a Comprehensive Cancer Center. An NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center must demonstrate depth and breadth of cancer research, as well as substantial transdisciplinary research that bridges these scientific areas and changes cancer care. HCI is the only cancer center in the region with this designation.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS): Five-Star Quality Rating, Top Medicare Rating

In its annual quality rankings of hospitals, CMS awarded University of Utah Hospital five out of five stars. CMS’s Hospital Compare ranking shows University of Utah Hospital performing above the national average in safety of care and readmission rates.

2022 LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader Designation

University of Utah Hospital, Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital, University Orthopaedic Center, Huntsman Cancer Institute, and Huntsman Mental Health Institute received an evaluation of 100 and the designation of “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 15th anniversary edition of the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI). The HEI is the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey of health care facilities on policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and inclusion of their LGBTQ+ patients, visitors, and employees. A record 906 health care facilities actively participated in the 2022 HEI survey and 496 of those earned an “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation.

2022 NRC Health Consumer Loyalty Award

U of U Health is one of 100 hospitals nationwide to receive a 2022 Consumer Loyalty Award, and one of only 10 Consumer Loyalty “Best in Class” award winners. Recipients were selected from NRC Health’s national market insights study, which polled more than 310,000 consumers across the U.S. from April 2021 to March 2022. To qualify for the list, an organization had to secure at least 150 top-of-mind mentions from customers in the survey.

CLINICAL NETWORK

Since University of Utah Hospital opened its doors in Salt Lake City in 1965, University of Utah Health has grown from a single county hospital to a world-class regional health care system that includes five hospitals, 12 community health centers, several specialty centers, and an extensive network of affiliate partners throughout the Mountain West region. Additionally, 55 telehealth sites offer ondemand access for both referring providers and patients.

SERVING 10 PERCENT OF THE CONTINENTAL U.S.

U of U Health serves the urban, rural, and frontier communities of the Mountain West region with some of the highest quality care in the nation. Its clinical footprint covers roughly 10 percent of the total area of the continental U.S.

CLINICAL OUTREACH

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HOSPITAL

University of Utah Hospital includes a Level 1 trauma center and the region’s only comprehensive burn center. It is equipped to treat any patient with high-quality, high-value, cuttingedge care extending across the entire continuum. University Hospital has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 1 hospital in Utah and the Salt Lake City metro area for the last nine years in a row.

HUNTSMAN CANCER INSTITUTE

Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah is the Mountain West region’s premier cancer treatment center. In 2020, the National Cancer Institute renewed the designation of HCI as a Comprehensive Cancer Center, the highest federal rank possible for a cancer research organization. HCI operates the largest clinical cancer research program in the region, providing more than 300 trials for cancer patients, many of which are the first and only in the nation.

UNIVERSITY ORTHOPAEDIC CENTER

The University Orthopaedic Center is the only fullservice specialty center of its kind in the Mountain West. Services include the latest in sports medicine; total joint, knee, and hip replacement; pediatric orthopedics; spinal disorders; trauma; and physical therapy. Orthopedic specialty care can also be found at U of U Health’s Farmington, Madsen, Redwood, South Jordan, and Sugar House Health Centers.

HUNTSMAN MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTE

Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI) is a highly regarded behavioral health facility serving patients in Utah and the Mountain West. It provides a continuum of clinical services across the lifespan and is a pioneering force in understanding the complex causes of psychiatric illness. In 2022, HMHI was designated a “Center of Excellence” by the National Network of Depression Centers for its research and treatment of mood disorders.

U.S. News & World Report ranks University of Utah Hospital No. 1 in Utah and the Salt Lake metro area (2023 rankings).

U.S. News & World Report ranks the adult cancer specialty at U of U Health No. 33 in the country (2023 rankings).

U.S. News & World Report rated U of U Health "high performing" in the following procedures and conditions related to orthopedics: hip fracture, back surgery (spinal fusion), hip replacement, and knee replacement (2023 rankings).

U.S. News & World Report rated U of U Health "high performing" for the adult specialty of psychiatry (2023 rankings).

JOHN A. MORAN EYE CENTER

The John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah is the most comprehensive ophthalmology center in the Mountain West, providing care in all ophthalmic subspecialties. Performing more than 7,000 surgeries and more than 150,000 clinic visits each year, Moran ranks among the country’s top hospitals for ophthalmic care and houses 16 research labs and centers, including the new Alan S. Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation.

A highly competitive residency program offers extensive surgical experience. Moran has one of the most comprehensive patient support programs in the nation. Its Global Outreach Division is the only program of its kind at an academic health center, working to develop sustainable eye care around the globe.

CRAIG H. NEILSEN REHABILITATION HOSPITAL

The Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital blends hospitality with state-of-the-art care and innovation. Every touchpoint leverages our mission of transforming lives through excellence in research, technology, and clinical care while reflecting our vision of reimagining, reinventing, and rebuilding. We’re setting a new standard across the Mountain West and beyond. As the preeminent destination for patients recovering from life-altering injuries and conditions, the hospital focuses on preserving, enhancing, and restoring function through the dedicated work of our therapy, nursing, and medical teams. Our world-renowned specialists support patients on their rehabilitation journey to wellness and independence. We are home to the only CARF accredited inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation program in Utah.

CARDIOVASCULAR CENTER

At the Cardiovascular Center, the latest research and breakthroughs are leading the way to the future of cardiovascular medicine while also transforming care today by bringing new treatments and possibilities directly to patients. Services include heart care, heart surgery, and treatment for all types of heart disease. Specialties include cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, and vascular surgery. Treatment is patient-focused with customized plans to fit individual needs, including research into specialized conditions that are not treated elsewhere.

In 1982, University of Utah made history when surgeons implanted the first total artificial heart in a human. Other notable advances include betablocker therapy for heart failure, treatment of myocarditis, as well as discovering the genetic basis of long QT syndrome, Williams syndrome, and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.

CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES CENTER

The Clinical Neurosciences Center (CNC) is home to the region’s largest and most extensive neurosciences program, consisting of the Departments of Neurosurgery, Neurology, and Neuroradiology. Patients can receive state-of-the-art treatment, like focused ultrasound, a noninvasive brain surgery for essential tremors. These patients receive treatment and leave all in the same day. The CNC also houses the region’s first Comprehensive Stroke Center. An extensive network of TeleStroke and TeleNeurology partners assures that neurologic care is delivered all throughout the region. In addition to innovative care, the CNC trains tomorrow’s providers on the best techniques and ways to care for neurologic patients.

UTAH DIABETES & ENDOCRINOLOGY CENTER

The Utah Diabetes and Endocrinology Center (UDEC) is the only facility for comprehensive and continuous diabetes care and management for diabetes and complex endocrine disorders in Utah and the Mountain West region. For diabetes patients, UDEC helps reduce complications and suffering with the end goal of ultimately preventing diabetes. For patients with other endocrinology disorders, including thyroid nodules and cancer, adrenal problems, reproductive hormone disorders, and bone health, it offers specialty care and individualized treatment plans that focus on the patient’s needs.

The UDEC is also a research facility consistently applying the newest findings in the field of diabetes management and care. The Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation donated $5.3 million to launch Driving Out Diabetes, a Larry H. Miller Family Foundation Wellness Initiative. This partnership between the foundation and U of U Health provides education and diabetes complications screening to help those who have diabetes better manage their disease and improve their health.

ARUP LABORATORIES

ARUP Laboratories is a national clinical and anatomic pathology reference laboratory and a nonprofit enterprise of the University of Utah. Known for its quality, service, and depth of expertise, ARUP offers more than 3,500 tests and test combinations, ranging from routine screening tests to highly specialized laboratory tests.

This faculty-led laboratory operates 24/7 with more than 4,500 employees, processing approximately 70,000 samples per day for hospital and health system clients throughout the United States. Clients include more than 50 percent of the nation’s university medical centers, pediatric hospitals, and teaching hospitals.

The Department of Pathology and ARUP also collect blood and provide blood and transfusion services to all University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics.

With department faculty based at Huntsman Cancer Institute, ARUP evaluates more than 44,000 surgical pathology and more than 45,000 cytology cases annually. Its broad research portfolio includes extensive scholarship in diagnostic medicine and cancer pathogenesis.

In 2022, ARUP contributed $814 million in revenue and tested more than 20 million specimens, impacting the care of nearly 17 million patients.

University of Utah Health’s Campus Transformation continues to bring new levels of access and care to patients. The major projects completed within the last four years include the Care Navigation facility in South Jordan, the Sugar House Health Center, Hospital Area E, the Interventional Radiology floors in University Hospital, and the Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital.

Two new buildings open in 2023: the Kathryn F. Kirk Center for Comprehensive Cancer Care and Women’s Cancers and the Healthcare, Educators, Leaders, & Innovators Complex (HELIX) office building, as well as improvements to North Medical Drive, including a new parking garage.

The Kathryn F. Kirk Center for Comprehensive Cancer Care and Women’s Cancers expands Huntsman Cancer Institute’s (HCI) ability to serve patients. The new center includes a floor dedicated to women’s cancers, a new endoscopy center, increased services for blood and marrow transplant patients, an expansion of the HCI Wellness and Integrative Health Center, and 48 new inpatient hospital rooms.

HELIX will serve as a collaboration and office space for University of Utah Health faculty and staff. With the aging medical school building at the end of its useful life, HELIX will become the new home for many medical school departments and faculty.

Future construction includes the U West Valley project, the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center, the Utah Mental Health Translational Research Building, the James Levoy Sorenson Discovery & Innovation Center, and the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine building.

U WEST VALLEY HOSPITAL AND HEALTH CENTER

Growing the University of Utah in West Valley will improve access to health care services and enhance economic growth. New hospital facilities are required to serve a growing number of patients. The new site will offer new ways to deliver care to improve the health and wellness of the community and provide student and adult learners with education pathways that lead to careers in health sciences and other fields.

The current site scope of work for both the hospital and outpatient health center is more than 750,000 square feet. It will be a comprehensive facility providing University of Utah Health's worldclass care.

A range of clinical and nonclinical programs will be phased into the project. These include primary care, cardiovascular, orthopedics, women's health, mental health care, oral health, and pharmacy. In addition, there will be a cafe, coffee shop, multi-faith chapel, multi-use space for community gatherings, wellness space, green spaces, and a gift shop.

MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS CARE CENTER AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH BUILDING

In 2021, the Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI) broke ground on the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center. As part of the future nineacre site of the HMHI Campus of Hope, the crisis care center will provide immediate care for individuals experiencing a crisis. HMHI also announced plans for the Utah Mental Health Translational Research Building in Research Park, a collaborative space for solving mental health challenges like suicide, child and young adult mental health, and rural mental health.

SPENCER FOX ECCLES SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

In 2022, the University of Utah broke ground on the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine. The 185,000-square-foot building will transform the student experience with state-of-the-art teaching facilities for simulation training, interactive classrooms, and several learning studios designed as flexible spaces that can expand as needed.

JAMES LEVOY SORENSEN DISCOVERY & INNOVATION CENTER

The James LeVoy Sorenson Discovery & Innovation Center will push the bounds of medical innovation. Here, faculty and students will have the opportunity to operate at the frontiers of medicine, including opportunities in genomic innovation, a games and applications lab, the Center for Medical Innovation, prototyping labs, and more.

COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS

University of Utah Health is committed to bringing its top-ranked, high-quality services to the community, closer to the places where patients work and live. Its network of 12 community health centers took a tremendous leap forward in the South Jordan Health Center, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2022. Since then, Farmington Health Center and Sugar House Health Center opened to serve their respective communities. In this time, the annual number of outpatient encounters in the community health centers has grown from 250,000 to more than 1 million.

A comprehensive spectrum of care is offered at these sites and ranges from urgent and primary care to oncologic treatment, emergency care, and surgical services. As routines that were once disrupted by the pandemic became re-established in 2022, many of the services offered in the community health centers accommodated record numbers of patients, including urgent care, emergency care, and specialty visits, particularly in the areas of sports medicine, women's health, and oncology.

AFFILIATES AND TELEHEALTH

University of Utah Health has a long history of bringing people and resources together to provide quality care to communities across the Mountain West. The Affiliate Network gives member hospitals and providers access to the clinical expertise, research, and resources from our top-ranked academic medical center, to elevate care and serve patients within their own communities. Led by U of U Health, the Affiliate Network comprises 22 regional hospitals that share knowledge and resources for the benefit of their patients.

U of U Health Telehealth Services also contracts with affiliate and non-affiliate partners to bring high-quality specialty care to underserved areas—keeping patients close to home while delivering the advanced care they need. The 55 telehealth partner sites offer on-demand remote access to complex care.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many clinical teams integrated the use of Virtual Visits to care for patients. In 2022, a Virtual Care team was created to advance our digital health strategy. It focuses on optimizing our virtual care practices to make workflow and technology efficient and effective for patients and providers while expanding the services.

AFFILIATE NETWORK

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HEALTH PLANS

In 2023, University of Utah Health Plans celebrates 25 years of improving health, providing access to the highest quality of care, and delivering exceptional value to our 282,000 members, clients, and the community. U of U Health Plans specializes in administration of medical, behavioral health, and pharmacy benefits for fully insured and self-funded employer groups, individuals and families, as well as Medicaid and Medicare. It also offers an extensive provider network, including U of U Health and many other hospital and provider systems throughout the state.

U of U Health Plans recognizes the importance of population health and payment reform and has developed extensive care management and value-based payment programs that improve health and align provider reimbursement with value and positive outcomes. Being integrated with U of U Health uniquely positions it to bring greater value, enhance cost efficiency, and increase focus on members and clients.

PARTNERSHIPS

University of Utah Health is the trusted health care provider for the Utah Jazz NBA franchise, the Real Salt Lake MLS franchise and Real Monarchs MLS NEXT Pro franchise, the Salt Lake City Stars NBA G League team, the Salt Lake Bees minor league baseball team, Utah Olympic Park, Utah Olympic Oval, U.S. Speedskating, and University of Utah Athletics. U of U Health is also designated to provide care for U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

Leveraging their collective strengths in data and technology, U of U Health Plans and Silicon Slopes partnered to reduce health care costs. Under the brand name Silicon Slopes Health Plans, this collaboration offers affordable health plan options for Utah startup businesses with 2-50 employees.

For the seventh year in a row, U of U Health was the Official Health & Wellness Partner for the Sundance Film Festival. We trained staff and volunteers on deescalation, provided health and wellness tips, fostered conversations with the film community about eliminating mental health stigma, and shared our expertise about Parkinson’s disease.

POWERED BY UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HEALTH

Our physicians and trainees believe that care and community are connected and that health outcomes

949 Investigators

19 Academic Centers

Grant Funding

5 Interdisciplinary Initiatives

4,548 Publications (2022) NATIONAL

4 Institutes PRODUCTIVITY & INNOVATION

198 Patents Filed

4,354 Active Projects

134 Startup Tech Companies

1

Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine

12

National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Inductees

2 MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellows

8 American Academy of Arts & Sciences Inductees

U of U Health Research:

Reveals new insights into health and disease Gives rise to novel diagnostics and therapeutics Guides public health policy Advances clinical care Launches innovative health programs

RESEARCH WITH SOCIETAL IMPACT

At U of U Health, our wide-ranging expertise empowers us to develop solutions to some of society’s most pressing needs. We know that research is most effective when it comes full circle—from labs to clinics to communities and back again—so that new knowledge fuels innovative approaches to address the next challenges. We are making great strides in preventing and treating disease and in enhancing wellness with scientific advances across the translational spectrum.

CUTTING-EDGE DISCOVERY

TRANSLATIONAL SPECTRUM

» Solving genetic mysteries: Thanks to the Utah Population Database—a one-of-a-kind resource with genetic, epidemiological, demographic, and public health information on more than 11 million people—U of U Health scientists discovered more than 50 disease genes, including for colon cancer (APC), breast cancer (BRCA1), melanoma (p16), and cardiac arrhythmia (KCNH2). These discoveries are helping to diagnose, prevent, and treat these diseases.

» Understanding early social behaviors: Randall T. Peterson, PhD, dean of the College of Pharmacy, and his team have found that exposing zebrafish to certain drugs and environmental risk factors during embryonic development can lead to alterations in social behavior, and that sociability can be restored after providing a specific treatment. The results could have implications for understanding and treating autism in humans.

» HIV in-depth: Wesley Sundquist, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry, is leading CHEETAH, a consortium of 20 research teams from 12 institutions that are investigating aspects of the HIV lifecycle, including how host cells defend against the virus. The findings are leading to development of new tools to prevent and treat AIDS.

» Coral is source of “anti-cancer” compound: A team of scientists led by Eric Schmidt, PhD, professor of medicinal chemistry, found that easy-to-find soft corals—flexible corals that resemble underwater plants—make a compound that could be used as a cancer treatment. Schmidt’s team is investigating how to make the compound in the lab so it can be produced in the quantities needed for clinical trials.

INNOVATIVE CARE

» Resilience to improve health: When treating patients who have had their lives upended by stroke, there are limits to what medicine can do. Working together, neurologist Jennifer Majesik, MD, and behavioral psychologist Alexandra Terrill, PhD, are using their expertise to develop one-of-a-kind interventions that promote resilience and are changing lives for stroke patients and their partners.

» Artificial intelligence identifies health risks: For the first time, a study led by Mark Yandell, PhD, Department of Human Genetics, used artificial intelligence to mine electronic health records to assess patients’ risk for heart disease. This leading-edge approach could help physicians foresee, prevent, or treat serious heart problems, perhaps even before a patient is aware of the underlying condition.

» Rapid genome testing in newborns: By combining expertise from the Center of Genomic Medicine with the Department of Pediatrics and ARUP Laboratories, U of U Health is speeding the genetic diagnosis of critically ill infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with goals of improving care and lowering health care costs.

OPPORTUNITY AND ACCESS

» Low-cost arthritis treatment: Daniel Cushman, MD, an associate professor of sports medicine, developed a low-cost, platelet-rich preparation (PRP) technique that physicians can do in their own offices as treatment for arthritis pain. The simplified process could reduce the cost of PRP injections substantially, making it more enticing for insurance companies to cover the procedure.

» Language of care: Navigating health care is hard enough when English is your first language—imagine the difficulty when communicating by American Sign Language. Michelle Litchman, PhD, medical director of the Intensive Diabetes Education and Support Program, leads Deaf Diabetes Can Together, which works with the Deaf community to tailor educational and other resources for these individuals.

» COVID-19 testing in underserved communities: Early in 2022, less than 60% of the state’s Hispanic population had been fully vaccinated against the disease, far lower than any other racial or ethnic group. To overcome this health disparity, scientists in biomedical informatics and population health sciences launched SCALE-UP II and SCALE-UP Counts, initiatives designed to increase COVID-19 testing and vaccination among rural and underserved populations.

» Tracking non-fatal opioid overdoses: The National Emergency Medical Services Information System, based at the University of Utah, launched the first-of-its-kind

Non-Fatal Opioid Overdose Dashboard with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. The dashboard offers real-time information that could help prevent lethal overdosing. N. Clay Mann, PhD, a professor of pediatrics leads the project.

As a large academic health center set within the thriving University of Utah campus, U of U Health is uniquely positioned to tackle complex issues in our society. With scientists down the hall from health care providers and across campus from scholars in diverse fields, we bring interdisciplinary groups together. The combination of broad scientific expertise, large clinical footprint, and influence of the education hub benefits the local community, the nation, and the world.

From basic science to clinical research to population health, U of U Health faculty are transforming understanding of health and disease and impacting the lives of individuals by investigating ways to improve medical practice and health and wellness in communities. Continued successes build on a foundation of firsts, including the very first National Institutes of Health grant given to hematologist Maxwell Wintrobe, MD, in 1946 and the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded to geneticist Mario Capecchi, PhD.

Today, investigators in the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine and the College of Pharmacy are opening novel avenues in therapeutics based on new understandings of cellular metabolism in cancer, the microbiome in diabetes, and viral mechanisms. Researchers in the Colleges of Nursing and Health and the School of Dentistry are devoted to understanding and meeting the healthrelated needs in our communities and beyond, including individuals with substance use issues, youth with autism, women in rural communities, and underrepresented populations. This work is facilitated by resources at the Eccles Health Sciences Library, a central hub for evidence-based health information.

ORG CHART » RESEARCH ENTERPRISE

RACHEL HESS

Associate Vice President for Research, Health Sciences

ACADEMIC CENTERS & INSTITUTES

RICHARD DORSKY

Associate Dean, Research Space

CHRIS HILL

Vice Dean for Research, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine Research Programs Interdepartmental Graduate Programs

JAMIE P. DWYER

Associate Dean, Clinical Research

JENNIFER MAJERSIK

Associate Dean, Clinical & Translational Science

AMY TANNER

Executive Director, Office of AVP for Research

MOLECULAR MEDICINE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR HEALTH SCIENCES RESEARCH UNIT

MATTHEW RONDINA Director

AYLIN RODAN Assoc. Director

ABBY ROONEY Operations BRIDGET HUGHES Program Development

TAMMY WILLIS Manager

SEAN FLYNN Training Programs

JOY BLATCHFORD Pre-Award

HSC CORE FACILITIES

JAMES COX Director

CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE INSTITUTE

JENNIFER MAJERSIK Co-Director

ASHLEY KAPRON Adminitration Director

ROCKY MOUNTAIN CENTER FOR OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

KURT HEGMANN Director

SCIENTIFIC EXCELLENCE

Our world-class scientists revolutionized the understanding of health and disease and the prevention and treatment of many conditions. Their scientific work consistently wins recognition from national and international organizations.

NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE: CURRENT MEMBERS

Operating under the 1863 Congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, the NASEM are private, nonprofit institutions that work outside of government to provide objective advice on matters of science, technology, and health. Membership reflects the height of professional achievement.

Brenda Bass, PhD

Biochemistry

National Academy of Sciences

Mary Beckerle, PhD

CEO, Huntsman Cancer Institute

National Academy of Sciences

Mario Capecchi, PhD

Human Genetics

Nobel laureate

National Academies of Sciences and Medicine

Dana Carroll, PhD

Biochemistry

National Academy of Sciences

2022 NOTABLE AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

Top Innovator Award for 2022, Healthcare Innovation

• Kathleen Mooney, PhD, RN, College of Nursing

American Society for Clinical Investigation

• Stavros Drakos, MD, PhD, Internal Medicine

• Matthew Rondina, MD, Internal Medicine

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases New Innovator

• Allison Carey, MD, PhD, Pathology

Erik Jorgensen, PhD

School of Biological Sciences

Human Genetics

National Academy of Sciences

Jindrich Kopecek, PhD

Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry

National Academy of Engineering

Baldomero Olivera, PhD

School of Biological Sciences

Huntsman Cancer Institute

National Academy of Sciences

Wesley Sundquist, PhD

Biochemistry

National Academy of Sciences

National Academy of Kinesiology Fellow

• Paul Estabrooks, PhD, Health and Kinesiology

National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education Distinguished Scholar

• Tim Brusseau, PhD, Health and Kinesiology

Friend of Thai Science

• Louis Barrows, PhD, Pharmacology and Toxicology

RISING-STAR SCIENTISTS

Each year, the Vitae symposium highlights U of U Health’s risingstar scientists and their pioneering research. Nominees are early-stage investigators who received noteworthy national recognition or funding, or published high-impact research. The annual event seeds new collaborations and development strategies by humanizing research through story. In 2022, the Vitae series celebrated its 10th anniversary.

2022 Vitae Speakers

Allison Carey, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology

Cracking the Code: Deciphering the Impact of Genetic Variation in Mycobacteria

• National Institutes of Health (NIH) DP2

• NIH K08

Amandine Chaix, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition and Integative Physiology, College of Health

Harnessing Nutrition and the Circadian Clock to Improve Metabolic Health

• NIH R01 Award

• American Heart Association Career Development Award

Dipayan Chaudhuri, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine

Repairing a Broken Engine: New Approaches to Treat Heart Failure

• NIH R01 Award

Jacqueline Eaton, PhD

Assistant Professor, College of Nursing

Arts-Based Approaches for Engaging Caregivers of People Living With Dementia

• Gerontological Society of America Fellow

• NIH K01 Award

Jacob A. George, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Using the Force: Brain-Computer Interfaces for Individuals With LifeAltering Neuromuscular Disabilities

• NIH Director's Early Independence Award

• National Science Foundation Support

• Department of Defense Support

• Veterans Affairs Administration Support

• Forbes 30 Under 30

Matthew Miller, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry

Understanding the Remarkable Protein Machines that Drive Cell Division

• PEW Scholar

• NIH R35 Award

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

U of U Health-led research projects account for two-thirds of the U’s research funding, reaching $458 million in fiscal year 2022. As we continue to grow in size and prestige, we remain committed to our mission of combining our strengths to improve human health.

U of U Health continues to spur new ideas and support up-and-coming projects and scientists by investing in seed grants and fellowship opportunities.

FY22 FUNDING BY SOURCE

FY22 FUNDING BY SCHOOL/COLLEGE

U OF U HEALTH RESEARCH AWARDS

U of U Health research funding has seen continued growth since fiscal year 2013, nearly doubling in less than a decade.

RESEARCH IN A TIME OF NEED

The long term effects of COVID, including “postacute sequelae of COVID,” or PASC, have been linked to more than 200 symptoms including fatigue, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and “brain fog.” For many, the health impacts are devastating, preventing them from going to work or school, and lowering overall quality of life.

University of Utah Health investigators are finding answers by leading three large national studies funded by the National Institutes of Health. Key aspects of this research are U of U Health’s LongHauler Clinic and a biorepository, a collection of biological samples for investigation.

• Rachel Hess, MD, MS , leads the Mountain States PASC Consortium (MSPC), a coalition of five health care systems in Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, as part of the “Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery” (RECOVER) Initiative, in studies to understand, prevent, and treat PASC.

• Torri Metz, MD, heads another arm of RECOVER being carried out at 36 clinical sites across the country to determine the influence of PASC on people who are pregnant and their infants.

• Dongngan Truong, MD, co-chairs the Long-Term Outcomes After the Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MUSIC) study that aims to characterize acute and long-term cardiac and non-cardiac effects of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children associated with COVID-19 (MIS-C).

STRATEGIC RESEARCH INITIATIVES

CENTER FOR GENOMIC MEDICINE (CGM)

For more than 50 years, the university’s scientific teams leveraged well-phenotyped, multi-generational pedigrees and innovative technologies to uncover the genetic basis of human disease. U of U Health scientists identified genes and risk factors for dozens of conditions, including breast and ovarian cancers (BRCA1, 2), colon cancer (APC), and heart arrhythmia (KCNH2, hERG), among others. Their discoveries improved health care for millions of patients worldwide. The CGM, composed of more than 130 faculty, unites Utah’s diverse genomics programs and resources under a single mission to harness the power of family-based genomics to prevent and cure disease in Utah and beyond. In 2022, CGM received a generous donation from Mark and Kathie Miller to sponsor CGM’s two clinical programs, NeoSeq and Penelope, for the next five years. These programs provide genetic diagnoses for newborns and children, respectively.

DIABETES AND METABOLISM RESEARCH CENTER

The Utah Diabetes and Metabolism Research Center (UDMRC) catalyzes scientific innovation to improve metabolic health. The center unifies 140+ researchers across 30 departments, plus educators, clinicians, and trainees to understand the metabolic underpinnings of diabetes and related diseases. Spanning the translational spectrum, UDMRC scientists develop stateof-the-art interventions to prevent, treat, and ultimately cure diabetes and other metabolic diseases. Since 2014, the UDMRC has helped recruit 19 research-intensive faculty who secured more than $47 million in research funding. The UDMRC helped launch Driving Out Diabetes, a Larry H. Miller Family Wellness Initiative that provides numerous community engagement and clinical opportunities in diabetes prevention and care, as well as critical support for UDMRCrelated research efforts.

IMMUNOLOGY, INFLAMMATION, AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE INITIATIVE (3I)

At the intersection of immunity, inflammation, and infection, the 3i Initiative leverages the University of Utah’s historic strengths in basic, translational, and clinical research to make fundamental discoveries that improve diagnosis and treatment of myriad diseases, from COVID-19 and sepsis to colitis and cancer. The 3i community includes 250+ 3i-related faculty in 45 departments across eight schools and colleges spanning the entire campus. This initiative provides a strong community for a wide variety of high-impact research programs and allows investigators and trainees opportunities to meet, collaborate, and learn from others working in a similar scientific area. The 3i Initiative was the campus leader for the COVID-19 research response, supporting more than 400 research projects, which have brought in more than $70 million in external funding and resulted in more than 1,000 publications.

DIGITAL HEALTH INITIATIVE (DHI)

In July 2022, the Digital Health Initiative (DHI) became one of the five interdisciplinary research areas of special focus at U of U Health. The DHI is a research and development program that leverages advances in digital technology to improve health care and make it more accessible. Building off the work of the GApp Lab and the ReImagine EHR programs, the initiative brings together researchers, clinicians, and industry partners to develop new digital tools and solutions for a wide range of health challenges, from chronic disease management to mental health care. Some examples of the work being done through the initiative include the development of virtual reality-based therapy tools, wearable health monitors, and mobile health apps. The ultimate goal of the DHI is to help transform the way health care is delivered and make it more effective, efficient, and personalized for patients.

DATA EXPLORATION AND LEARNING IN PRECISION HEALTH INTELLIGENCE (DELPHI)

Biomedical data science integrates large, complex data sets with innovative computational approaches to create actionable insights across biological and medical applications. The Data Exploration and Learning in Precision Health Intelligence (DELPHI) Data Science Initiative aims to drive innovation in health and medicine by catalyzing biomedical data science research. The DELPHI Initiative brings together investigators from across campus to accelerate scientific discovery and advance data-enabled science, such as disease diagnostics, drug interaction prediction, and outcome analytics. The initiative is part of the One Utah Data Science Hub, a university-wide effort designed to enhance research, training, and infrastructure in data science.

INSTITUTES

UTAH CLINICAL & TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE INSTITUTE

The Utah Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI) is the Mountain West’s hub in a network of more than 60 sites funded by the Clinical & Translational Science Award program through the National Center for Advancing Translational Science. The Utah CTSI’s mission is to foster the highest quality clinical and translational science that supports increased efficiency and effectiveness of research and ultimately improve the health of our population—reducing health disparities and increasing health equity.

In service of this mission, the Utah CTSI develops and tests methods to improve research design, conduct, evaluation, dissemination, and implementation. The Utah CTSI then deploys these methods through its Cores & Services to support researchers across the translational spectrum—delivering community engagement, study design and analysis, informatics, laboratory, and clinical research support. The Utah CTSI’s many workforce development programs provide cutting-edge curricula and high-quality mentoring to foster the next generation of diverse, multidisciplinary members of clinical and translational science teams. Finally, the Utah CTSI’s Clinical Research Support Office aims to reduce administrative burdens, enhance compliance, and remove barriers to enable efficiency, collaboration, cost recovery, and growth of clinical trials.

NORA ECCLES HARRISON CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE

The Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute (CVRTI) was established in 1969 and, with the addition of a new wing, which is under construction, is a 40,000-square-foot cardiac research institute located at University of Utah Health. Current CVRTI personnel include 16 investigator faculty members with independent laboratories and 120 additional trainees and staff drawn from three colleges (medicine, pharmacy, and engineering) and six departments. CVRTI areas of strength include electrophysiology and arrhythmias, metabolism, heart failure, and vascular biology. Investigator studies range from basic biochemistry to patch clamp electrophysiology to novel therapeutic development, including acute and chronic large-animal models. The CVRTI is the largest freestanding collection of cardiac muscle biology, metabolism, and electrophysiology researchers in the country.

HUNTSMAN CANCER INSTITUTE

Huntsman Cancer Institute is ranked among the best hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Mountain West. Huntsman Cancer Institute’s mission is to understand cancer from its inception, to use that knowledge in the creation and improvement of cancer treatments, to relieve the suffering of cancer patients, and to provide education about cancer risk, prevention, and care. Its campus includes more than 1 million square feet of state-of-theart cancer care, research, and education space. Community clinics, a mobile screening program, telemedicine, and affiliate hospitals extend its reach. At any given time, approximately 350 clinical trials are open to patients. Advancing cancer research discoveries and treatments to meet the needs of patients who live far away from a major medical center is a unique focus. More genes for inherited cancers have been discovered at Huntsman Cancer Institute than at any other cancer center, including genes responsible for breast, ovarian, colon, head and neck cancers, and melanoma.

HUNTSMAN MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTE

Researchers at Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI) are pioneers in uncovering the mechanisms and circuitry of the brain. These discoveries will help solve some of the most challenging mental health conditions of our time. HMHI shares the knowledge it gains with colleagues across disciplines and around the world to improve mental health. Researchers develop and apply the most advanced methods in genetics, imaging, epidemiology, and big data analysis to decipher complex mental health challenges. Their findings will change how we view and treat mental health issues.

In 2021, HMHI was designated a Center of Excellence by the National Network of Depression Centers. HMHI was also granted $90 million in funding from the Utah State Legislature. This funding combined with an additional $65 million in private donations will allow HMHI to build the Utah Mental Health Translational Research Building. This first-of-its-kind facility will be a collaborative environment to solve mental health challenges like suicide, child mental health, rural mental health, stigma, workforce shortages, and more, catapulting Utah to the forefront of mental health research and care.

NOTABLE RESEARCH AREAS

POPULATION HEALTH SCIENCES

The University of Utah Intermountain Health Department of Population Health Sciences drives health care transformation and serves as a hub for education, investigation, and expertise in health systems research, cancer population sciences, and biostatistics. Collaborations across campus—and clinically, with U of U Health Plans—provide methodological expertise and infrastructure for population health scientists to pursue impact-driven research. Faculty conduct research in the following areas: health disparities, behavioral and digital health interventions, community prevention and outreach, implementation science, cancer and molecular epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, health care policy, health economics, health services research, quality of life, and biostatistical methods. The department's research strengths come from the diverse methods and expertise of faculty and by collaborating broadly across the health system, main campus, and with external partnerships worldwide.

CENTER FOR MEDICAL INNOVATION

The Center for Medical Innovation (CMI) serves as a onestop shop for enabling innovation among students, faculty, and staff as they develop next-generation medical devices and find solutions to some of the world’s biggest health care problems. Since its inception in 2012, CMI has leveraged its relationships with business, engineering, law, and medical experts both on campus and in industry to support a vibrant, innovation-focused ecosystem responsible for hundreds of new medical devices and unique student experiences.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN CENTER FOR OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

The Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (RMCOEH), Utah’s first statutorily designated multi-university program, is operated by the University of Utah and Weber State University (WSU). It is one of 18 centers supported by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and has trained more than 760 graduates in ergonomics, industrial hygiene, occupational injury prevention, occupational medicine, and safety. The center is adding baccalaureate training and an occupational health nursing program through WSU.

RMCOEH’s impact extends beyond the classroom. It has trained 150,000+ professionals through continuing education, serves 3,000+ businesses annually, and collaborates with other entities to develop accident prevention and improve care of injured workers. Its research programs are also dynamic, leveraging $30+ million in funding to produce research on topics such as COVID-19 vaccines, transportation safety, musculoskeletal disorders, epidemiology, biomechanics, and evidence-based guidelines.

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

PARTNERS FOR INNOVATION, VENTURES, OUTREACH & TECHNOLOGY (PIVOT CENTER)

Commercialization continues to be an avenue of success at U of U Health. Since 1970, 134 health science technology startup companies have been founded through research projects that began here (two in FY22).

Some notable examples include Myriad Genetics, Biofire, Recursion, and ARUP, the latter of which has since developed more than 3,500 diagnostic tests to ensure better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases.

This innovation continues to thrive. In FY22, 198 applications for new patents were filed and 39 patents were issued. Additionally, the University of Utah received $21.3 million in licensing revenue for commercialized health science-related innovations, which continues to support ongoing research and education.

HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER CORES (HSC)

HSC Cores facilitate research with specialized equipment run by dedicated, expert staff. The Cores’ goal is to make advanced technology and expertise available to all faculty, researchers, and students. HSC Cores are highly effective and efficient for enabling groundbreaking scientific advances by U investigators. Expertise in these cores includes cell imaging, DNA sequencing, electron microscopy, metabolomics, proteomics, flow cytometry, small preclinical imaging (PET/CT/MRI), drug core, nuclear magnetic resonance, metabolic phenotyping, transgenic mouse, genomics, and machine shop. Access to the facilities is managed through central scheduling and billing software that uses a single-rate system for all of campus and ensures equal access for all investigators.

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT

The SVPHS Education unit promotes professional development opportunities for faculty. It is a central resource for providing guidance, resources, and training to enhance faculty success.

Faculty development is key to continued success in research. The Vice President's Clinical and Translational (VPCAT) Research Scholars Program offers intensive mentorship and support to junior faculty who are committed to careers in clinical or translational research. VPCAT research scholars are selected through a competitive application process each fall. Accepted scholars join a two-year program to develop leadership competencies and the essential research knowledge and practical skills to be effective clinical or translational researchers.

ACADEMIC CENTERS

U of U Health has built a robust and growing research enterprise with a system that both hones specialty expertise and encourages diverse perspectives. Academic centers work across departmental lines to bring together researchers from different departments around shared objectives. They are integral to U of U Health’s renowned ability to foster scientific advances that serve our community and the world.

• Center for Aging

• Center for Human Toxicology

• Center for Medical Innovation

• Center for Patient Simulation

• Emma Eccles Jones Nursing Research Center

• Genetic Science Learning Center

• Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence

• Intermountain Cystic Fibrosis Center

• Intermountain Health Simulation Learning Center

• Matheson Center for Health Care Studies

• Moran Eye Center

• Pain Research Center

• Pharmacotherapy Outcomes Research Center

• Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health

• University Health Services AIDS Center

• Utah Addiction Center

• Utah Center for Advanced Imaging Research

• Utah Center for Promotion of Work Equity Research (U-POWER)

• Utah Center for Reproductive Medicine

1,462

Health

Trained in 2022

TRAINING STUDENTS FROM EVERY UTAH COLLEGE

2,316 Faculty

6,100+

Total Students Enrolled

SUPPORTING RESEARCH & TRAINING

The Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, home to the National Library of Medicine’s National Training Center, is currently undergoing a seismic upgrade.

NATIONALLY RANKED

9 Graduate Programs Ranked in Nation’s Top 30 Among Public Institutions (2023 U.S. & World Report)

4:1 School of Medicine FTE Faculty to Student Ratio (#14 Nationally)

DISTINCTION AND SOCIETAL IMPACT IN EDUCATION

University of Utah Health trains about two-thirds of all physicians practicing in the state. Since 1967, more than 40,000 doctors, nurses, dentists, advanced practice clinicians, scientists, health sciences educators, and other health leaders have graduated from the U. Each U of U Health school or college is nationally recognized for various accomplishments and competencies. This is reflected in rankings published by U.S. News & World Report and in high levels of research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

U of U Health’s education programs offer authentic clinical experiences through a network of student-led clinics. Also, programs like University of Utah Intermountain Health Population Health Scholars teach students to address causes of illness rather than simply treating patients when they become ill.

Cross Campus Collaboration

An innovative partnership between Academic Affairs and U of U Health, Engage U provides students with a one-stop location for pre-admissions, financial aid counseling, and academic advising at sites throughout Utah. Engage U centers serve as access hubs for adult learners seeking professional certificates and non-degree credentials, near-completers, and those wishing to re-engage higher education. The centers represent a high-impact approach to improving student outcomes, pathways to credentialing, and student success.

Formally established as a university center in 2021, the Center for Health Ethics, Arts, and Humanities expands the medical school’s 30-year-old division/program in Medical Ethics and Humanities. The center provides education and training for health providers, trainees, and learners and produces new scholarship, teaching, and outreach. It brings insights from the humanities, art, law, and social sciences into health education and practice. The center prepares tomorrow’s health professionals with skills in bioethics, research ethics, and health humanities while nurturing empathy and humanitarian values.

College of Health

» No. 13 Physical Therapy Program

» No. 29 Audiology Program

» No. 32 Speech-Language Pathology

» No. 42 Occupational Therapy

College of Pharmacy

» No. 14 PharmD Program

» No. 15 NIH Research Funding

School of Medicine

» No. 8 Physician Assistant Program

» No. 16 Rural Medicine

» No. 35 Research

» No. 36 NIH Research Funding

» No. 40 Primary Care

» No. 55 Public Health Program

College of Nursing

» No. 9 Online Master's in Nursing Education

» No. 11 Nursing-Midwifery Program

» No. 18 Doctor of Nursing Practice

» No. 24 Online Masters in Nursing Program

» No. 28 NIH Research Funding

School of Dentistry

» No. 43 NIH Research Funding

INNOVATING EDUCATION

Leaders and educators across the health sciences work to leverage our distinct strengths, build engagement and educational integration among colleges and schools, and maintain a culture of educational excellence.

Our goal moving forward is to further distinguish our uniquely resourced academic system as a center of health advancement that equips learners with industry-leading skills and a deep desire to improve the lives of others.

PATHWAYS FOR SUCCESS

One way we’re doing this is through Professional Health Pathways. Through the U West Valley initiative, we are partnering with organizations like University Neighborhood Partners, Salt Lake Community College, and with West Valley community members to establish pathways to colleges and health care careers. These pathways will help students from West Valley communities enter training for healthrelated careers—everything from community health workers to physicians.

PROFESSIONAL HEALTH PATHWAYS

Medical Asst., CNA, Pharm Tech, Clinical Lab Asst., Medical Coding, Scribe Nursing, Rad Tech, OT & PT Asst., Respiratory Therapy, Dental Hygiene, Social Work Nursing, Social Work, STEM, etc.

Physician Asst., Social Work, Nursing MD, PharmD, DNP, DDS, DPT, DOT NON-CREDIT PROGRAMS

Community Health Worker, Case Management/Care Coordination, Peer2Peer Counseling

Professional Health Pathways include:

• Academic advising and career coaching to assist students on their journey from an entry-level health care position to professional degrees and career placements

• Efficient, one-stop locations for pre-admissions, financial aid counseling, and academic advising in West Valley

• Partnerships with employers for students to gain real-life experience essential to their growth and development

• Financial aid assistance and tuition scholarships

• Supportive services and referrals to community resources

• Flexible modes of education delivery so students may sustain incomes while earning degrees

Partnership and funding from the Strada Education Network ($1.5M) and Salt Lake County ($2M) have provided the necessary catalyst to direct resources and expertise to launch Professional Health Pathways. This effort provides new ways of thinking about student success. It goes beyond degree completion to meaningful community engagement in West Valley communities.

OFFICE OF THE AVP FOR HEALTH SCIENCES EDUCATION

The Office of the Associate Vice President for Health Sciences Education integrates, supports, and creates exceptional educational strategies, programs, and activities for faculty members and learners across University of Utah Health that will distinguish us nationally.

ORG CHART » U OF U HEALTH SCIENCES EDUCATION UNIT

WENDY HOBSON-ROHRER Associate Vice President for Health Sciences Education, University of Utah Health

VPCAT

MICHAEL RUBIN Director

ERIN WACHS Research Manager

INTERPROFESSIONAL EDUCATION (IPE)

JUSTIN H. RIGBY Director

SARAH CANHAM Associate Director

ARMINKA ZELJKOVIC IPE Manager

KIM CLARK Director, Health Sciences Education Office

ACADEMY OF HEALTH SCIENCES EDUCATORS

MASTER OF EDUCATION IN HEALTH PROFESSIONS

REBECCA WILSON Director

SARA ROSE Program Manager

ACADEMY OF HEALTH SCIENCES EDUCATORS (AHSE)

AHSE is a community of collaborative faculty and staff who advance excellence and value in health sciences education. Advocating for educational innovation and high-value academic programs, AHSE also supports faculty development and recognizes exceptional leaders in education. Any health sciences faculty can be a member of the academy.

The Journal of the Academy of Health Sciences Educators (JAHSE:PRE) provides a venue for pre-print dissemination of educational scholarship. Faculty can use JAHSE:PRE as a starting point for publishing in traditional peerreviewed journals.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

To enhance education in professions, the Office of the AVP for Health Sciences Education is expanding and advancing the scope and structure of the Center for Interprofessional SimulationBased Experiential Learning. In this center, learners from all areas of health sciences use state-ofthe-art simulation technologies to improve clinical skills. Collaborating with the Therapeutic Games and Apps Lab (GApp Lab) and the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, the center explores the educational capabilities of virtual, augmented, and extended reality.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

U of U Health aims to increase leadership skills for all faculty. Training is available through the Leadership and Career Development Seminar Series (LDCSS) and through peer faculty coaches in the Utah Coaching and Advancement Network (UCAN). It also supports faculty attending the David Eccles School of Business Leadership Development Program to develop innovative strategies and communicate a compelling vision of high-quality, cost-effective care.

INVESTING IN JUNIOR FACULTY

A Master of Education in Health Professions program allows clinical faculty to pursue educator roles. The program emphasizes skills needed for teaching in clinical and experiential settings.

U of U Health is filled with brilliant young faculty poised to make a difference in health and health care worldwide. The Vice President’s Clinical and Translational (VPCAT) Research Scholars Program provides tools to support those critical early steps and define the vision for their careers. Now in its 14th year, VPCAT proves that investing in emerging leaders pays off.

VPCAT SCHOLARS RESEARCH

VPCAT is a holistic, two-year competitive mentoring program supporting early career faculty engaged in clinical and translational research in their transition to independence.

HISTORY

Program started as PCAT to support faculty from women’s and child health

Transitioned to VPCAT with inclusion of U of U Health faculty

Addition of University of Utah main campus faculty

Between FY2017-22, VPCAT scholars received 55% of all universityawarded NIH K01, K07, K08, & K23 awards

VPCAT graduates remain at the U

VPCAT graduates remain in academic medicine schools, colleges, and institutions women and underrepresented minorities

COLLEGE OF HEALTH

With more than 1,300 undergraduate and 600 graduate students, the College of Health (COH) is among the largest colleges on the University of Utah campus. Its 18 undergraduate programs, 16 master’s programs, three clinical doctorates, and five doctoral programs span 12 distinct program areas within six departments. Additionally, the COH supports 30 laboratories and three rehabilitation clinics that perform research and provide valuable services to the community, profession, and university.

The COH has adopted an integrated, comprehensive, individualized, and systemic approach to health and wellness. The college helps U of U Health link metabolism, physical activity, neurosciences, and other disciplines to preventing and treating chronic diseases. Through research and by teaching and modeling prevention, rehabilitation, restoration, and health maintenance, the COH plays a crucial role in U of U Health’s overarching effort to transform health care.

COLLEGE OF HEALTH

Departments

• Communication Sciences & Disorders

• Health & Kinesiology

• Nutrition & Integrative Physiology

• Occupational & Recreational Therapies

• Parks, Recreation, & Tourism

• Physical Therapy & Athletic Training

Points of Emphasis

• Discovering and applying new knowledge to prevent chronic disease and develop evidencebased rehabilitation practices.

• Enhancing student success.

• Improving health and quality of life for university employees, the community, and others.

• $94M active research portfolio.

• 64.7K contacts made through community engagement programs in FY22.

Kelly Tappenden, PhD, RD Dean, College of Health

Number of Students

Graduate 291

Graduate

Professional 216

Undergraduate 1,366

Doctorate 104

Parks, Recreation, & Tourism

Kinesiology (PhD Program)

Physical Therapy (DPT Program)

Audiology

Speech-Language Pathology

Occupatonal Therapy (MOT Program)

COLLEGE OF NURSING

As Utah’s premier nursing institution, the College of Nursing (CON) prepares the next generation of highly skilled nursing, gerontology, and health care leaders. In addition to three undergraduate tracks and two master's tracks, the CON offers 10 Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) specialty tracks and is the only nursing school in Utah with a PhD program. It also offers a dual DNP-PhD, one of only six nationwide.

The CON excels in interdisciplinary gerontology education and holds a $43 million active grant portfolio. Funding also enables the CON to enhance nursing diversity, prepare nurses to be leaders of community-based primary care teams, and educate health care workers in rural Utah about office-based addiction treatment. The CON houses a nationally recognized simulation center and specializes in informatics and systems science through the Center of Excellence for Exposure Health Informatics. More than half of the college’s 100+ faculty members provide in-person and telehealth care across all patient populations.

COLLEGE OF NURSING

Points of Emphasis

• Increased annual prelicensure enrollment from 144 to 180 students (+25%) by adding a summer semester cohort. This increase addresses the rising need for registered nurses due to many factors reshaping the nursing profession.

• Expanded behavioral health services provided by psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioners in both rural and urban settings throughout Utah.

• The HRSA-funded Nursing Workforce Diversity Project hosted an inaugural summer camp for racially and ethnically diverse middle schoolers. The goal of the camp was to encourage middle schoolers to attend college and introduce them to the nursing profession.

Marla De Jong, PhD, RN, FAAN Dean, College of Nursing

Number of Students

Baccalaureate 337

Master’s 38

PhD 39

DNP 244

Dual DNP-PhD 4

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

With nearly 300 PhD and PharmD students, the College of Pharmacy (COP) represents a collaborative effort of the college’s four academic departments: medicinal chemistry, molecular pharmaceutics, pharmacology and toxicology, and pharmacotherapy. The success of this collaborative effort is recognized by a No. 14 national ranking among pharmacy schools (U.S. News & World Report, 2022). The COP also boasts one of the strongest pharmacy research programs in the nation, with $17M-$22M in annual extramural funding that consistently gives rise to high-impact publications, patents, citations, and awards.

The COP is committed to excellence and innovation in the education of future pharmacists, highimpact research in the pharmaceutical sciences, and service to our community and profession. As leaders in the application of pharmaceutical sciences to personalized medicine, we are helping transform patient care through discovering novel therapeutics and optimizing outcomes for existing medications.

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

Departments

• Medicinal Chemistry

• Molecular Pharmaceutics

• Pharmacology & Toxicology

• Pharmacotherapy

Points of Emphasis

• Every student is involved in a personalized, mentored research experience.

• Leading the transformation of pharmacy by developing new models of clinical care.

• Every PharmD student receives a full-tuition scholarship for their first year of study.

Number of Students

Master’s 4 PharmD 206 PhD 60

• Home of the Utah Poison Control Center, the Anticonvulsant Drug Development Program, and (with HCI) the University of Utah Therapeutics Accelerator Hub. Overall grant funding within the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)

Randall T. Peterson, PhD Dean, College of Pharmacy

SPENCER S. ECCLES HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARY

The Eccles Health Sciences Library (EHSL) aims to create a world where every person has access to the evidence-based information needed to make informed health care decisions that contribute to better care and better outcomes.

We strive to meet this vision by

• Participating in health education and training

• Facilitating health research

• Being part of the National Library of Medicine Network

• Transforming rural health care

• Providing spaces for study and collaboration

The EHSL is the central hub for evidence-based health information and leads campus research with systematic and scoping review services. A $10 million grant from the National Library of Medicine solidifies the library's national distinction as the Regional Medical Library for Region 4 and as the continuing home of the NNLM Training Office. In spring 2023, the EHSL will begin an earthquake retrofit and renovation that will allow us to better serve our community at the university and beyond.

S. ECCLES

Points of Emphasis

• Home to the Network of the National Library of Medicine National Training Center

• Four digital exhibitions featuring the history of health sciences at the University of Utah in 2022.

• 5,715 people received training in various research skills (2022).

• 367 education sessions (2022).

Catherine B. Soehner, MLS, BSN

Articles authored by EHSL faculty and sta (FY22)

39 presentations by EHSL faculty and sta at regional and national conferences (2022)

8,266 requests provided through Interlibrary Loan (FY22)

1 of 7 Regional Medical Libraries nationwide

Associate Dean for Research and Director, Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library Director, Region 4 and Training Office, Network of the National Library of Medicine

SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY

The School of Dentistry’s (SOD) four-year DDS program began in 2013 with an entering class of 20 students. Now with 200 students spread across four years and a 50-student entering class size, the SOD is housed in the stunning 89,000-squarefoot Ray and Tye Noorda Oral Health Sciences Building. The school is rooted in its mission to provide comprehensive oral health care to communities in need across the state of Utah. Now with eight clinical sites from Ogden to St. George and a mobile dental outreach program, the SOD is actively bringing oral health care to urban and rural Utah. The school’s vision engages faculty, students, and residents to collaborate on research, clinical, educational, and outreach initiatives.

The SOD continues to graduate students prepared to enter the most prestigious advanced dental residency programs across the country. It is home to an ADA-approved program with 12 residents who gain deep experience working within U of U Health. In collaboration with their medical student colleagues, SOD dental students and residents are reimagining comprehensive health care, including integrated medical and dental records.

SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY

Points of Emphasis

• Improve the oral and overall health of the community through education, research, and service.

• Increase access to care for the underserved across Utah.

• Utah’s sole Medicaid dental provider for the elderly, people with visual impairments or disabilities, and patients in substance abuse treatment.

• Largest clinical network of any dental school in the nation—eight clinical locations across Utah from St. George to Ogden offer comprehensive dental care.

• High success rate for placing students into prestigious residency programs across the U.S.

• New mobile dental clinic capability with a focus on increasing access to oral health care in rural communities across Utah.

Wyatt R. “Rory” Hume, DDS, PhD Dean, School of Dentistry

Number of Students

DS4s 46

DS3s 51

DS2s 51

DS1s 50

University of Utah School of Dentisty has one of the largest dental school clinics in the U.S.

SPENCER FOX ECCLES SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

The Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine (SFESOM) houses 24 clinical and basic science departments and nearly 1,900 physician and research faculty. With an entering class of 125, the school has nearly 530 MD students spread across four years and several joint degree programs.

SFESOM trains two-thirds of Utah physicians, offering an MD program, several PhD programs, and the No. 4-ranked physician assistant program in the nation. It also offers degrees in public health, medical laboratory science, cardiovascular perfusion, occupational and environmental health, and several research disciplines. Convenient co-location with University of Utah Hospital and relative proximity to the rest of the health system and its affiliates provides learners with deep exposure to pioneering efforts in health care value and quality.

A robust Graduate Medical Education office oversees more than 900 trainees in 36 residency and 106 fellowship specialties. As a research institution, SFESOM is known for its work in genetics, cancer, biomedical informatics, neuroscience, cardiology, hematology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, and obstetrics/gynecology, among other disciplines.

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Points of Emphasis

• Reimagined MD Program: Emerging from MedEdMorphosis, a new mission-driven curriculum will launch in fall 2023.

• Student-Led Clinics: The new MD program includes participation in student-led clinics during all four years of med school.

• A Population Health Scholars Program in partnership with Intermountain Health trains future physicians in population health.

Wayne Samuelson, MD Dean, Medical Education

Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine

Number of Students

ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS

SOCIETAL IMPACT OF HEALTH SCIENCES

As a truly integrated health system, our academic departments are utilizing talent, resources, and collaboration to change the way science and health care are practiced and delivered.

Anesthesiology

Played key roles in developing the transmucosal fentanyl delivery system (i.e., fentanyl lollipop) for cancer pain and the short-acting opioid remifentanil for intravenous anesthesia.

Biochemistry

The first breakthroughs on the structure of the ribosome, which ultimately led to the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Biomedical Informatics

Integral to many early informatics achievements such as early electronic medical record (EMR) systems (HELP) and the first diagnostic expert system (Iliad).

Communication Sciences & Disorders

Seven faculty have been honored as Fellows of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the highest honor the organization bestows upon its members.

Dermatology

Dermatology faculty were instrumental in discovering p16, the first familial melanoma gene.

Emergency Medicine

In 2022, after functioning for 38 years as a division within the Departments of Internal Medicine and Surgery, emergency medicine became its own department within the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine.

Family & Preventive Medicine

The department is home to the Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, the only National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-supported education and research center in the Mountain West.

Health & Kinesiology

Working with the U.S. military to develop new clinically deployable assessments that enhance service member safety and better determine readiness for duty after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

Human Genetics

First to identify the BRCA1 (breast cancer and ovarian cancer) gene, an accomplishment that paved the way for the discovery of more than 50 additional genes at U of U Health.

Internal Medicine

» Division of Cardiovascular Medicine

Developed the first arti fi cial heart and the intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) as a short-term treatment for heart conditions.

» Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes

Opened the region’s first General Clinical Research Center at the University of Utah in 1977.

» Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition

Identi fied the genetic cause of an inherited form of colon cancer and defined clinical standards in caring for patients with the disease.

» Division of General Internal Medicine

Played an important role in identifying methods for accurately measuring blood pressure and integrating them into the clinic.

» Division of Geriatrics

Instrumental in making the key discovery that decreasing systolic blood pressure to lower-thanstandard levels delays the onset of cognitive impairment in older adults.

» Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies

Pioneered the field of hematology through the study of the basic pathophysiology and genetics of blood disease.

» Division of Infectious Diseases

Opened the inaugural PrEP clinic in Utah for preventing HIV, among the first in the nation.

» Division of Oncology

Found that a drug—apalutamide—prolongs survival in men with metastatic prostate cancer.

» Division of Respiratory, Critical Care, and Occupational Pulmonary Medicine

Identi fied new roles for platelet dysfunction in acute (sepsis) and chronic (diabetes) states of inflammation, opening up novel avenues for intervention.

» Division of Rheumatology

Developed methods and objective measures essential for carrying out multi-centered clinical trials on rheumatic diseases.

Medicinal Chemistry

Part of an international team of researchers who discovered a new species of giant shipworm in 2017.

Neurobiology

Discovered that a gene originally from viruses is important for our ability to learn and form memories, and revealed a novel form of communication between cells in the brain.

Neurology

Inventor of a licensed method for treating neurodegenerative diseases with an antisense oligonucleotide-based molecular therapy.

Neurosurgery

Developed a device used worldwide for fusing cervical vertebrae following trauma and for treating degenerative conditions.

Nutrition & Integrative Physiology

Defined a class of fats, called ceramides, as a cause of diabetes and metabolic disorders.

Obstetrics & Gynecology

Pioneered a laser ablation procedure for a serious complication of twin pregnancies, called twin-twin transfusion syndrome. The technique is now performed worldwide.

Occupational & Recreational Therapies

Internationally recognized for a unique clinical fi eldwork program in which students from several universities provide therapy services to individuals with refugee and immigrant status.

Oncological Sciences

A leader in understanding cancer mechanisms, including orthotopic models for breast cancer, chromatin regulation of gene expression, and mouse models of lung cancer.

Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences

Created the first gene therapy and will carry out clinical trials of it for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in the industrialized world.

Orthopaedics

First in-human clinical trial of the Percutaneous Osseointegrated Prosthesis (POP), a device implanted into the bone in above-knee amputees, allowing them to walk with comfort and control.

Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

Research and advocacy directed by Albert Park, MD, and his team helped create legislation mandating early cytomegalovirus (CMV) testing for newborns. Utah became the first state to introduce an early testing program for CMV diagnosis. This legislation resulted in other states implementing mandates to improve identi fi cation and treatment.

Parks, Recreation, & Tourism

The Parks, Recreation, & Tourism program is ranked No. 5 out of all Parks, Recreation, and Leisure programs in the U.S. (Universities.com), based on career preparation, students and culture, facilities, and activities and groups. The program is also accredited through the Council on Accreditation for Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Related Professions (COAPRT).

Pathology

Inventor of lightcycler real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, increasing the speed and precision of molecular diagnostics.

Pediatrics

A pioneer in Education in Pediatrics Across the Continuum (EPAC), an exciting project to establish a model for true competency-based medical education.

Molecular Pharmaceutics

Pioneered the field of polymer therapeutics for targeted drug delivery.

Pharmacology & Toxicology

Began Anticonvulsant Drug Development Program in 1975 and, since then, has tested the vast majority of the drugs used to control seizures in patients with epilepsy, helping millions of people worldwide.

Pharmacotherapy

The Pharmacotherapy Outcomes Research Center is an internationally recognized center of excellence for pharmacy outcomes and health economics research.

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Played an important role in developing advanced rehabilitation technology, including the TetraSki and other Tetradapt sports equipment, for people with complex disabilities.

Physical Therapy & Athletic Training

Celebrated the 50th anniversary of the physical therapy program in 2019—rising from humble beginnings to now being ranked the No. 13 Doctor of Physical Therapy program in the U.S.

Population Health Sciences

A leading force in developing digital health interventions to improve the physical and mental health of our patients.

Psychiatry

Developed and maintains the clinical aspects of the SafeUT app, a crisis chat and tip line, which is disseminated throughout K-12 grades in Utah schools and credited with saving numerous lives.

Radiation Oncology

Opened the Senator Orrin G. Hatch Proton Therapy Center in January 2021, the first of its kind, bringing advanced radiation therapy to patients in the Mountain West.

Radiology & Imaging Sciences

Innovated statistical brain mapping, and disseminated the technology internationally, to improve diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s.

Surgery

Pioneered development of the cochlear implant, which has revolutionized rehabilitation of hearing loss.

Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine

ANESTHESIOLOGY

The Department of Anesthesiology provides first-class perioperative medicine services, advances the frontiers of scientific knowledge in anesthesiology, pain medicine, and critical care, and trains the perioperative medicine specialists of the future. The department’s tagline is “putting the patient first in the clinic, classroom, and laboratory.”

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

192 Faculty (122 primary, 70 adjunct)

50 Residents

15 Postdoctoral Fellows

30 Advanced Practice Clinicians

$2.8M Research Expenditures (FY22)

#38 Dept. Funding Rank (NIH)

Education

The anesthesiology residency attracts the best medical students nationwide. One unique program feature is the Anesthesiology Center for Patient Simulation, with high-fidelity, immersive simulations for teaching, board recertification, and research. The department also supports many fellowship programs, including chronic pain management, cardiothoracic anesthesiology, acute pain management, liver transplantation, critical care, and perioperative echocardiography. Department faculty developed the Safe Sedation Training, a nationally subscribed online virtual preceptorship training program in procedural sedation for non-anesthesia practitioners.

Research

Our research portfolio includes investigation in the areas of pain and fatigue, medical device

development, clinical pharmacology and drug development, echocardiography, and “big data” analytics. The department’s entrepreneurial research enterprise has more than 10 licensed products on the market.

Clinical

The department offers comprehensive perioperative and pain medicine services. Unique clinical strengths include an internationally known perioperative echocardiography service, offering 24/7/365 “rescue echo” for patients suffering circulatory failure. The department is a national leader in the advancement of acute pain management and total intravenous anesthesia. Outside the operating rooms, department physicians attend in four perioperative intensive care units within University of Utah Hospital and Huntsman Cancer Institute. Additionally, the Pain Management Center attracts patients from around the Mountain West for evaluation and treatment of complex pain syndromes.

Other

The department has enjoyed success in entrepreneurial research. More than a halfdozen active companies from the department market medical devices, software, and drug delivery systems. For example, Anesta developed the “fentanyl lollipop,” a successful treatment for patients suffering from cancer pain.

Department Chair

Talmage D. Egan, MD

K.C. Wong Presidential Endowed Chair in Anesthesiology | Professor, Anesthesiology • Adjunct Professor, Bioengineering, Neurosurgery, Pharmaceutics, and Pharmaceutical Chemistry • MD, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine • Residency: Surgery, University of Utah; Anesthesiology, Stanford U. • Fellowship: Clinical Pharmacology, Stanford U.

BIOCHEMISTRY

The Department of Biochemistry is a diverse and inclusive community conducting biochemical research at the forefront of current knowledge; educating medical students, graduate students, and fellows; and serving the institution, the extended scientific community, and society at large. Our particular focus is on characterizing macromolecules and biological processes at the molecular level. Research groups in the department determine the structures of biological macromolecules, elucidate the mechanisms by which they function, and translate this information to advance research technology and medicine.

Research

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

55 Faculty (23 tenure, 19 research track, 23 adjunct)

32 Postdoctoral Fellows

74 Students

$18.78M Research Expenditures (FY22)

#12 Dept. Funding Rank (NIH)

Education

The biochemistry department offers combined graduate programs in biological chemistry, molecular biology, and neuroscience. It also supports the MD/PhD program and undergraduate medical education. Department faculty have received four University of Utah Outstanding Mentor/Educator Awards for graduate and medical education.

Department Chair

Wesley I. Sundquist, PhD

Our broad research portfolio includes strengths in metabolism and diabetes, nucleic acids biochemistry, structural biology, and chemical biology. Areas of growth include protein, biochemical, and cell engineering; molecular imaging; and cell biology. The department’s total NIH funding consistently places it near the top 10 nationally. Research honors for current faculty include five Pew/Searle Scholar Awards, five Distinguished Professors, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, four members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and four members of the National Academy of Sciences.

Other

Other departmental strengths include molecular animation and communication; success in commercialization, as reflected by the establishment of multiple, well-capitalized startups; and a successful commitment to recruiting and supporting trainees from groups that are historically underrepresented in science.

Leo T. and Barbara K. Samuels Presidential Endowed Chair • Distinguished Professor, Biochemistry • PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS

The Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI) is an international hub for students, faculty, researchers, and industry partners for discovery, innovation, and application of informatics. We advance health sciences and practice by pursuing excellence in the discovery and application of informatics innovations, the education of the next generation of a diverse biomedical workforce, and the establishment, development, and building of collaborative partnerships.

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

74 Faculty (24 primary, 50 adjunct)

4 Postdoctoral Fellows

84 Students (59 MS, 25 PhD)

$6.0M Research Expenditures (FY22)

Education

DBMI offers a variety of opportunities for interdisciplinary training through its PhD program and its professional track Master’s program with specialization in Clinical & Digital Health Informatics, Clinical Data Science, and Bioinformatics. DBMI provides intensive coursework and research training in a collaborative culture to ensure its students gain expertise and leadership skills to impact the field. DBMI hosts two NIH-sponsored graduate training grants. It also provides CME activities and contributes to the medical school’s curriculum, offering sponsored seminars through its partnership with industry leaders to foster multidisciplinary collaborations.

Research

DBMI’s research portfolio includes Clinical & Digital Health Informatics, Clinical Data Science, Translational Bioinformatics, and Translational Clinical Informatics.

Department Chair

Yves Lussier, MD, FACMI Professor, Biomedical Informatics

Its strategy is to foster multidisciplinary research that capitalizes on all three missions of University of Utah Health.

Research initiatives include: the Clinical & Digital Health Informatics U of U Health & DBMI partnership ReImagine EHR, which leads the nation in developing, implementing, and evaluating interoper- able digital innovations and predictive analytics and decision support that are integrated with EHR; research projects leveraging Clinical Data Science analytics that synergize with clinical and biomolecular informatics; NIHfunded projects in translational informatics, ranging from precision medicine, newborn DNA variant interpretation and screening, mining genetic variation to understand human disease, single-subject studies and rare disease transcriptomics, pathogen genome discovery; and translational clinical informatics projects that span COVID-associated comorbidities, predictive analytics that leverage comorbidity networks, and exposure-associated disease discovery.

Other

DBMI faculty provide informatics leadership for the Utah Clinical and Translational Science Institute via its Informatics Core. Established in 1964 as the first biomedical informatics department in the U.S., DBMI has granted more than 500 doctoral and master's degrees and has alumni in key positions in academia, clinical medicine, government, and private industry.

• MD, University of Sherbrooke • Residency: Family Medicine, University of Sherbrooke • Fellowship: Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University

COMMUNICATION SCIENCES & DISORDERS

The Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders (CSD) is an exciting place to learn and work. Faculty members are nationally and internationally recognized scholars who are advancing clinical and theoretical knowledge through their research in speech, language, and hearing.

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

31 Faculty (9 tenure track, 22 clinical or adjunct)

138 Graduate Students

42 Clinical Doctorate Students

$1.43M Research Expenditures (FY22)

Education

The CSD mission is to prepare highly competent and caring professional audiologists and speech-language pathologists. The department provides undergraduate students a strong background in the basic processes underlying typically developing speech, language, and hearing. We provide our graduate students with world-class pedagogical and clinical experiences.

CSD offers a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Speech and Hearing Science, a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) certification program, a Master of Science (MS) in SpeechLanguage Pathology, a Professional Doctorate of Audiology (AuD), and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). The BS in Speech and Hearing Science is

Department Chair

a preparatory degree for the MS and the AuD programs. The PhD program trains outstanding research scientists in the fields of communication disorders and speech and hearing sciences.

Research

Home to nine research laboratories, CSD is a preeminent research and teaching department with national and global reach. The department cultivates an academic environment in which the highest standards of scholarship and clinical service are practiced. All faculty, staff, and students promote a climate of respect and equity that cultivates and sustains transformative practices in the classroom, clinic, and community.

Clinical

The department runs an active on-campus speech and hearing clinic serving people of all ages that have speech, language, voice, swallowing, and hearing impairments. The department also offers numerous specialty clinics, including an intensive stuttering clinic, preschool language groups, a transgender voice clinic, a Parkinson’s disease clinic, and a vestibular (balance) clinic.

Michael Blomgren, PhD, CCC-SLP Professor, Communication Sciences & Disorders PhD, University of Connecticut

DERMATOLOGY

The Department of Dermatology aspires to be the best in the country and is dedicated to discovery, education, and delivery of collaborative, compassionate care.

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

80 Faculty (54 primary, 26 adjunct)

11 Residents

12 Advanced Practice Clinicians

$4.43M Research Expenditures (FY22)

#16 Dept. Funding Rank (NIH)

Education

The department’s residency program has 11 dermatology residents and ranks among the top 20 programs in the nation (No. 17 on Doximity). The department supports fellowship programs in autoimmune and complex medical dermatology, psoriasis, melanoma, and micrographic surgery.

Research

The department’s research portfolio includes clinical and translational research in melanoma, psoriasis, autoimmune blistering disease, and patient-reported outcomes. The department obtained $4.43 million in extramural funding in FY22.

Department Chair

Kristina Callis Duffin, MD

Clinical

The department’s 80 faculty members provide care at 16 clinical locations and five hospitals. Clinically, the department is recognized as a national leader in psoriasis, bullous and other autoimmune skin diseases, and melanoma. The Midvalley Health Center operates several areas of excellence providing expertise in allergy, Mohs surgery, mole mapping, autoimmunity, psoriasis, and aesthetics, among others. Faculty also provide telemedicine consultations throughout the Mountain West region.

Other

In the last five years, a departmental faculty member has served as president of the American Board of Dermatology, while others served on the Board of the American Contact Dermatitis Society and the National Psoriasis Foundation. In addition, numerous faculty members served as president of both the Intermountain Dermatology Society and the Utah Dermatology Society. Gerald Krueger, MD, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Psoriasis Foundation in 2017. The Department of Dermatology has recruited experts in all areas of skin disease and care.

Professor, Dermatology • MD, University of Washington • Residency: Internal Medicine, Maine Medical Center; Dermatology, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine

EMERGENCY MEDICINE

Compassionate care is at the core of emergency medicine. The Department of Emergency Medicine provides a medical safety net to the Utah community and Mountain West region to ensure that even the most vulnerable community members have access to the highest level of care possible.

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

101 Faculty (31 Primary, 35 Clinical Attending, 35 Adjunct)

9 Postdoctoral Fellows

27 Residents

21 Advanced Practice Clinicians

$1.87M Research Expenditures (FY22)

#30 Dept. Funding Rank (NIH)

Education

The Department of Emergency Medicine runs a highly competitive and successful residency program and provides specialized fellowship programs in Emergency Medical Services (EMS), global health, hospice and palliative care, sports medicine, point of care ultrasound, research, and wilderness medicine. Emergency Medicine faculty are highly active in graduate and undergraduate medical education at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine serving as core faculty, clinical coaches, core course directors, and assistant dean positions. This year, the department will initiate a top-tier Emergency Medicine core clerkship rotation for medical students.

Clinical

Emergency medicine provides exceptional patient care at three emergency departments:

University of Utah Hospital, a fully approved Trauma 1 Center; Stroke and STEMI (heart attack) receiving center at South Jordan Health Center, a free-standing emergency department; and Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County in Rock Springs, Wyoming, a critical access community hospital serving southwest Wyoming. Through medical directorships with local EMS agencies, emergency medicine serves over 1.2 million people in the Salt Lake Valley and provides air medical support to the largest regional catchment area in the United States. The department’s prehospital reach ensures that exceptional care begins even before patients arrive at the hospital.

Research

Emergency Medicine has established a robust basic and translational research infrastructure emphasizing trauma and medical resuscitation, animal modeling for critical care, endovascular therapies for hemodynamic stability, and ischemia-reperfusion injury. The department also has active clinical trials in the areas of palliative care, acute kidney injury, ultrasound, opiate use disorder, cardiac arrest, and clinical scoring systems for detecting pulmonary embolisms. We have established numerous collaborative partnerships within the university, including research projects with cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, neurology, neurosurgery, and radiology.

Christy Hopkins, MD, MBA, MPH, FACEP

Associate Professor, Emergency Medicine • MD, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine

• MBA, University of Utah David Eccles School of Business • MPH, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine (Public Health) • Residency: Emergency Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester | Fellowship: Research, University of Utah Division of Emergency Medicine

FAMILY & PREVENTIVE MEDICINE

The Department of Family & Preventive Medicine optimizes quality of life through scholarship that advances health and well-being in homes, workplaces, and communities.

Departmental Divisions

• Family Medicine

• Physician Assistant Studies

• Public Health

• Occupational & Environmental Health

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

728 Faculty (91 career line, 637 adjunct)

447 Graduate Students

34 Residents and Fellows

2 Postdoctoral Fellows

11 Advanced Practice Clinicians

$20.71M Research Expenditures (FY22)

#4 Dept. Funding Rank (NIH)

Education

The department offers medical student education in family medicine and occupational medicine, PhD programs in public health and occupational and environmental health, and master’s programs in physician assistant studies, public health, biostatistics, and occupational and environmental health. The department operates extended campuses in St. George, Utah, and Incheon, South Korea. Nationally, the Physician Assistant Studies program ranks No. 4 and Medical-Primary Care ranks No. 25 (U.S. News & World Report, 2023 Rankings).

Research

The department’s core research strengths garner national recognition. Well-known work includes cancer research in conjunction with the Huntsman Cancer Institute, reproduction perinatal epidemiology, global health, primary care, community health, health equity, and COVID-19. The department is home to one of 15 OSHA-funded education and research centers. The department is currently ranked No. 4 nationally for total NIH funding ($6.8 million in FY22).

Clinical

The department’s clinical practices operate team-based models and have been nationally recognized for patient satisfaction, achievements in quality improvement, and leadership in occupational and environmental health. The department is committed to outreach and providing high-quality care to patients in medically underserved communities.

Other

The department engages with communities within Utah and worldwide, providing expertise across missions and partnering with community members and organizations to improve quality of life. The department is home to the Utah Center for Promotion of Work Equity Research, a NIOSH Center of Excellence for Total Worker Health®. The department also houses the Professional Development Core of the National Research Mentoring Network, an NIH-funded consortium providing trainees with mentorship and professional development programming.

Department Chair

Kolawole S. Okuyemi, MD, MPH

George D. Gross, M.D. & Esther M. Gross, M.D. Presidential Endowed Chair in Family & Preventive Medicine • Professor, Family & Preventive Medicine • MD, University of Ilorin School of Medicine (Nigeria) • MPH, University of Kansas • Residency: Medicine, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (Nigeria); Family Medicine, University of Kansas

HEALTH & KINESIOLOGY

The Health & Kinesiology Department (H&K) is home to several undergraduate and graduate programs that provide intensive specialized training in physiological, environmental, psychological, social, physical, and medical sciences. It also develops strategies large and small to assist individuals, communities, and societies in adopting and maintaining healthy lifestyles.

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

28 Faculty (16 tenure track, 12 career line)

30 Fitness Instructors

1,200 Undergraduate Students

33 Graduate Students

3 Postdoctoral Fellows

$1.45M Research Expenditures (FY22)

Undergraduate Education

H&K faculty and staff aspire to be globally recognized for excellence in advancing and mentoring future leaders. Students have multiple opportunities to engage in community, educational, and research initiatives. They may also customize their experience to best suit their professional goals. Areas of undergraduate study include kinesiology, nuclear medicine, community health education, health and physical education teaching, and emergency medical services. Minors in health, occupational safety and health, and health teaching are also available.

Research and Graduate Studies

Scientific investigation is at the forefront of the department. The H&K graduate programs train

Department Chair

Tim Brusseau, PhD Professor, Health & Kinesiology PhD, Arizona State University

students interested in conducting translational research that will enhance health, quality of life, and human performance. Students who pursue an MS or PhD in Health & Kinesiology conduct innovative research in three focus areas: exercise and disease, physical activity and well-being, and cognitive and motor neuroscience. A practical application-focused non-thesis MS in Health Education and Wellness Coaching is also available. Students in this program are prepared to work in clinical health settings promoting more health and less medicine through the development of healthy lifestyles.

Department Programs

The ESSF (Exercise Sport Science Fitness) Program provides a plethora of fitness courses as well as instructor certifications. The aim of the program is to encourage and support lifelong physical activity and healthy habits. Classes are open to students, faculty, staff, and members of the community.

The Center for Emergency Programs offers a variety of training courses in emergency medical services (EMS), wilderness rescue, and prehospital training, including first aid, CPR, EMT, AEMT, swift water rescue, avalanche rescue, and many others. Courses are offered every semester following the academic calendar as well as in short formats for community groups and businesses.

HUMAN GENETICS

The Department of Human Genetics is dedicated to studying the genetic control and development of disease.

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

43 Faculty (23 primary, 20 adjunct)

33 Postdoctoral Fellows

54 Students (35 PhD, 19 MS)

$13.04M Research Expenditures (FY22)

#25 Dept. Funding Rank (NIH)

Education

The department hosts MS and PhD programs in human genetics. It confers five to 10 PhDs per year. The department’s Genetic Counseling Training Program admits seven students per year. In addition, department faculty participate extensively in medical student education. The department supports predoctoral trainees through a T32 Training Program in Genetics (principal investigators Gillian Stanfield and David Grunwald) and postdoctoral trainees through a T32 Training Program in Genomic Medicine (principal investigator Lynn Jorde).

Research

Faculty research interests are wide-ranging and include the identification of genes implicated in human disease using human data and the

Department Chair

Lynn B. Jorde, PhD

major model systems for genetic research: C. elegans, Drosophila, mice, and zebrafish. Research interests also include bioinformatics, genomics, statistical genetics, population genetics, clinical genetics, and evolution. Cutting-edge genetic research is a key focus of the department.

Other

Many human genetics faculty work closely with the Center for Genomic Medicine to discover the genetic causes of disease and translate these discoveries into accurate diagnoses, targeted treatments, prevention strategies, and cures. This work stems from the Utah Genome Project, a genome sequencing initiative within the department. The department is also home to the Utah Center for Genetic Discovery, which leads the development of technologies that enable researchers and clinicians to visualize and interpret genomic big data.

Faculty include one Nobel Laureate, one member of the National Academy of Sciences, three elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and nine endowed chairs. The widely acclaimed Genetic Science Learning Center is also housed within the department.

Mark and Kathie Miller Presidential Endowed Chair Professor, Human Genetics

PhD, University of New Mexico

INTERNAL MEDICINE

The University of Utah’s Department of Internal Medicine advances health through excellence in each of its core domains—education, patient care, and discovery—by inspiring engaged faculty, staff, and trainees, encouraging innovative thinking, and building collaborative partnerships.

Departmental Divisions

• Cardiovascular Medicine

• Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes

• Epidemiology

• Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition

• General Internal Medicine

• Geriatrics

• Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies

• Infectious Diseases

• Nephrology and Hypertension

• Oncology

• Respiratory, Critical Care, and Occupational Pulmonary Medicine

• Rheumatology

Education

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

721 Faculty (433 primary, 269 adjunct)

134 Residents

91 Clinical Fellows

200 Advanced Practice Clinicians

$82.49M Research Expenditures (FY22)

The Department of Internal Medicine plays a foundational role in academics at the University of Utah. The department has a large degree of engagement in education, comprising 20 percent of fulltime employees and 16.6 percent of core educators. Furthermore, Internal Medicine faculty taught 15 percent of all class sessions in 2021. The department trains more than 130 residents annually in its categorical, preliminary, and combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics residency programs. In addition, our fellowship programs train nearly 100 fellows annually.

The categorical residency program attracts high-quality residents from across the United States and is proud to emphasize diversity in its residency class. The program is well balanced to offer exceptional clinical training in both the inpatient and outpatient settings, allowing residents to choose areas of training that include traditional, global health, underserved communities, or academic hospitalist training tracks. The program strategically grows its curriculum with active initiatives in substance use, resilience training and burnout prevention and recognition, health care policy and advocacy, health care disparities, and health equity. Mentoring and opportunities for research are high priorities for the department. While in residency training, the 2020-2021 categorical internal medicine graduates participated in scholarship projects resulting in 47 presentations at international, national, and regional meetings and 43 publications.

Research

Internal medicine maintains a proud research tradition, including the first-ever extramural NIH grant, which was awarded to our founding chair, Maxwell M. Wintrobe, in the 1940s. Research continues to be our central focus, with a growing research faculty base and increased grant funding. Currently, sponsored research in the Department of Internal Medicine ($105M in awards) represents approximately one-third of the total extramural dollars awarded to the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine.

The department exemplifies the collaborative spirit found within the University of Utah. It maintains strong partnerships among divisions, across departments, and with the Huntsman Cancer Institute, VA

 Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine

Medical Center, and Intermountain Health. Members of the department engage with investigators in health sciences initiatives (cancer, cardiovascular, diabetes and metabolism, genomics, neuroscience, 3i, global health), as well as CTSI, molecular medicine, CVRTI, and other organizations. Specific areas targeted for growth include diabetes, heart failure, cardiorenal syndrome, health services research, implementation science, addiction medicine, microbial genomics, and partnering with genomic medicine to create a biorepository for discovering the genetic causes and biomarkers of multiple diseases.

The department strives to create an environment for successful career development across the continuum—from students to established investigators. Early career faculty are typically supported by NIH K and other competitive research career development awards. Extensive focus is placed on the transition from career development to research independence. Emphasis on mentorship and sponsorship is key to our success.

Clinical

With 51,000+ new patients, almost 1.4 million wRVUs, and nearly 500 MDs and APCs across 11 clinical divisions, the department is one of the major drivers of the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine’s clinical mission. The department is a destination care treatment center for many diseases, including cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, interstitial lung disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, pulmonary hypertension, amyloidosis, vasculitis, multi-organ transplant, and medical oncology. Skilled clinicians provide both routine and lifesaving care to patients living in Utah and across six additional states.

Other

With 12 divisions, 700+ faculty, and more than 220 residents and fellows, internal medicine is U of U Health’s largest clinical department. For more than 75 years, the department has built a rich history of providing excellent care, quality research, and valuable education in Utah. We are committed to increasing equity, diversity, and inclusion among all members of this community through creating an environment of openness, compassion, excellence, and respect. These values build the foundation that supports all that we do in the Department of Internal Medicine.

Department Chair

John Inadomi, MD

Jon M. Huntsman Presidential Chair • Professor, Internal Medicine • MD, University of California, San Francisco • Residency: Internal Medicine, University of California, San Francisco • Fellowship: Gastroenterology, University of California, San Francisco

MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY

The Department of Medicinal Chemistry is dedicated to creating new knowledge for the discovery and development of the next generation of pharmaceutical agents, training pharmacy students and graduate students, and serving the institution and the larger community.

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

20 Faculty (10 tenure track, 8 research, 2 adjunct)

15 PhD Students

9 Postdoctoral Fellows

$3.58M Research Expenditures (FY22)

Education

Medicinal chemistry offers a PhD and recruits students from the combined graduate programs in biological chemistry, molecular biology, and from the Department of Biomedical Engineering. It also has a central role in educating Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students. Department faculty received the University of Utah Outstanding Mentor Award for graduate education and College of Pharmacy Outstanding Teacher awards.

Research

A broad research portfolio includes strengths in marine natural products compound discovery, metagenomics of natural product biosynthetic pathways, inhibitors of protein phosphatases,

Department Chair

Darrell Davis, PhD Professor, Medicinal Chemistry

Adjunct Professor, Biochemistry

PhD, University of Utah

nucleic acid-targeted therapeutics, computational modeling, and DNA-encoded drug libraries.

Areas of growth include bio-orthogonal drug design, epigenetic structure and regulation, microbiome symbiosis and regulation, and chemical biology. The department is one of four in the College of Pharmacy that, in aggregate, place it No. 12 for external funding among all pharmacy schools in the United States.

The department is ranked No. 4 in the country among medicinal chemistry departments by Academic Analytics. Recent faculty awards include AACP Paul Dawson Biotechnology, two University of Utah Presidential Scholars, the University of Utah Distinguished Mentor Award, two University of Utah Distinguished Professors, and the 2021 Rosenblatt Prize for Excellence.

Other

Other department strengths include success in commercialization, as reflected by the establishment of multiple, well-capitalized startup companies. The department has demonstrated success in diversity recruiting within the faculty and a history of supporting underrepresented minorities in the PhD student population.

MOLECULAR PHARMACEUTICS

Focusing on biomedical research in biotherapeutics and the evolving field of drug delivery, the Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics prepares graduate students to work in a variety of settings. Graduates go on to academic, research, administrative, business management, legal, regulatory, and investment careers related to drug delivery and pharmaceutical chemistry.

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

66 Faculty (11 tenure track, 8 research track, 47 adjunct)

25 Graduate Students

3 Postdoctoral Fellows

$2.04M Research Expenditures (FY22)

Education

PHCEU curriculum provides a strong background in modern-day, basic biomedical sciences and trains students in fundamental concepts of pharmaceutics and drug delivery. This year, the department welcomed its largest incoming class and now has a 54% female demographic. The graduation rate for the department is 100% for the last seven years, and department faculty have received the 2022 NIMS Award and two Class Teaching Awards in the College of Pharmacy.

Research

Major research programs include drug targeting, biopolymers and nanoparticles for drug delivery, cancer immunotherapy,

Department Chair

Hamid Ghandehari, PhD

antibody-drug conjugates, gene therapy and gene delivery, peptide and protein delivery and therapies, biosensors, nanotoxicology, vaccines, cell-based therapies, and cell sheets for tissue regeneration. The department has been nationally ranked in the top 10 of pharmaceutics departments for two decades (Academic Analytics). The department has gained international research prominence in drug delivery, gene delivery, and polymeric materials. It is home to three University of Utah Distinguished Professors, faculty with two memberships in U.S. national academies, and editorship of major drug delivery journals.

Other

Other departmental strengths include interdisciplinary collaborations with more than 100 other scientists locally, nationally, and internationally, success in research patents and commercialization, and formation of multiple viable companies. Academic Analytics ranks the department as No. 3 out of 65 departments in research impact at the University of Utah.

George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Presidential Endowed Chair Professor, Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Biochemical Engineering Director, Utah Center for Nanomedicine PhD, University of Utah

NEUROBIOLOGY

The Department of Neurobiology is a vibrant community conducting research in neuroscience, with the goal of understanding brain function in health and disease. Research is focused on the molecular basis of synaptic communication, neural connectivity, and behavior, using molecular and genetic tools combined with advanced imaging and recording methods. The department is an integral part of the campus-wide neuroscience community, with key roles in multiple combined graduate training programs as well as postdoctoral and undergraduate research education. The Division of Anatomical Sciences supports department activities related to health professional education. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment through all of our missions.

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

43 Faculty (25 primary, 21 adjunct)

39 Graduate Students

26 Postdoctoral Fellows

$13.11M Research Expenditures (FY22)

#23 Dept. Fund Ranking (NIH)

Education

The department is strongly committed to graduate, MD/PhD, and postdoctoral training, emphasizing both research excellence and professional development, as well as providing research opportunities to undergraduates. Department faculty serve key leadership roles in the Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Neuroscience. Department faculty have significant roles in several T32 training grant programs. The department also contributes substantially to both medical and dental school education, as well as to the physician assistant program. Faculty educators are active in curriculum development, education scholarship, and innovation and have been recognized with numerous teaching and mentorship awards at the local and national level.

Department Chair

Monica Vetter, PhD

Research

Department faculty specialize in the molecular and genetic basis of synaptic communication, neural connectivity, circuits, and behavior in health and disease. The department is an integral part of a campus-wide neuroscience community and provides a basic science foundation for addressing disease-relevant problems through collaboration, embedding, and partnerships. Department faculty have been recognized with numerous research awards, including two Pew Scholars, the Eppendorf Prize for Neurobiology, the New York Stem Cell Foundation Robertson Neuroscience Investigator Award, the Klingenstein-Simons Fellowship Award in the Neurosciences, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Ben Barres Early Career Acceleration Award, and two NIH Director’s New Innovator Awards.

Other

The department administers the Body Donor Program, which is one of only a few programs in the Mountain West dedicated to providing anatomical material for educational and research needs of medical science.

George and Lorna Winder Presidential Endowed Chair in Neurosciences • Professor, Neurobiology • Adjunct Professor, Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences • PhD, University of California, San Francisco

NEUROLOGY

The Department of Neurology delivers excellence in patient care, teaching, and research. Clinical faculty strive to treat patients with compassion, understand the basis of neurological disease, teach this knowledge to others, and apply it to improve medical diagnoses. The department is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its missions.

Departmental Divisions

• Cognitive Neurology

• Epilepsy

• General Neurology

• Headache & NeuroOphthalmology

• Neurocritical Care

• Neuroimmunology

• Neuromuscular Medicine

• Neuropsychology in Neurology

• Pediatric Neurology

• Sleep & Movement Disorders

• Translational Neuroscience

• Vascular Neurology

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

95 Faculty (69 primary, 26 adjunct)

24 Residents 6 Postdoctoral Fellows

10 Advanced Practice Clinicians

$11.61 Research Expenditures (FY22)

#31 Dept. Funding Rank (NIH)

Education

The Department of Neurology trains the next generation of academic neurologists in 10 accredited fellowship programs: autoimmune neurology, clinical neurophysiology, epilepsy, headache, movement disorder, neurocritical care, neuroimmunology, neuromuscular, stroke/neurovascular, and neuro-ophthalmology. The department hosts the Western Intermountain Neurology Organization with its semiannual

national CME programs, as well as the annual Utah Stroke Symposium.

Research

Department research covers all aspects of basic and translational neuroscience. It is a national leader in clinical trials with NIH-funded centers in NeuroNext and StrokeNet. The department has a research budget that exceeds $12M and ranks No. 31 nationally for total NIH funding. The broad research portfolio includes federally funded projects by NIH and foundation grants.

The department leads development of novel treatments using antisense oligonucleotides ranging from preclinical testing to clinical trials for diseases such as Huntington’s disease, cerebellar ataxia, and ALS.

Clinical

The department is a recognized leader in subspecialty neurological care. University faculty in multiple subspecialty disciplines staff the neurology service at the George E. Wahlen Department of VA Medical Center. It runs the only superregional center of excellence for patients with Parkinson’s disease, ataxia, ALS, muscular dystrophy, Tourette syndrome, and Huntington’s disease. It is home to one of the nation’s largest telestroke networks, offering 24/7 medical and surgical support to patients throughout the Mountain West region. The department leads integrated programs with neurosurgery for neurocritical care, movement disorders, epilepsy, and one of the nation’s largest centers for deep brain stimulation.

Department Chair

Stefan Pulst, MD

Professor, Neurology • Adjunct Professor, Human Genetics • MD, Medizinische Hochschule Hanover (Germany) • Residency: Neurology, Medizinische Hochschule Hanover and Harvard Medical School

NEUROSURGERY

Through world-class, patient-focused care, clinical and laboratory research, and specialized academic training programs, the Department of Neurosurgery provides complete neurosurgical expertise to patients with cranial and spinal injuries, diseases, and disorders.

Departmental Divisions

• Functional/Epilepsy

• Neuro-Oncology

• Pediatric Neurosurgery

• Spine

Research

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

50 Faculty (29 primary, 21 adjunct)

17 Residents

5 Postdoctoral Fellows

16 Advanced Practice Clinicians

$3.37M Research Expenditures (FY22)

#25 Dept. Funding Rank (NIH)

• Vascular Education

The neurosurgery department runs a nationally competitive residency program and several research laboratories, which train graduate students, fellows, and residents. Fellowships are offered in pediatric, skull base, vascular, neurooncology, endovascular, spinal neurosurgery, and neurocritical care.

The research portfolio includes work in neurooncology, vascular disease, spine biomechanics, and clinical trials. Research faculty are located throughout the medical campus. Some current projects include hypoxia-induced tumor progression, genetic abnormalities causing pediatric brain tumors, rapid-stretch nerve injury, and brain tumor angiogenesis and biology. The department is also engaged in extensive clinical outcome research.

Clinical

Clinically, the neurosurgery department is a national leader in neurosurgical oncology, skull base surgery, and spine and pediatric neurosurgery. Department physicians offer an array of services including cerebrovascular, spinal, functional, traumatic, tumor, and pediatric neurosurgery at four hospitals and their affiliated clinics in the Salt Lake area.

Other

The department has been at the forefront of promoting diversity through special emphasis on educating and hiring highly qualified individuals who are also members of minority communities. Several division leaders have been subspecialty leaders in their respective areas. Department faculty are responsible for editing several journals, and multiple faculty members have been appointed to specialty editorial boards.

Department Chair

William T. Couldwell, MD, PhD

Joseph J. Yager Presidential Endowed Chair in the Department of Neurosurgery • Professor, Neurosurgery • Adjunct Professor, Surgery • MD, McGill University (Canada) • PhD, McGill University • Residency: Neurosurgery, University of Southern California

NUTRITION & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY

The Department of Nutrition & Integrative Physiology is dedicated to understanding how maintaining metabolic health combats the development and progression of chronic disease. It engages other programs within U of U Health to translate new research findings into clinical procedures and community outreach programs that improve quality of life.

Departmental and Affiliated Research Units

• University of Utah Center for Community Nutrition

• Diabetes and Metabolism Research Center

• Molecular Medicine Program

• Utah Vascular Research Lab

• Huntsman Cancer Institute

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

78 Faculty (12 tenure, 28 career line, 37 adjunct, 1 emeritus)

200 Nutrition Minor Students

71 Graduate Students (29 PhD, 31 CMP, 11 MS)

$4.91M Research Expenditures (FY22)

Education

Nutrition & Integrative Physiology trains leaders in dietetics and nutrition and metabolism research. Programs impart knowledge in a culture that produces exceptional graduates. Students come from a broad variety of backgrounds and experiences and display academic excellence, community service, and leadership potential. The department’s diverse class of students experience a dynamic learning environment that prepares them to serve all community sectors.

Academic Programs

• PhD in Nutrition and Integrative Physiology

• Coordinated Master’s Degree in Nutrition (RDN)

• MS in Nutrition and Integrative Physiology

• Undergraduate Minor in Nutrition

Research

The department’s research portfolio has expanded, exemplified by the increase in annual research expenditures in recent years. Department scientists use a variety of research techniques and models to understand how nutrient metabolism influences health and disease, bridging virtually all fields of human biology. Research programs benefit from outstanding core facilities and strong collaborations with other centers and institutes within U of U Health. Research funding increased from $200K in 2015-2016 to more than $7M in 2022-2023.

Clinical and Community Engagement

The department’s University of Utah Center for Community Nutrition (UUCCN) provides education about diabetes and healthy choices. Many UUCCN programs are affiliated with the Driving Out Diabetes Initiative. Programs include workshops, food demonstrations, and group discussions for youth, underserved lower-income families, and people experiencing homelessness. It also establishes community partnerships, increasing access to healthy foods for under-resourced communities. Since launching in 2017, the UUCCN has reached more than 190,000 individuals across Utah, Idaho, and Arizona. UUCCN also offers training opportunities for students throughout the College of Health.

Department Chair

Scott Summers, PhD

Distinguished Professor, Nutrition and Integrative Physiology • William J. Rutter, PhD, Presidential Endowed Chair in Biochemistry • Co-Director, Diabetes and Metabolism Research Center • PhD, Southern Illinois University

OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

The Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB/GYN) is known internationally for excellence in clinical care, medical education, and research. Department faculty are devoted to improving the health of women and their families.

Departmental Divisions

• General Obstetrics & Gynecology

• Gynecological Medicine

• Maternal-Fetal Medicine

• Reproductive Endocrinology & Fertility

• Urogynecology

• Family Planning

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

179 Faculty (64 career line, 115 adjunct)

26 Residents

12 Postdoctoral Fellows

14 Advanced Practice Clinicians

1 Students

$11.39M Research Expenditures (FY22)

#25 Dept. Funding Rank (NIH)

Education

The department has a residency program, three accredited fellowships, and a six-week clerkship for all medical students. The department hosts weekly CME Grand Rounds and an annual postgraduate course. It also offers a graduate certificate in women’s health through the Center of Excellence in Women’s Health and holds four memorial lectureships annually.

Research

OB/GYN aims to be an excellent research program in obstetrics and gynecology. Clinical and translational research is integral to achieving this purpose. The department's portfolio includes eight new federal grants, an institutional K12 award (WHRHR), multiple career development awards, two NIH R01s, a K24, K12, K01, multiple NIH contracts, foundation grants, and industry studies. Since 1996, the department has participated in the NICHD Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network. In 2021, the department had 189 publications across all divisions, including several in high-impact journals. This is an increase of 55 publications compared to 2020.

Clinical

OB/GYN provides nearly 115,600 patient encounters annually and performs an average of 5,000 deliveries per year. It strives to maintain common interdisciplinary goals for quality while serving the broad needs of women in the sixstate Mountain West region. Providers give exceptional care to both patients with high-risk needs and those who desire low-intervention births. Collaborating with certified nurse midwives and family medicine physicians helps fulfill patient needs.

Department Chair

Robert M. Silver, MD

Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology • MD, Medical College of Pennsylvania • Residency: OB/GYN, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center • Fellowship: Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine

OCCUPATIONAL & RECREATIONAL THERAPIES

The Department of Occupational & Recreational Therapies (OTRT) operates from the belief that healthy, meaningful activities enhance health and quality of life. University of Utah offers the only training programs for occupational and recreational therapies in the state.

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

24 Faculty (12 primary, 12 adjunct)

12 Occupational Therapy Clinicians

67 Undergraduate Students

110 Occupational Therapy and Recreational Therapy Master's Students

17 Occupational Therapy Doctoral Students

10 PhD Students (Rehabilitation Science)

$515K Research Expenditures (FY22)

Education

The department is internationally known for its clinical fieldwork program, in which students from several universities provide therapy services to new Americans.

The BS/BA in Recreational Therapy program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). This program prepares individuals to sit for the national credentialing exam in Recreational Therapy. There are four semesters of didactic instruction with embedded clinical experiences and a semester of internship.

The Master of Science in Recreational Therapy program provides advanced education and clinical training in thesis and non-thesis options.

Potential students who are not yet recreational therapists may complete additional coursework to use this program as entry to the profession.

The online post-professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate program provides advanced education to practicing OTs.

In the Rehabilitation Science Doctoral program, students earn a PhD through advanced education in rehabilitation and health research. This program trains students as educators and researchers for positions as faculty and industry researchers.

Research

OTRT emphasizes the promotion of health and participation in valued life activities using an interdisciplinary, collaborative approach.Scientific investigation topics include technological and behavioral interventions for improving physical and mental health and quality of life for individuals with neurologic conditions, autism, sensory processing disorders, substance use disorders, and for older adults and care partners. Department research also focuses on health care profession pedagogy.

Clinical

OTRT’s Life Skills Clinic assists clients in participating in daily activities. Clinic therapists also provide occupational therapy services to several local charter and private schools. They are one of only four providers of Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) and one of three official providers for the state of Utah HB400 Pediatric Neuro-Rehab Fund.

Department Chair

Lorie Gage Richards, PhD

Associate Professor, Occupational & Recreational Therapies PhD, Syracuse University

ONCOLOGICAL SCIENCES

The Department of Oncological Sciences seeks to understand cancer at its most fundamental levels and to provide rigorous cancer education and laboratory training opportunities to graduate students, medical students, post-doctoral fellows, and clinical fellows. This science will help improve cancer prevention, diagnostics, and therapeutics.

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

41 Faculty (21 Primary, 20 Adjunct)

15 Postdoctoral Fellows

42 Students

$13.05M Research Expenditures (FY22)

Education

The Department of Oncological Sciences plays a leading role in cancer education for both graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. The vast majority of clinical faculty with laboratories in Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) have adjunct appointments in the department. Each year, the department oversees approximately 40-50 graduate students, including four from the MD-PhD program. Department faculty teach heavily in the molecular biology and biological chemistry program curricula. They also support the medical school’s curriculum and offer a focused cancer curriculum. The department and partner faculty coordinate and sponsor a broad cancer curriculum that includes didactic courses, journal clubs and specialty courses to provide transdisciplinary cancer training to graduate students, medical students, and postdoctoral fellows.

Department Chair

Bradley R. Cairns, PhD

Research

Oncological sciences is a mechanism-focused basic science department with a collaborative transdisciplinary approach to understanding cancer mechanisms. Particular strengths include cancer mechanisms, mouse and zebrafish modeling of cancer, chromatin-cancer connections, stem cell biology, and cancer genetics/genomics. Being housed within HCI gives faculty a unique and enabling environment to encourage translation of basic findings, with many notable examples of success. All department members participate in at least one cancer disease-oriented team and many have collaborative grants with clinical faculty in HCI. Recent last/corresponding author papers from our faculty include reports in Science, Nature, Cancer Cell, Developmental Cell, eLife, Cancer Research, Molecular Cell, and Cell Stem Cell.

Other

Many oncological sciences faculty hold leadership roles at HCI and facilitate opportunities for the medical school to conduct basic and translational cancer research and training. With HCI, the department also administers the Huntsman Alliance for Postdocs, which provides fellowship and career development opportunities.

Jon M. Huntsman Presidential Endowed Chair in Cancer Research • Chief Academic Officer, Huntsman Cancer Institute • Professor, Oncological Sciences • Adjunct Professor, Biochemistry • PhD, Stanford University

OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCES

The Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences operates the John A. Moran Eye Center, the largest ophthalmic clinical care and research facility in the Mountain West. The department houses 17 innovative research labs and centers as well as a highly competitive, Top 10 education program as measured by Doximity. In 2022, Ophthalmology Times ranked Moran No. 12 in the nation for Best Overall Program, and U.S. News & World Report ranked Moran No. 10 nationwide on its 2022-2023 Best Hospitals for Ophthalmology report. The Ophthalmologist named Moran's Ike Ahmed, MD, FRCSC, the second most influential person in the field of ophthalmology on its 2022 Power List.

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

183 Faculty (78 primary, 105 adjunct)

12 Residents, 4 Interns

9 Postdoctoral Fellows

$10.20 Research Expenditures (FY22)

#18 Dept. Funding Rank (NIH)

Education

Moran’s residency program has been recognized as a national model, and applications totaled 703 for four spots in 2022. The program offers extensive surgical experience.

Research

Formed in 2021, the Alan S. Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation leverages unique resources to develop better diagnostics, safer and more effective therapies and surgical devices, and a deeper understanding of glaucoma and its genetics. A gene therapy for age-related macular degeneration developed at Moran's Sharon Eccles Steele Center for Translational Medicine is now in Phase 1 clinical trials.

Physicians and companies worldwide use the Intermountain Ocular Research Center at Moran

Department Chair

Randall J Olson, MD

CEO, Moran Eye Center

to vet artificial lens design and complications, and Moran consistently conducts groundbreaking research that improves cataract surgical techniques. The department has more than 100 active clinical trials and studies.

Clinical

Moran is the most comprehensive ophthalmology center in the Mountain West, offering all sub-specialties, including neuro-ophthalmology, uveitis, ocular oncology, and pediatrics. In FY22, physicians performed nearly 8,000 surgeries and more than 153,000 clinic visits. Specialists use the latest imaging techniques and cutting-edge equipment to inform their care. The Patient Support Program at Moran is one of a handful nationwide, offering support groups and rehabilitation services for patients and families adjusting to vision loss.

Other

Funded by donors, Moran’s Global Outreach Division is working to create sustainable eye care around the globe and is the largest of its kind at any U.S. academic institution. In Utah, the division provides free eye care and surgeries to thousands of uninsured, low-income, and New American residents, in addition to providing care for the Navajo Nation.

• Distinguished Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

• MD, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine • Residency: Ophthalmology, University of California, Los Angeles • Fellowships: University of Florida, International Eye Foundation, Louisiana State University

ORTHOPAEDICS

The Department of Orthopaedics strives to relieve pain, improve function, and restore quality of life to people with musculoskeletal injury or disease. Department physicians provide exceptional clinical and surgical care. The department’s patient-centered care enterprise integrates with continuous orthopaedic education and efforts to advance treatment through research.

11 Departmental Divisions

• Foot and Ankle

• Hand and Upper Extremity

• Joint Reconstruction

• Non-Operative Sports Medicine

• Pediatrics

• Research

• Sarcoma (MSK tumors)

• Shoulder and Elbow

• Spinal Disorders

• Sports Medicine

• Trauma

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

118 Faculty (66 primary, 52 adjunct) 29 Residents

Ortho Fellows

3 Postdoctoral Fellows

24 Advanced Practice Clinicians

$8.37M Research Expenditures (FY22)

#8 Dept. Funding Rank Nationally

Education

The orthopaedics department is dedicated to excellence in educating the next generation of musculoskeletal care providers and educators. In 2022, they trained 29 residents and 13 fellows. Additionally, department faculty serve on 36 student committees and are primary advisers to nine PhD students and three PhD postdoctoral students across campus.

Research

Orthopaedics continually advances its field through scientific investigation. The department is currently ranked No. 8 nationally in total NIH funding. The department published 292 peerreviewed papers in FY22. External research awards included funding from the NIH, U.S. Department of Defense, Veterans Administration, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and others.

Clinical

Providers in the department utilize leading-edge clinical and surgical care techniques. They are the official orthopaedic medical providers for University of Utah Athletics, the NBA’s Utah Jazz, the United States Olympic Committee, and MLS’s Real Salt Lake.

Department Chair

Darrel S. Brodke, MD

Jack & Hazel Robertson Presidential Endowed Professor, Orthopaedics • MD, University of California, San Francisco • Residency: Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Wisconsin • Fellowship: Spine Surgery, University of Washington System

OTOLARYNGOLOGY-HEAD AND NECK SURGERY

The Department of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery is committed to exceptional patient care, comprehensive training of future otolaryngologists, and the advancement of medicine and science through research. We are the newest department within the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine after being a division of the Department of Surgery for more than 50 years. We provide care for diseases and disorders of the ears, nose, throat, head, and neck through a team of skilled professionals.

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

52 Faculty (26 full-time faculty, 26 adjunct)

15 Residents

3 Clinical Fellows

7 Advanced Practice Clinicians

$2.8M Research Expenditures (FY22)

Education

Our education program is robust, highlighted by our ACGME-accredited residency program that boasts a 100% board pass rate over the past 15 years. We train three residents per year for a five-year program. Due to our growth and the excellence of the training program, the ACGME has approved the expansion of the residency program to four residents per year. The department also has fellowship training programs in rhinology and skull base, pediatric otolaryngology, and neurology.

Department Chair (Interim)

Jason P. Hunt, MD, MS, FACS

Research

The department has a nationally prominent research program that is driving innovation. This includes four labs overseen by three PhD researchers and three surgeon-scientists. Focused areas of research include hearing sciences, voice and airway, rhinology, and oncology. This includes NIH funding of nearly $2 million in addition to other sources. In addition, the department published 100 peer-reviewed publications in FY22.

Clinical

Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery provides patient-centered clinical care utilizing the latest technological advances used by skilled clinicians. Comprehensive care is provided across all sub-specialties of otolaryngology and includes nearly 30,000 clinic encounters and 3,000 surgeries per year. Patients from across the Mountain West and beyond are referred to the program for sub-specialty care.

C. Charles Hetzel, Jr, MD and Alice Barker Hetzel Presidential Endowed Chair • Professor, Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery • MD, University of Alabama at Birmingham • Residency, Louisiana State University at New Orleans • Fellowship, Head, and Neck Surgical Oncology and Microvascular Reconstruction, Vanderbilt University

PARKS, RECREATION, & TOURISM

The Department of Parks, Recreation, & Tourism (PRT) is committed to the education of Utah’s student body and the citizenry at large regarding the role of parks, recreation, and tourism in enhancing quality of life. Our primary contributions are improving human health and wellness through collaborative learning and teaching emanating from our graduate degree programs; placing of highly educated park, recreation, and tourism professionals into the workforce; and instilling in the University of Utah’s general student body and the public at large an understanding of and appreciation for healthy ecosystems in enhancing quality of life.

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

77 Faculty (10 faculty, 5 adjunct faculty, 62 associate instructors

30+

Outdoor and Hospitality Instructors

11 PhD Students

6 Master's Students

191 Majors

38 Minors

$216.8K Research Expenditures (FY22)

Undergraduate Education

PRT faculty and staff aspire to be globally recognized for excellence in advancing and mentoring future leaders. Students have multiple opportunities to engage in community, educational, and research initiatives. They may

Department

Chair

Dorothy L. Schmalz, PhD

Associate

Professor,

also customize their experience to best suit their professional goals. Areas of undergraduate study include community recreation and sport management; sustainable tourism and hospitality management; and outdoor recreation studies. A minor in parks, recreation, and tourism is also available.

Research and Graduate Studies

Scientific investigation is at the forefront of the department, which we examine through the lens of healthy communities and environments. Scholars in the department investigate recreation for human health and development, along with community and natural resources. Master's and doctoral degrees are available within each of these research domains. Students engage in scientifically rigorous studies that advance understanding of the role of recreation and leisure behavior for human health and well-being across the lifespan, along with the human dimensions of natural resources and environmental health.

Parks, Recreation, & Tourism

PhD, Pennsylvania State University

PATHOLOGY

The Department of Pathology is dedicated to understanding the basis of disease, teaching this knowledge to others, and applying it to improve medical diagnoses and treatment of patients locally and nationally.

Departmental Divisions

• Anatomic Pathology & Molecular Oncology

• Clinical Pathology

• Medical Laboratory Sciences

• Microbiology & Immunology

• Pediatric Pathology

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

236 Faculty (136 primary, 100 adjunct)

21 Residents

69 Fellowships (31 clinical post-docs; 37 research post-docs; 1 postsophomore)

143 Students (59 PhD, 16 MS, 68 BS)

6 Advanced Practice Clinicians

$18.55M Research Expenditures (FY22)

#14 Dept. Funding Rank (NIH)

Education

The Department of Pathology hosts a PhD program in microbiology and immunology and MS and BS programs in clinical laboratory science. In addition to its pathology residency program, it hosts 15 clinical subspecialty fellowships and annual CME trainings, contributing substantially to both the medical and dental school curricula.

Department Chair

Peter E. Jensen, MD

Research

The department’s broad research portfolio includes extensive clinical and translational scholarship in diagnostic medicine and basic and translational work in cancer pathogenesis. The Division of Microbiology and Immunology within the department serves as an anchor for the institutional initiative in immunology, inflammation, and infectious diseases.

Clinical

Clinically, the department is a national leader in pathology and laboratory medicine. Many of the department’s faculty serve as leaders in various national organizations and are recognized as experts in their clinical subspecialties, providing consultation and sharing expertise locally and with hundreds of ARUP Laboratories' clients.

Other

The department operates ARUP Laboratories, a national reference laboratory that provides services to hospitals in all 50 states, including a large number of academic medical centers. Pathology faculty and ARUP also support the department’s anatomic and clinical pathology services for University of Utah Health and Primary Children’s Hospital, including more than 75,000 surgical pathology and cytology cases at Huntsman Cancer Institute. The department has generated numerous startup companies.

ARUP Presidential Endowed Chair • Chairman of the Board of Directors, ARUP Laboratories • Professor, Pathology • MD, Vanderbilt University • Residency: Pathology, Barnes-Jewish Hospital

PEDIATRICS

The Department of Pediatrics is dedicated to improving the lives of children through excellence in advocacy, education, research, and clinical care. In addition to being the second largest department in the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, with one of the highest number of tenured female faculty, it is one of the largest pediatrics departments in the United States. The department actively supports comprehensive specialty and subspecialty clinical care and contributes to U of U Health’s research and education missions.

Departmental Divisions

• Adolescent Medicine

• Allergy & Immunology

• Cardiology

• Child Protection & Family Health

• Clinical Pharmacology

• Comprehensive Care

• Critical Care

• Diabetes & Endocrinology

• Emergency Medicine

• Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Nutrition

• General Pediatrics

• Hematology & Oncology

• Hospital Medicine

• Infectious Diseases

• Medical Genetics

• Neonatalogy

• Nephrology & Hypertension

• Neurology

• Palliative Care

• Psychiatry & Behavioral Health

• Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine

• Rheumatology

Education

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

616 Faculty (339 primary, 277 adjunct)

99 Residents

64 Subspecialty Fellows

4 Postdoctoral Fellows

35 Advanced Practice Clinicians

$54.82M Research Expenditures (FY22)

#25

Dept. Funding Rank (NIH)

The department educates residents each year in pediatrics, child neurology, pediatric genetics, internal medicine-pediatrics, and triple board (pediatrics, child psychiatry, and general psychiatry). We also engage with the medical school to introduce medical students to issues in pediatric care. The Department of Pediatrics is one of only four sites nationally to participate in the AAMC-sponsored Education in Pediatrics Across the Continuum (EPEC). This unique program matches medical students at the end of their second year with residencies and allows students to advance through medical school and residency contingent on competency-based performance instead of time-based education.

Finally, fellowship programs are available in 16 pediatric subspecialties, and we established formal partnerships with Indian Health Services in Chinle, Arizona; the University Teaching Hospital in Rwanda; and Kamuzu Central Hospital in Malawi, Africa, to create a Global, Rural, and Child Health fellowship. Our fellowship programs are nationally recognized for preparing outstanding pediatric clinician scientists.

Research

The strength of the department’s research activities, which include discovery science, clinicaltranslational research, and health services investigation, is reflected by more than $49 million in annual funding and a current total funded portfolio in excess of $134 million. Outstanding multiinstitutional research programs include the NICHD-funded Neonatal Research Network, MCHBfunded Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN), and the NHTSA-funded National EMS Information System (NEMSIS).

The department is one of only two in the country participating in all three research components of the NHLBI-funded Bench-to-Bassinet (B2B) program and one of only four in the country participating in the American Heart Association Strategically Focused Children’s Research Network. We are also one of the three NCATS Trial Innovation Centers in the U.S., providing clinical research support to CTSA institutions across the country.

Clinical

The department serves more than two million children across the Mountain West through its partnership with Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital (PCH), a 289-bed, non-profit children’s hospital on the U of U Health campus. The hospital serves as the primary specialty teaching site for the department’s training programs. Department and PCH joint programs are consistently ranked among the nation’s top 50, with six outstanding clinical programs cited by U.S. News & World Report. The department’s South Main Clinic, University Developmental Assessment Center, Sugar House Pediatric Clinic, and University Pediatric Clinic provide general pediatric care to all children, including those with special health care needs and underserved children throughout the community. Department faculty also care for newborns from throughout the region in the University Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the University Well-Baby Nursery.

Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

The Department of Pediatrics is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for our employees, trainees, and patients. We see undeniable value and necessity in recruiting and supporting a diverse workforce. We strive to create and maintain a space where employees and trainees who identify as BIPOC or as part of groups traditionally underrepresented in medicine feel safe and are empowered to thrive as skilled, impactful pediatricians and advocates. In addition, the department’s Health Equity Research Core (HERC) is intended to catalyze and support pediatric research that prioritized vulnerable children and addresses health disparities in both the U.S. and global contexts. HERC, along with the Department of Pediatrics’ Office of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, sponsored the first annual Pediatric Health Equity Symposium in 2022. More than 145 attendees across disciplines and lines of staffing, faculty, and leadership came together for discussions on barriers and opportunities for the future, affirming the department’s commitment to equity and community.

Department Chair

Angelo P. Giardino, MD, PhD

Wilma T. Gibson Presidential Professor, Pediatrics • Chief Medical Officer, Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital • MD, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine • PhD, University of Pennsylvania • Residency: Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia • Fellowship: Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY

The Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology focuses on biomedical research in pharmacology and toxicology and prepares graduate students to work in a variety of settings. Graduates go on to academic, research, administrative, business management, legal, regulatory, and investment careers related to drug discovery and the basic mechanisms underlying disease.

Research

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

27 Faculty (11 tenure track, 4 research track, 12 adjunct)

13 Students

10 Postdoctoral Fellows

$8.74M Research Expenditures (FY22)

Education

Department educational curriculum provides a strong background in modern-day, basic biomedical sciences and trains students in fundamental concepts of pharmacology and toxicology. Department faculty members won University of Utah Distinguished Postdoctoral and Graduate Student Mentor Awards, University of Utah Distinguished Teaching Awards, and several College of Pharmacy Class Teaching Awards.

Department Chair

Karen Wilcox, PhD

Major research programs include drug discovery and chemical biology, epilepsy, cancer, addiction, mental health and aggression, and environmental toxicology as it relates to lung health. In addition, the department has considerable strength in analytical chemistry method development, and its funded research portfolio is the largest in the College of Pharmacy.

Other

Other departmental strengths include interdisciplinary collaborations locally, nationally, and internationally; publications in high-impact journals; and service to the National Institutes of Health on study sections. Many of our faculty have received major research awards. Our trainees have gone on to successful careers in academia, government, and the pharmaceutical industry.

Richard L. Stimson Presidential Endowed Professor, Pharmacology and Toxicology PhD, University of Pennsylvania

PHARMACOTHERAPY

The Department of Pharmacotherapy has a rich and dynamic history, training high-quality pharmacists and researchers who work in a broad range of settings, including hospital pharmacy, retail pharmacy, academia, and industry.

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

25 Faculty (14 clinical, 2 research, 9 tenure track)

12 PhD Students

10 Postdoctoral Fellows

$5.03M Research Expenditures (FY22)

Education

The pharmacotherapy department offers a PhD in Pharmacotherapy Outcomes Research and a Master of Science in Health System Pharmacy Administration. It also supports the College of Pharmacy’s PharmD program. Department faculty won three University of Utah Outstanding Mentor/Educator Awards for graduate education.

Research

Pharmacotherapy faculty are engaged in a broad range of research. Tenure track and research faculty explore critical issues such as medication adherence, drivers of value and harm in medication use, pharmacogenomics, and many others. The Medicaid Drug Regimen Review Center (DRRC) improves the safety and efficacy of drug use in Medicaid patients, reducing prescription quantity and drug costs.

Department Chair

Daniel M. Witt, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS

Professor, Pharmacotherapy

Assistant Dean for Clinical Affairs

PharmD, University of Washington

DRRC also supports and educates providers who prescribe to users of the Medicaid drug program. The Pharmacotherapy Outcomes Research Center (PORC) uses expertise in health economics, modeling, various clinical subspecialties, drug information, technology, and psychometrics to answer important questions pertaining to quality of life, costeffectiveness, and other drug therapy outcomes. The Data-driven Collaborative of Informatics, Pharmacoepidemiology, and Health Economics Researchers (DeCIPHER) conducts stateof-the-art pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacoeconomics research in osteoporosis, HIV, hepatitis C, and other chronic conditions.

Other

Clinical faculty innovate their clinical practice site “laboratories” as members of interprofessional teams, discovering new ways to ensure optimal patient care. All department members are passionate about engaging students in understanding how to advance health care by improving drug therapy outcomes for everyone.

The Utah Poison Control Center (UPCC) is also located in the department. The UPCC is a 24-hour resource for poison information and educational resources, serving the state of Utah with immediate phone support in a poisoning crisis. Additionally, the UPCC serves health care professionals, pre-hospital providers, public health officials, and law enforcement.

PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION

The Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) combines the strengths of academic physiatry with the collaborative, integrated resources of the University of Utah to preserve, enhance, and restore quality of life for people with disabling conditions.

Clinical

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

67 Faculty (42 primary, 25 adjunct)

Residents

Advanced Practice Clinicians

$1.31M Research Expenditures (FY22)

Education

PM&R hosts a competitive residency program of 25 residents. Fellowships are offered in sports medicine, interventional spine, and spinal cord injury medicine. Postdoctoral programs are offered in rehabilitation psychology, neuropsychology, and bariatric psychology.

Research

PM&R faculty participate in collaborative research projects focusing on neurorehabilitation, interventional spine, musculoskeletal/sports medicine, spasticity management, and adaptive technology innovations to improve fitness and function, prevent injury, reduce pain, and improve medical technology. Residents have opportunities to collaborate with faculty to conduct their own research and present findings at local and national meetings. In 2023, we will open our new Movement Science and Neuro-Robotics Lab supported by the first-ever DP5 NIH award in the field of PM&R.

Department Chair

David P. Steinberg, MD, MMM

In 2020, PM&R moved into the new Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital. PM&R provides specialized care for a variety of conditions, including brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, cancer rehab, polytrauma, spasticity, and amputation. We are the only inpatient rehabilitation program in the Mountain West with hospital CARF certification for adults, children, and adolescents. We also hold subspecialty certification in spinal cord injury, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation. The Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital is ranked among the nation’s top hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. Recognized as one of the most technologically advanced hospitals in the world, the Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital empowers patients to control their environment with new “smart” innovations.

Other

PM&R is a collaborative work environment. Our academic environment is fueled by collaborations with nursing and therapy as well as Orthopaedic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Neurology, GApp Lab, Departments of Mechanical, Biomedical, and Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Business, and the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute. We are committed to advancing PM&R through clinical care, education, and discovery. We support life-changing adaptive sports and community re-entry through our acclaimed TRAILS program.

Associate Professor, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation • Executive Medical Director of the Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital • MD, University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine • Residency: Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Northwestern University and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago • Subspecialty Boarded in Pain Management

PHYSICAL THERAPY & ATHLETIC TRAINING

The Department of Physical Therapy & Athletic Training provides opportunities for collaboration in education, research, and clinical practice across the disciplines of physical therapy, athletic training, and rehabilitation science. We share expertise in human movement and function to work toward better health for the communities we serve.

Department Programs

Residency Programs

• Orthopedic Physical Therapy

• Neurologic Physical Therapy

• Sports Physical Therapy

• Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy

• Acute Care Physical Therapy

• Pediatric Physical Therapy

Clinical Programs

• Balance and Mobility Clinic

• Student Run Pro Bono Clinics

• L.S. Skaggs Patient Wellness Center

• Athletic Training Student Clinic

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

115 Faculty (31 primary, 101 adjunct)

250 Students (academic & residency programs)

$6.72M Research Expenditures (FY22)

Education

In the professional Master of Athletic Training (MAT) program, students learn core competencies related to health care and athletic training in a collaborative medical academic setting. The program offers unique clinical experiences with athletes at every level of competition and the performing arts.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program is currently ranked in the top 5 percent of all phys-

ical therapy programs nationally (No. 13 of more than 250 programs) and reflects the breadth, depth, and necessary rigor of the professional physical therapist education curriculum in response to the current and expected future health care environment.

The PhD in Rehabilitation Science program advances scientific knowledge underlying the clinical practice of rehabilitation by preparing students to conduct independent scientific research and function as an academic faculty member.

Research

Current overall funded research budget exceeds $15 million. Investigation spans cellular mechanisms of muscle function to clinical outcomes and health services research as we work to advance understanding of human function and apply discoveries to improving health. Motion analysis core labs, muscle biology and function labs, a skeletal muscle exercise research facility, and a sports medicine research lab form the backbone of our research facilities.

Other

Physical therapy clinicians offer the most current, evidence-based approaches in our clinics. The University Balance and Mobility Clinic services individuals with vestibular, balance, pelvic floor, and neurologic disorders. The athletic training program provides preventive assessments, evaluations, and therapeutic guidance of sports medicine injuries.

Department Chair

Lee Dibble, PT, PhD, ATC, FAPTA Professor, Physical Therapy & Athletic Training

Adjunct Professor, Health & Kinesiology PhD, University of Utah

POPULATION HEALTH SCIENCES

The University of Utah Intermountain Health Department of Population Health Sciences (PHS) is a hub for education, investigation, and expertise in health services, cost, quality, outcomes, behavioral interventions, cancer epidemiology, and health delivery systems research. The department provides methodological expertise and infrastructure that advance capacity for population health scientists to pursue impact-driven research and allow clinicians to provide better patient- and populationoriented care in an increasingly complex health care delivery system.

Departmental Divisions

• Health Systems Innovation and Research

• Cancer Population Sciences

• Biostatistics

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

93 Faculty (23 tenure, 7 research track, 63 adjunct)

13 Postdoctoral Fellows

27 Students

$24.37M Research Expenditures (FY22)

#14 Dept. Fund Ranking (NIH)

Education

There are only a few PhD programs in population health sciences housed in medical schools nationwide. The department offers PhDs in health systems research, clinical and translational epidemiology, and biostatistics. The department also leads the Population Health

Department Chair

Angie Fagerlin, PhD

Professor, Population Health Sciences

Pathway and the Population Health Scholars Program, each a four-year program that provides medical students a longitudinal deep dive in population health.

Research

The department’s research portfolio is broad, focusing on health disparities, behavioral and digital health interventions, community prevention and outreach, implementation science, cancer and molecular epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, health care policy, health economics, health services research, quality of life, and biostatistics research. The department’s research strengths come from the diverse methods and expertise of faculty and by collaborating broadly across the health system, main campus, and with external partnerships worldwide.

Other

The department is seven years old and is ranked No. 15 nationally in total NIH funding.

PhD, Experimental Psychology, Kent State University

PSYCHIATRY

The Department of Psychiatry’s mission is to advance mental health knowledge, hope, and healing for all through the Huntsman Mental Health Institute. This is done through education, research, clinical care, and collaboration with other disciplines and community partners. Department faculty are dedicated to academic excellence, collaborative research, and compassionate behavioral and mental health care, with the goal of giving patients healthier minds and better lives.

Departmental Divsions

• Adult Psychiatry

• Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

336 Faculty (122 primary, 214 adjunct)

75 Residents

3 Postdoctoral Fellows

25 Advanced Practice Clinicians

$11.45M Research Expenditures (FY22)

#36 Dept. Funding Rank (NIH)

Education

The Department of Psychiatry provides teaching for medical students and training for residents from around the country and the world. During the 2019 Utah State legislative session, two additional training slots were funded. Furthermore, the Idaho State Legislature funded three new slots for a joint training program with the department to provide much-needed psychiatric resources to the state of Idaho. This success was the result of several years of effort between our training department faculty and counterparts in Idaho. Combined, these additional training dollars will allow us to increase our training programs to a total number of 77 residents by 2024.

Department Chair Mark H. Rapaport, MD

Research

The department’s research mission is growing quickly, with strong investments and research groups in psychiatry genetics, neuroimaging, autism, mood disorders, and clinical trials to propel new discoveries of the causes of and treatments for psychiatric illnesses. Current projects include the genetics of psychiatric disorders, along with the root causes and the search for more effective and personalized treatment of chronic illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder. Research initiatives also examine illness co-occurrence with healthy and pathological aging or conditions such as chronic pain.

Clinical

The department supports mental and behavioral health services at the University of Utah, throughout the community, and within the Mountain West region. This includes providing inpatient and outpatient clinical expertise at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute as well as providing a continuum of compassionate and evidence-based outpatient services in outlying community health centers.

Other

Department faculty and U of U Health leaders worked closely with representatives from the Huntsman Family Foundation, laying the groundwork for the amazing $150 million grant for the Huntsman Mental Health Institute. This incredible collaboration will help usher in the future of mental and behavioral health care in the region.

CEO, Huntsman Mental Health Institute • Professor, Psychiatry • MD, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine • Residency: Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego • Fellowships: University of California, San Diego; National Institute of Mental Health

RADIATION ONCOLOGY

The Department of Radiation Oncology is dedicated to providing the highest quality patient-centered cancer care and advancing the field through research, education, and service. The department’s multidisciplinary partnership with surgical, medical, and pediatric oncology; pathology; and radiology allows it to provide state-of-the-art conventional and experimental therapy to patients.

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

39 Faculty (29 primary, 10 adjunct)

10 Residents

$2.03M Research Expenditures (FY22)

Education

The department offers accredited Radiation Oncology and Medical Physics Residency Programs. Faculty support our programs through lectures, clinical instruction, and research mentorship. In addition, they assist the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine by volunteering in the Radiation Oncology Interest Group, mentoring students through research opportunities, participating in the annual career fair, and more. Fifty percent of our physician residents pursue academic careers.

Research

Radiation oncology faculty members currently have 25 funded investigations or grants, including a K08 grant; are the principal investigator (PI) or co-PI on two National Cooperative Group Trials; lead seven investigator-initiated trials; and serve on more than 50 national committees, including the National Institutes of Health, the Children’s Oncology Group, the FDA, and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

Clinical

Our team consists of 15 board-certified radiation oncologists and a full complement of physics, dosimetry, radiation therapy personnel, and oncology-certified nurses. We offer radiation therapy services with the most modern treatments available, including proton therapy. Our department places a strong emphasis on multidisciplinary care and is a recognized leader in patient satisfaction within the institution and nationally.

Department Chair

Amit Maity, MD, PhD

Professor, Radiation Oncology • MD, Boston University • PhD, Pathology, University of Pennsylvania • Residencies: Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York; Radiation Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

 Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine

RADIOLOGY & IMAGING SCIENCES

The Department of Radiology & Imaging Sciences offers subspecialty imaging and interventional services and provides advanced technology to diagnose and treat disease. Our highly skilled clinical team performs nearly half a million procedures and studies each year. Our physicians, scientists, and staff improve health care through imaging practice, research and innovation, and education.

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

186 Faculty (81 primary, 90 adjunct, 15 research)

34 Residents

17 Postdoctoral Fellows

15 Advanced Practice Clinicians

$4.49M Research Expenditures (FY22)

#28 Dept. Fund Ranking (NIH)

Education

The department’s educational efforts reach far beyond its trainees. In addition to having diagnostic and interventional radiology residency programs ranked highly for research and reputation in the nation, the department conducts two internationally attended conferences each year: the Utah Head and Neck and Utah Brain and Spine Imaging Conferences. Additionally, department faculty published seminal textbooks currently in use around the world and give lectures globally.

Research

The radiology department’s research enterprise stretches from clinical studies to math and physics research in imaging sciences. The

Utah Center for Advanced Imaging Research (UCAIR) specializes in MRI and engineering research, while nuclear medicine has pioneered radiotracers. The research program boasts four 3T MRI machines. The department collaborates extensively with investigators from the health sciences and main campus. The department has translated research into unique clinical services such as MR-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatment for essential tremor and the world’s first MRgFUS breast tumor ablation system undergoing clinical trials. The department is a leader at the University of Utah for generating and licensing intellectual property.

Clinical

The radiology department provides the full range of subspecialty radiologic expertise to our system, including abdominal imaging, acute care imaging, breast imaging, cardiothoracic imaging, musculoskeletal imaging, neuroradiology, and nuclear medicine. Faculty work in our awardwinning “reading room of the future.” The department also features a thriving group of interventional radiologists who pioneer new minimally invasive procedural techniques, some of which are unique to U of U Health.

Other

The Department of Radiology has created internationally used internet-based education products like STATdx and RADPrime, distributing research software worldwide.

Department Chair

Satoshi Minoshima, MD, PhD

Anne G. Osborn Chair of Radiology and Imaging Sciences Professor, Radiology and Imaging Sciences • MD, Chiba University School of Medicine (Japan) • PhD, Radiological Science, Chiba University School of Medicine • Residency: Radiology, Chiba University Hospital • Fellowship: Nuclear Medicine, University of Michigan

SURGERY

The Department of Surgery is a nationally ranked academic surgical program that provides comprehensive, high-value patient care, leads in research and innovation, and inspires and educates tomorrow’s leaders in surgery.

Departmental Divisions

• Cardiothoracic Surgery

• General Surgery

• Pediatric Surgery

• Plastic Surgery

• Transplantation & Advanced Hepatobiliary Surgery

• Urology

• Vascular Surgery

DEPARTMENT STATISTICS

273 Faculty (155 primary, 118 adjunct)

75 Residents

14 Postdoctoral Fellows

86 Advanced Practice Clinicians

$11.98M Research Expenditures (FY22)

#23 Dept. Fund Ranking (NIH)

Education

The Department of Surgery supports training programs across seven surgical specialties, including several unique, highly specialized fellowship programs. A core of educationfocused faculty in the department are

Department Chair Fiemu Nwariaku, MD

recognized leaders, having garnered multiple local and national education awards.

Research

The department aims to increase the value of surgical care through an aggressive program of discovery and innovation. A focused strategy of research sponsorship has led to remarkable growth in external research revenue over the last five years, covering the areas of basic, translational, clinical, and health services research.

Clinical

The department continues to expand its clinical impact with new and growing programs, including fetal surgery, live-donor liver transplantation, men’s health, and minimally invasive cardiovascular surgery. Geographically, we provide surgical care beyond the local population through a multi-state referral network, telemedicine, and direct staffing in hospitals across the Mountain West.

Other

The department is home to the nation’s first Center for Global Surgery, which supports faculty-led academic programs in East Asia, West Africa, and South America.

Professor, Surgery • MD, University of Ibadan, Nigeria • Residencies: Surgery, Baptist Medical Center-Nigeria; General Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical School • Fellowship: UT Southwestern Medical School

LEADERSHIP BIOGRAPHIES

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

Michael L. Good, MD, Chief Executive Officer, University of Utah Health Executive Dean, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine

A. Lorris Betz Senior Vice President for Health Sciences

Michael Good joined the U as CEO, executive dean, and senior vice president for health sciences in 2018. He served as interim president of the U in 2021. In his roles, he ensures the professional and educational success of more than 20,000 talented faculty, staff, and students who make U of U Health one of the nation’s premier academic health systems. His leadership has enhanced U of U Health’s reputation for providing world-class health care, research, education, and community engagement. He leads the organization during a period of remarkable growth, evidenced by the construction of a half-dozen major new facilities on the health campus and in the community, implementation of transformational educational and research initiatives, and recruitment of dozens of new leaders and faculty.

Early in his academic career, Good led a team of physicians and engineers to create the Human Patient Simulator, a sophisticated computerized teaching tool that is now used in health care education programs throughout the world. Good received his medical degree from the U of Michigan, then completed residency training and a research fellowship in anesthesiology at the U of Florida, joining the UF College of Medicine faculty in 1988. Currently, he is chair-elect of the Board of Directors for the Association of Academic Health Centers and a member of the American and Utah Medical Associations and the American and Utah Society of Anesthesiologists.

HEALTH SYSTEM LEADERSHIP

Amanda Bakian, PhD, MS EDI Co-director, Women in Health, Medicine, & Science

Amanda Bakian strives to support women faculty and staff in their careers, helping them access the resources they need to thrive and meet career and personal goals. She is also an associate professor of psychiatry, an adjunct associate professor of public health, and director of the Utah Registry of Autism and Developmental Disabilities. She received a PhD in ecology and an MS in statistics from Utah State University and completed a fellowship in ecological statistics at Kyoto University.

Abdulkhaliq

Barbaar, MSW, MBA EDI Director, Health Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion

As director of U of U Health Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, Abdulkhaliq Barbaar is focused on creating lasting and transformative systemic change to elevate historically marginalized faculty, staff, students, and patients. He is interested in developing and facilitating collaborative and authentic relationships across lines of difference to enrich the lives and values of people from all walks of life. He received an MSW and an MBA at the U.

Mary Beckerle, PhD SVP CABINET

Associate Vice President, Cancer Affairs, Chief Executive Officer, Huntsman Cancer Institute

Mary Beckerle is associate vice president for cancer affairs and CEO of Huntsman Cancer Institute. Under Beckerle’s leadership, HCI doubled the size of its hospital and research facilities and was named a top cancer hospital by U.S. News & World Report. She is an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society, and an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences. She received a PhD in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology from the U of Colorado. She completed postdoctoral research at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Dayle Benson, DHA MEDICAL GROUP

Chief of Staff of Clinical Affairs, Executive Director, University of Utah Medical Group

As chief of staff of clinical affairs for the University of Utah Medical Group, Dayle Benson focuses on clinical partnerships, care delivery models, workforce needs, clinical innovations, and clinical vision and strategy. As executive director, she leads clinical and business operations, contracting and payer relations, advanced data analytics, workforce needs, and population health strategies. During her tenure, UUMG has grown to more than half a billion dollars in clinical revenue and achieved best practice performance. She received a DHA from the Medical University of South Carolina.

Erica Bisson, MD, MPH MEDICAL GROUP

Executive Medical Officer, University of Utah Medical Group

As executive medical officer for the University of Utah Medical Group (UUMG), Erica Bisson oversees the execution of UUMG’s strategic and operational goals in collaboration with UUMG practice site partners. A professor of neurosurgery and adjunct professor of orthopaedics, she specializes in complex spine surgery with a focus on cervical disease. She received an MD from Tufts University and an MPH from the U. She completed general surgery and neurosurgery residencies at the U of Vermont and a spine surgery fellowship at the U.

Megan Call, PhD, MS WELLNESS

Director, Resiliency Center

Megan Call is a licensed counseling psychologist, an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry, and director of the Resiliency Center at U of U Health. She has research and clinical interests in promoting resilience and well-being among health care professionals, with a specific focus on embracing vulnerability and discomfort, incorporating informal mindfulness into everyday practice, improving communication and relationship skills among teams, and addressing systematic change. She received a PhD in counseling psychology and an MS in health promotion and education at the U.

Sarah Canham, PhD, FGSA EDUCATION

Associate Director, Interprofessional Education Program

Sarah Canham is the associate director of the U of U Health Interprofessional Education Program (IPE). An associate professor of social work and architecture and planning, her research focuses on homelessness, housing security, health and social service delivery, and aging. Using a social justice lens, she seeks solutions to systemic barriers to aging well in various environments. She received a PhD in gerontology and an MA in applied sociology at the U of Maryland.

Paloma Cariello, MD, MPH EDI

Associate Dean for Health Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine

As associate dean for Health Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, Paloma Cariello embraces diversity as a core value and fundamental priority across the different fields in medicine and believes in the power of a diverse group. An associate professor of infectious diseases, she received an MD at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Medical School and completed a residency in internal medicine at MetroWest Medical Center. Additionally, she completed fellowships in infectious diseases at the U of Massachusetts, transplant infectious diseases at the U of Pittsburgh, and received an MPH from the U of Massachusetts.

Gretchen Case, PhD EDUCATION

Director, Center for Health Ethics, Arts, and Humanities

Gretchen Case directs the Center for Health Ethics, Arts, and Humanities. An associate professor of internal medicine, her interests are in health humanities: studying how the arts and humanities intersect with health care and education. She is also a public historian, specializing in the histories of science and medicine. She received an MA in communication studies at UNCChapel Hill and a PhD in performance studies from UC Berkeley.

Kavish Choudhary, PharmD, MS HOSPITALS & CLINICS

Chief Pharmacy Officer, Associate Dean, College of Pharmacy

Kavish Choudhary and his team are responsible for providing oversight for all pharmacy services across the enterprise’s five hospitals and 12 community health centers. His scope includes developing, supervising, and coordinating pharmacy services and a nationally recognized Drug Information Service. Additionally, he serves as associate dean of pharmacy practice at the College of Pharmacy. He received a PharmD degree from Ohio Northern University and completed post-graduate training at UW Health, where he received an MS in health system pharmacy administration.

RyLee Curtis, MPP COMMUNITY

Senior Director of Community Engagement, Community Health

RyLee Curtis is the director of community engagement at U of U Health. She leads University Hospital’s Healthcare Anchor Institution work, engages with community-based organizations to address social determinants of health, and builds partnerships across the University of Utah campus, University of Utah Health Plans, and University Hospital. She received an MPP at the U.

Marla De Jong PhD, RN, FAAN EDUCATION

Colonel (Ret.), Dean, College of Nursing

As dean of the College of Nursing, Marla De Jong prepares future nurses, gerontologists, and health care leaders to improve the health of individuals, families, and communities. Prior to being named as dean, De Jong served as chair of acute and chronic care. Before joining U of U Health, she served for nearly 29 years in the U.S. Air Force, where she held clinical, leadership, research, and academic roles. She is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. She received an MS in nursing from the U of Maryland and a PhD in nursing from the U of Kentucky.

Richard Dorsky, PhD RESEARCH

Associate Dean, Research Space, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine

As associate dean for research space for the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, Richard Dorksy oversees matters related to research space, equipment, and related infrastructure. A professor of neurobiology, his research focus lies in spinal cord neurogenesis. His lab studies the genetic and molecular pathways that build and repair behavioral circuitry in the nervous system. He received a PhD from UC San Diego and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the U of Washington.

Jamie P. Dwyer, MD RESEARCH

Associate Dean, Clinical Research, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine

As associate dean for clinical research, Jamie Dwyer directs support efforts related to all clinical research, including industry-sponsored and investigatorinitiated trials and clinical research studies. He is a professor of medicine in the division of nephrology and hypertension, and director of both the Utah Data Coordinating Center and the Clinical Research Support Office in the Utah Clinical & Translational Science Institute. He received an MD from Brown University and completed an internal medicine residency at Mayo Clinic and a nephrology fellowship at Vanderbilt University.

Paul Estabrooks, PhD WELLNESS COMMUNITY

Director of Research, Osher Center of Integrative Health, Assoc. Dean of Community Engagement, College of Health

Paul Estabrooks is the director of research for the Osher Center of Integrative Health and Associate Dean of Community Engagement in the College of Health. A professor of Health & Kinesiology, he conducts participatory, translational research with a focus on community-engaged dissemination and implementation (CEDI) science. He’s a founding member of the National RE-AIM Workgroup that focuses on developing capacity in CEDI theories, models, and frameworks. He received a PhD in kinesiology at the U of Western Ontario.

Sam Finlayson, MD, MPH, MBA MEDICAL GROUP

Associate Vice President, Clinical Affairs Chief Clinical Officer

As associate vice president for clinical affairs and chief clinical officer for U of U Health, Sam Finlayson leads teams that create greater value for patients and improve clinical care. Previously, Finlayson served as the Claudius Y. and Catherine B. Gates Presidential Endowed Chair for the Department of Surgery. He received an MD and MPH at Harvard and an MBA at the U. He completed surgery residencies and surgical research fellowships at Massachusetts General Hospital and VA Medical Center.

Sean Flynn, PhD RESEARCH

Director, Research Training Programs, Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Research Unit

Sean Flynn directs research training programs at U of U Health. His work enhances the training environment for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the health sciences. He seeks to grow the U’s training grant programs and individual trainee fellowships while building infrastructure and curriculum needed to modernize graduate and postgraduate training. Flynn received a PhD in neuroscience at the U and completed postdoctoral training at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.

Robert S. Fujinami, PhD SVP CABINET

Associate Vice President for Faculty, Health Sciences

As associate vice president for Health Sciences faculty, Robert Fujinami oversees faculty across six schools, colleges, and libraries on the Health Sciences campus. He oversees and supports Health Sciences faculty success, appointments, reviews, advancement, and mentoring. He has been with the U since 1990 as a member of the Department of Pathology, and served most recently as Assistant Vice Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs in the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine. He received a PhD at Northwestern University and received post-doctoral training and an assistant professorship at The Scripps Research Institute.

Gina Hawley, DrPH, MHA HOSPITALS & CLINICS

Chief Operating Officer, U of U Health Hospitals & Clinics

Gina Hawley is chief operating officer for U of U Health Hospitals & Clinics. She is responsible for operations and execution of key strategies across the health system. Previously, she was the Vice President of Professional and Support Services at Oregon Health & Science University, where she oversaw allied health, clinical, and support services departments. She received an MHA from the U of Minnesota and a DrPH in Health Management & Leadership from Johns Hopkins University.

Rachel Hess, MD, MS SVP CABINET RESEARCH

Associate Vice President, Research

As associate vice president for research at U of U Health, Rachel Hess guides institutional research strategy and investment. A professor of population health sciences and internal medicine, she also serves as co-director of the Utah Clinical & Translational Science Institute. She received an MD at the U of New Mexico School of Medicine and completed residencies in internal medicine at Temple University Hospital. She completed a general internal medicine and women’s health fellowship and received an MS in clinical investigation at the U of Pittsburgh.

Christopher P. Hill, DPhil RESEARCH

Vice Dean, Research, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine

As vice dean for research for the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, Chris Hill works closely with the associate vice president for research on programs and initiatives, infrastructure, research mission performance, and increasing research excellence across the translational spectrum. He is a noted research scientist and distinguished professor in the Department of Biochemistry. He holds the endowed H.A. and Edna Benning Society Chair and is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He received a DPhil in chemistry from the U of York, England, and completed postdoctoral fellowships in chemistry (U of York) and structural biology (UC, Los Angeles).

Wendy Hobson-Rohrer, MD, MSPH SVP CABINET EDUCATION

Associate Vice President, Health Sciences Education

As associate vice president for health sciences education, Wendy HobsonRohrer identifies and leverages the U’s strengths, builds engagement and integration among colleges and schools, and maintains a culture of educational excellence. A tenured professor of pediatrics, she also serves as associate dean for faculty development and executive clinical director for the South Main Clinic. She received an MD at Cornell University Medical College and completed a pediatric residency, education fellowship, and received an MS in Public Health at the U.

Wyatt R. “Rory” Hume, DDS, PhD EDUCATION

Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs, Dean, School of Dentistry

Rory Hume is an internationally acclaimed scholar and leader who has served at the highest administrative levels in dental schools and universities worldwide. In addition to his service within academic affairs, he is also dean of the School of Dentistry, where he provides vision and leadership over a robust statewide network of clinical services and ensures academic and research excellence. He received a DDS and PhD in human physiology and pharmacology at U of Adelaide, Australia.

Justin Jackson, MS WELLNESS

Mobile Programs Operations Manager, Osher Center for Integrative Health

Justin Jackson is the mobile programs operations manager for the Osher Center of Integrative Health. He leads strategic development and implementation, business operations, and community health screenings and wellness programs. He is passionate about increasing access to health and wellness programs, especially for those in underrepresented and marginalized populations. He earned an MS in Health and Human Movement at Utah State University.

Ken Johnson, MD, MS EDUCATION

Vice Chair for Research and Co-Director, Center for Patient Simulation, Department of Anesthesiology, Co-Director, Center for Interprofessional Simulation-Based Experiential Learning

Ken Johnson co-directs both the Center for Patient Simulation and the Center for Interprofessional Simulation-Based Experiential Learning. A professor of anesthesiology and vice chair for research, his practice focuses on acute pain management and regional anesthesia. He is a co-principal investigator on a multicenter observational study funded by the National Institute of Neurologic Disease and Stroke. Johnson received an MD and an MS in biomedical engineering at Tulane University. He completed postgraduate training in anesthesiology at the U.

Marika Jones, MBA SVP CABINET Chief Philanthropy Officer

In her role with U of U Health Advancement, Marika Jones is responsible for leading fundraising operations in support of educational, clinical care, research, outreach, and multidisciplinary initiatives. She oversees advancement for the academic and clinical care teams, including hospitals and clinics and U of U Health schools and colleges. Additionally, she works closely with senior advancement leaders to integrate and streamline fundraising operations with a “One U” strategy. She received an MBA from the U of Chicago.

Kristine Jordan, PhD, MPH, RD WELLNESS

Health Advisor, Osher Center for Integrative Health

Kristine Jordan provides expertise on the design, implementation, and evaluation of U of U Health wellness programs that champion wellness in the community. She is an associate professor and associate chair in the Department of Nutrition & Integrative Physiology and a registered dietitian. She received a PhD in nutritional sciences at the U of Texas and an MPH in Nutrition at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Kristen Keefe, PhD EDUCATION RESEARCH

Co-Chair, Research Training & Career Development Committee

Kristen Keefe co-leads the Research Training & Career Development Committee, which fosters an exceptional training environment rooted in evidence-based practices. She received an MS and PhD in behavioral neuroscience from the U of Pittsburgh and was a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health. She is also a professor of pharmacology and toxicology and associate dean of faculty affairs in the College of Pharmacy.

Line Kemeyou, MD EDI

Assistant Dean for Health Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine

Line Kemeyou partners with the associate dean for Health Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine to ensure retention of minority faculty, diversify recruitment efforts, and promote a climate of inclusiveness. An assistant professor of medicine, she received an MD from the U of Texas Southwestern Medical School. She completed a residency in internal medicine at Parkland Health & Hospital System and fellowships in cardiovascular disease at the U of Florida College of Medicine and advanced heart failure and transplant at the U.

Madeline Lassche, DNP, NEA-BC, CHSE EDUCATION

Executive Director of Simulation, College of Nursing

Co-Director, Center for Interprofessional Simulation-Based Experiential Learning

Madeline Lassche is executive director of simulation and co-director of the Center for Interprofessional Simulation-Based Experiential Learning. An associate professor of nursing and an active researcher, she has 15 years of experience in simulation methodologies for teaching and developing simulation programs in pre-licensure, graduate, and interprofessional education. Recent publications include using simulation in PhD programs for responsible research conduct, developing and validating an interprofessional attitudes scale, and using human factors evaluation in hospital-based simulation. She received a DNP at the U and an MSN Ed at Westminster College.

Grant Lasson, MBA SVP CABINET

Associate Vice President, Strategy

Grant Lasson leads through strategic and business planning, funds flow redesign across academic and clinical enterprises, service line planning, ambulatory strategy development, and joint venture development among the health system and private care delivery partners. He has worked in academic medical centers including UC, San Diego; Stanford; U of Arizona; U of Washington; U of Oklahoma; U of Minnesota; Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford; and the Children’s Hospital in Seattle. He received an MBA at Brigham Young University.

Amy Locke, MD, FAAFP SVP CABINET WELLNESS

Chief Wellness Officer, University of Utah Health

Executive Director, Resiliency Center

As chief wellness officer for University of Utah Health, Amy Locke leads the design and implementation of wellness/well-being programs across campus and the community to empower patients, faculty, staff, and learners to live a healthy life. She is also executive director of the U of U Health Resiliency Center, professor in the Department of Family & Preventive Medicine, and adjunct professor of nutrition and integrative physiology in the College of Health. She serves as incoming chair of the Board of Directors for the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health. She received an MD and completed a residency in family medicine at the U of Michigan.

Dan Lundergan, MHA SVP CABINET HOSPITALS & CLINICS

Chief Executive Officer, University of Utah Health Hospitals & Clinics

Dan Lundergan has worked for U of U Health for more than four decades, holding many positions within the organization. As U of U Health Hospitals & Clinics CEO, he leads the executive team to develop strategies to ensure ongoing financial viability and fulfill safety, satisfaction, and quality priorities. Lundergan is committed to making a difference for patients and their families and supporting colleagues by creating a safe and inclusive environment. Additionally, he is passionate about creating an atmosphere with positive

working relationships, flexibility to learn from mistakes, and an overall environment of trust, honesty, and mutual respect. He received an MHA at the U of Minnesota.

Jennifer Majersik, MD, MS RESEARCH

Associate Dean for Clinical & Translational Science, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine

As associate dean for clinical and translational science for the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, Jennifer Majersik works to advance clinical and translational research, creating a top-notch enterprise that empowers our community. She is chief of the Division of Vascular Neurology in the Department of Neurology and a professor of neurology. She directs the U’s Stroke Center and Telestroke Network. She received an MD from the U of Vermont and completed internship and residency at the U before seeking additional expertise in stroke by completing a vascular neurology fellowship at U of Michigan. While at Michigan, she earned an MS in clinical research design and biostatistics.

Ellen Maxfield, MSPH, CHES WELLNESS

Clinical Operations Manager, Osher Center for Integrative Health

Ellen Max field oversees the U’s National Diabetes Prevention Program and daily operations of the L.S. Skaggs Patient Wellness Center. She is an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy & Athletic Training and a Master Trainer Select and Lifestyle Coach for the National Diabetes Prevention Program. She received an MSPH at Western Illinois University.

Thomas L. Miller, MD HOSPITALS & CLINICS

Chief Medical Officer

Tom Miller is chief medical officer for U of U Health and executive director for the ambulatory clinics. As a member of the U of U Hospital administrative team, he oversees all executive and clinical medical issues of the hospital. He is also a practicing and teaching clinician in the Division of General Medicine at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine. He received an MD from George Washington University and completed residency and chief residency in internal medicine at the U.

Tad Morley, MHA, FACHE HOSPITALS & CLINICS

Executive Director of Regional Network, Outreach, & Telehealth

In his role as executive director of Regional Network, Outreach, & Telehealth, Tad Morley oversees the business operations of U of U Health’s strategic partnerships and regional clinical delivery. He and his team collaborate with physicians, hospitals, payers, and employers to extend access to clinical care and improve outcomes throughout the Mountain West. He is president of the Alliance for International Medicine, a nonprofit that trains health care providers to improve patient outcomes and quality of care in developing nations. He received an MHA from the U of Minnesota. He is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Tracey Nixon, MSN HOSPITALS & CLINICS Chief Nursing Officer

As chief nursing officer, Tracey Nixon provides leadership for nursing and advocates for patients and staff across the hospital system. With a tenure of nearly 15 years at U of U Health, she has a background in critical care nursing and has led nursing teams in capacity management, cardiovascular services, and critical care units. She and the capacity management nursing team have been recognized nationally for their work to improve the flow of patients through the hospital. She received an MSN in nursing from the U and is a member of the American Organization for Nurse Leadership and the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Catalina Ochoa, MPA SVP ADMIN

Senior Director of Finance

As budget director and controller, Catalina Ochoa oversees U of U Health's budget process, financial planning, regulatory compliance, and provides strategic financial counsel. She is also a member of the Utah Poison Control Center Advisory Board. Ochoa received an MPA at the U.

Kola Okuyemi, MD, MPH EDI

Executive Director, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, Huntsman Cancer Institute Chair, Department of Family & Preventive Medicine

In addition to leading the Department of Family & Preventive Medicine, Kolawole Okuyemi serves as executive director for Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and on the steering committee for the medical school's Anti-Racism Commission. As a physician-researcher and professor of family medicine, he focuses on improving the health of underserved and refugee populations and eliminating health disparities. He received an MD from the U of Ilorin in Nigeria, completed a residency in family medicine and an MS in public health at the U of Kansas Medical Center, and completed a research fellowship at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.

Steve Panish, MPA SVP ADMIN

Assistant Vice President, Capital Programs & Space Management

Steve Panish has more than 30 years of experience in capital and facility planning at academic medical centers. As assistant vice president for capital programs and space management, he evaluates and proposes capital needs for health sciences research and education facilities for renovations, maintenance, and repair. He also oversees project management and budgeting, including the off-campus real estate portfolio. He received an MPA at CSU, Fullerton.

Charlton Park, MBA, MHSM HOSPITALS & CLINICS

Chief Financial Officer

Chief Analytics Officer

Charlton Park is the chief financial officer and chief analytics officer for U of U Health Hospitals & Clinics. He oversees the financial planning, budgeting, general accounting, operational and capital financial planning, analytics, and revenue cycle functions. He has played an important role in the development of various integration models across several clinical programs, using financial and clinical data to increase collaboration and alignment between physician specialties and the hospital. He received an MBA and an MHSM from Arizona State.

Randall Peterson, PhD EDUCATION

Dean,

College of Pharmacy

Randall Peterson is the L.S. Skaggs Presidential Endowed Professor and dean of the College of Pharmacy at the U. A chemical biologist, his research utilizes high-throughput screening technologies to discover new drug candidates for cardiovascular and nervous system disorders. He received a PhD from Harvard, where he studied as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute predoctoral fellow before completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. He spent 14 years as a faculty member at Harvard, scientific director of the MGH Cardiovascular Research Center, and senior associate member of the Broad Institute.

Robyn Reynolds, MBA SVP CABINET

Chief Marketing Communications Officer

Robyn Reynolds oversees strategic communications and marketing efforts across U of U Health’s missions of patient care, research, education, and community engagement. She manages a team of 75 communications, marketing, and digital professionals who work to further develop U of U Health’s national reputation through strategic messaging, market research, and brand positioning. She received an MBA from Benedictine University.

Justin H. Rigby, PhD, ATC, LAT EDUCATION

Director,

Interprofessional Education Program

As Director of the U of U Health Interprofessional Education Program (IPE), Rigby oversees IPE activities involving more than 1,500 health professions trainees every year from the Colleges of Health, Nursing, and Pharmacy and the Schools of Dentistry and Medicine, as well as students from the College of Social Work. An associate professor of physical therapy and athletic training, he is treasurer of the Utah Athletic Trainers' Association. Rigby received an MS in athletic training from Texas State University and a PhD in exercise science from BYU.

Donna M. Roach, MS, CHCIO, FCHIME, LHIMSS HOSPITALS & CLINICS Chief Information Officer

In her role as chief information officer for U of U Health Hospitals & Clinics, Donna Roach oversees IT operations for the health system while balancing the needs of the hospital, physicians, and clinicians to create an environment for health care quality and efficiency. She is a Certified Healthcare Chief Information Officer, a Fellow of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives, and a Life Fellow Member of the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society. She completed an MS in Health Systems Management at Rush University in Chicago and a fellowship at the Chicago VA.

José Rodríguez, MD,

FAAFP SVP CABINET EDI

Associate Vice President for Health Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion

As associate vice president for Health Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, José Rodríguez is committed to identifying and eliminating racism in health care, equipping underrepresented minority faculty with tools to succeed, and enlisting allies in this work. He is a professor in the Department of Family & Preventive Medicine and a family physician and associate medical director at the Redwood Health Center. He received an MD from Weill Cornell Medicine and completed a residency in social medicine at the Montefiore Medical Center at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Michael Rubin, MD, PhD, MS EDUCATION RESEARCH

Director, Vice President’s Clinical & Translational Research Scholars Program, Vice Chair, Faculty Development, Department of Internal Medicine

Michael Rubin directs the Vice President’s Clinical & Translational Research Scholars Program. He also serves as associate director for the VA Salt Lake IDEAS Center of Innovation and as vice chair for Faculty Development in the Department of Internal Medicine, overseeing faculty mentoring, advancement, and career development. A tenured professor in medicine, Rubin is the section chief of epidemiology for George E. Wahlen Department of VA Health Center. He received an MD and PhD in immunology at the U of Illinois, Chicago. He completed a residency in internal medicine, a fellowship in infectious disease, and received an MS in biomedical informatics at the U.

Wayne Samuelson, MD EDUCATION

Dean, Medical Education, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine

Wayne Samuelson joined the faculty of the Division of Respiratory, Critical Care, and Occupational Pulmonary Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine in 1995. Samuelson is a professor of medicine with clinical interests in the management of asthma patients. Samuelson received an MD at the U. He completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in pulmonary disease at Duke Medical Center.

Holly Sharp EDI

Co-Director, Women in Health, Medicine, & Science

Holly Sharp improves diversity and inclusion at the School of Dentistry. She stresses the importance of treating the patient as a whole and ensuring a welcoming environment. She is the clinic director at the Ray & Tye Noorda Oral Health Sciences Building and section head for Patient Care and Integration. She also collaborates with the ADEA Pride Section to support LGBTQIA+ students in dental schools. She received a DDS and completed general practice residency at U of Texas Health Science Center.

Christian Sherwood, MA HR-HOSPITALS & CLINICS

Chief Human Resources Officer, University of Utah Hospitals & Clinics

In May 2023, Christian Sherwood was named chief human resources officer for U of U Hospitals & Clinics. With more than 10 years on our HR leadership team, she is committed to building a more equitable and progressive work environment for our teams of caregivers. She received an MA in mass communications from BYU.

Selim Sheikh, DO, MBA, DipABLM, FAAFP WELLNESS

Medical Advisor, Osher Center for Integrative Health

As medical advisor to the University of Utah Osher Center for Integrative Health, Selim Sheikh facilitates collaboration between lifestyle and integrative programs and services across the health system to improve patient and physician wellness and foster opportunities for discovery and advancement in clinical practice. Clinically, he specializes in osteopathic manipulative medicine, lifestyle medicine, integrative medicine, and family medicine. He received a DO from William Carey University, an MBA from West Texas A&M University, and completed a family medicine residency at Ohio State University.

Brian Shiozawa, MD SVP CABINET

Associate Vice President for Health Policy

As associate vice president for health policy, Brian Shiozawa provides expert consultation on local, state, and federal health care policy. This includes collaboration with governmental agencies and private institutions on public health, legislation, regulations, and finance. From 2017-2019, he served as a regional director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He also served two terms in the Utah State Senate, sponsoring or co-sponsoring more than 50 bills. He also serves as an associate professor of surgery in the Division of Emergency Medicine. He received an MD from the U of Washington and completed residency at the U.

Catherine Soehner, MLS, BSN EDUCATION

Associate Dean for Research and Director, Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library

Catherine Soehner is the director of the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library and associate dean for research at the J. Willard Marriott Library. She has led the delivery of a wide range of library services, including research and information services, library instruction and training for users, and support for faculty, graduate students, and other advanced users in digital scholarship efforts. She received an MLS at Indiana University and a BSN at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati.

Michael Strong, MD HOSPITALS & CLINICS

Chief Medical Information Officer

Michael Strong is chief medical information officer for U of U Health. He leads efforts to leverage investment in information technology infrastructure, including electronic medical record optimization. An associate professor of medicine, he joined the U in 1999 and founded the hospitalist program in the Department of Internal Medicine. Strong also oversees the institutional Electronic Data Warehouse. He received an MD from Baylor College of Medicine and completed a residency in internal medicine at the U.

Amy Tanner, MHA, MPH RESEARCH

Senior Director, Office of the Associate Vice President for Research

As senior director for the Office of the Associate Vice President for Research, which includes the Utah Clinical & Translational Science Institute, Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, HSC Cores, and institutional training programs, Tanner is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership for research mission activities broadly and vigorously advancing the research-related priorities of U of U Health. Tanner received an MHA and MPH at the U.

Kelly Tappenden, PhD, RD EDUCATION

Dean,

College of Health

On July 1, 2023, Kelly Tappenden joins the U as the new College of Health dean. She comes to Utah from the U of Illinois, Chicago, where she has served as professor and head of the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition. Her research focuses on intestinal failure, mechanisms of intestinal adaptation, and patient malnutrition. She received her PhD in nutrition and metabolism from the U of Alberta.

Traci Thompson, MS, ACSM HFD, CSCS WELLNESS

Education and PEAK Health and Fitness Director, Osher Center for Integrative Health

Traci Thompson directs the PEAK Health and Fitness Program, a wellness clinic that provides practical training and education for students in the College of Health. PEAK offers a variety of workshops and seminars, health assessment and fitness testing, nutrition services, continuing education opportunities, and employee fitness classes. Thompson is an associate professor in the Department of Health & Kinesiology. She received an MS in Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State.

Britta Trepp, MS, ACSM, CEP, Wellness WELLNESS

Employee Wellness Program Manager, Osher Center for Integrative Health

Britta Trepp manages WellU and WellnessNOW programming for human resources teams at the U and U of U Health Hospitals & Clinics. She works closely with the College of Health as an adjunct clinical professor in kinesiology. With her team, she engages employees in wellness programming to promote the practice of mindfulness, reduction of sedentary time, improved eating behaviors, and participation in evidence-based programming. She received an MS in exercise physiology from the U.

Whitney Werner, MBA, MHA WELLNESS

Director of Administration, Osher Center for Integrative Health

As director of administration for the Osher Center for Integrative Health, Whitney Werner leads department operations and finances, collaborating with the chief wellness officer to coordinate well-being efforts across the system. She received an MBA and an MHA from the U.

Chad Westover, MPA HOSPITALS & CLINICS

Chief Executive Officer, University of Utah Health Plans

Chad Westover is responsible for the fiscal, operational, legislative, regulatory, and human resources objectives of U of U Health Plans. He improves quality of services for our members. He was the inaugural director of the Utah Children’s Health Insurance Program, responsible for health insurance access initiatives for the Utah Department of Health. He was also a health policy consultant for Gov. Mike Leavitt. He received an MPA at BYU.

Rebecca Wilson, PhD, MS, RN EDUCATION

Director, Master of Education in Health Professions, Director & Fellow, Academy of Health Science Educators, Specialty Director, Nursing Education Track Program

Rebecca Wilson directs the Academy of Health Science Educators, a community of educators committed to advancing excellence and value in health science education. She also leads the Master of Education in Health Professions. She advocates for faculty in their educator roles. An associate

professor and the inaugural Fredrick Q. Lawson Excellence in Teaching Endowed Chair at the College of Nursing, she leads the Nursing Education Specialty Track Program. She received an MEd and PhD in educational technology at Arizona State and an MS in critical care nursing at Columbia School of Nursing.

Sarah Wilson, MA, SPHR HR-ACADEMICS

Senior Director of Human Resource Management, University of Utah Health Academics

As senior director of human resource management for U of U Health Academics, Sarah Wilson and her team work to improve recruitment, hiring, onboarding, engagement, performance management, and overall HR operations. She received an MA in human resource management from Concordia University–St. Paul and is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources.

H. Joseph Yost, PhD EDUCATION RESEARCH

Co-chair, Research Training & Career Development Committee

H. Joseph Yost co-leads the Research Training & Career Development Committee, which equips graduate and postdoctoral health sciences trainees with the tools and skills to identify and secure personally fulfilling careers in science. He is also a professor of neurobiology and vice chairman for basic science research in pediatrics. He received a PhD in genetics from the U of Chicago and was a postdoctoral fellow in developmental biology at UC Berkeley.

VISION FOR THE FUTURE

Together as One U, we serve communities and the region, advance equity, diversity, and inclusion, lead education and discovery, and innovate care accountable for outcomes.

Communities, partners, and people make us who we are, and we are fully invested in their health, wellness, and success.

These are the words that guide our work at University of Utah Health—work that we do in support of one another and our community. That is what makes our institution so unique. Like our academic peers across the country, the pandemic changed us. We faced our challenges together. We emerged stronger and more united. We realized that it is not enough for us to serve one another and the community in the ways we have traditionally. It is incumbent on us, as health care professionals and leaders in academia, to support the people in our institution as we all work to collaborate with and care for the people in our communities. This perspective informs new models of population and mental health care, new practices in the inclusivity and translation of scientific advances, new curricula to teach and train the next generation of health professionals, and perhaps most importantly, a new culture of well-being and belonging designed to care for the people who make all this a reality.

The secret is out: Utah is an amazing place to be. Our community and state are growing rapidly. And as our state grows, we must be prepared to care for its citizens’ physical, mental, environmental, and social health—both here and beyond our conventional borders.

We invite you all to join us on this journey.

Report

EXECUTIVE SPONSOR

Robyn Reynolds Chief Marketing Communications Officer

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Joe Borgenicht Senior Director, Strategic Communications

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Jessica Peterson Senior Manager, Strategic Communications

MANAGING EDITOR

Conrad Lucas Specialist, Strategic Communications

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Luat Nguyen

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS

Chris Peterson Digital Paint Booth

Wesley Thomas YUMI

PHOTOGRAPHY

Charlie Ehlert

Nathan Fastenberg

Jen Pilgreen

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS

Kim Clark Director, Health Sciences Education Office

RyLee Curtis Senior Director, Community Engagement

Clare Duignan Editorial Specialist, University Marketing & Communications

Heather Hamblin Manager, Strategic Communications

Brynn Harris Senior Manager, Hospitals and Clinics

Julie Kiefer Associate Director, Science Communications

Aaron Lovell Associate Director, Strategic Communications

Nick McGregor Associate Director, Publishing

Colin Romaglia Specialist, Marketing & Communications College of Pharmacy

Abby Rooney Associate Director, Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Research Unit

Sarah Shebek Manager, Marketing & Communications College of Health

Sheridan Underwood Manager, Strategic Communications

Kyle Wheeler

Marketing & Communications Manager, Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Research Unit

Marketing & Communications EDI Committee

Special thanks to many others throughout U of U Health for their contributions to compile the information in this report.

Please contact a member of the Strategic Communications Team to report corrections, updates, or for printed copies.