Harry van Loveren, MD, chair of the Morsani College of Medicine Neurosurgery Department, and Donna Petersen, ScD, dean of the College of Public Health, have been selected as interim leaders for USF Health effective Aug. 12.
Dr.van Loveren will serve as interim dean of the Morsani College of Medicine and Dr. Petersen will serve as interim CEO of USF Health as Dr. Stephen Klasko prepares to begin his new position as president of Thomas Jefferson University and president and CEO of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital System in September.
“I am confident these two individuals will provide steady and visionary leadership for USF Health, our students, faculty, staff and, of course, the thousands of patients who depend on USF Health for excellent and life-saving care,” said USF System President Judy Genshaft.
Dr. van Loveren is widely regarded as one of the nation’s top and most innovative neurosurgeons, as well as a prolific researcher and author of 28 book chapters and contributor to more than 75 papers on neurosurgery and microneurosurgery. Dr. van Loveren has lectured at more than 200 conferences around the world, as well as participating in numerous visiting professorships, organizing dozens of professional symposia and conducting scores of clinical research projects.
Dr. Petersen is a nationally-recognized leader who is the author of dozens of publications and book chapters and a textbook on needs assessment in public health. She is a frequent lecturer on topics related to maternal and child health, health care reform, and systems change and leadership, and has provided extensive technical assistance and training to more than 25 state health departments in the areas of needs assessment, data system development, systems level accountability and the development of population-based indicators. She is immediate past editor-in-chief of the Maternal and Child Health Journal, immediate past president of the National Board of Public Health Examiners and chair of the Education Committee for the Association of Schools of Public Health.
“The search for new leadership is already underway, and I have no doubt this position will attract excellent candidates,” President Genshaft said.
The search committee is being led by Karen Holbrook, PhD, senior advisor to the President, with John Sinnott, MD, chairman of the College of Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine, serving as vice chair. Frank Morsani, a major supporter of USF and namesake of both the College of Medicine and the nationally-leading Morsani Center for Advanced Health Care, represents the Tampa Bay community on the search committee.
The committee also includes: Jim Burkhart, Tampa General Hospital; Dr. Javier Cuevas, USF Health, Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology; Dr. Jeffrey Krischer, USF Diabetes Center and Pediatric Epidemiology Center; Steve Mitchell, Squire Sanders Legal Counsel Worldwide; Dr. Alicia Monroe, USF Health, Office of Educational Affairs; and Dr. Dianne Morrison-Beedy, dean of the USF College of Nursing; Dr. Elliot Sussman, chair of The Villages Health; Dr. Thomas Whalen, LeHigh Valley Health Network; Dr. Sarah Yuan, USF Health, Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology; and Trevor Lewis, USF Health student.
USF Health continues to set a national standard for excellence in research in such areas as diabetes, heart disease and physical therapy; to lead the nation in patient-centered efforts such as the Joining Forces veterans’ health care initiative; and to develop forward-thinking academic programs such as the SELECT program and the growing College of Pharmacy.
“Our presence in the community through exciting initiatives such as USF Health in the Villages and the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation, and partnerships with other leading healthcare providers, have never been stronger,” President Genshaft said.
