UA health affairs VP will get early start
Photos & images All Slideshows »
Click Photo to Enlarge
ADVERTISEMENT
- Most Commented Stories Today
- Most E-mailed Stories Today
The Arizona Board of Regents unanimously approved hiring Dr. William M. Crist as University of Arizona vice president for health affairs at its meeting Thursday in Flagstaff.
Crist's salary will be $650,000 making him the highest paid employee at UA who is not in athletics.
Now the dean at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, Crist, 65, will be responsible for overseeing the overall academic and medical services at the UA College of Medicine, UA health sciences departments and the continuing development of the UA medical school in downtown Phoenix in partnership with Arizona State University.
It's a big job with a big salary, and the regents expect big things.
"Within six months this whole medical school thing must have synergy and positive movement for this investment," Regent Ernest Calderón said after the meeting. "We've been stagnant."
Crist will also oversee UA agreements with the College of Medicine; University Medical Center; University Physicians Healthcare, the faculty physicians practice plan; and UPH Hospital-Kino.
He will start Oct. 31, but said in a phone interview from the University of Missouri that he will be in Tucson "a number of times" before then to house-hunt and offer "early input" into medical school challenges.
The College of Medicine-Phoenix has faced struggles "because we're in start-up mode," ASU President Michael Crow said.
Medical school deans at the Tucson and Phoenix campuses resigned in the past four months, and a UA faculty committee investigation revealed medical faculty discontent at the Tucson campus.
UA President Robert N. Shelton said that UA did "an extensive search for this vital position" and that Crist received "overwhelming support" from communities at both medical school sites and from the Phoenix medical community.
"He received over-the-top reviews and we can't get him here soon enough," Shelton said after the meeting.
The search was spearheaded by Shelton and Executive Vice President and Provost Meredith Hay. There were nine applicants for the position and Crist - an internationally known pediatric hematologist - was the lone finalist.
UA will not release the names of the other applicants, citing privacy concerns.
Crow said he expects Crist to bring in "more money than trucks can hold" to adequately fund the College of Medicine-Phoenix.
In eight years as dean at Missouri, Crist raised more than $100 million.
Crist, who will hold a faculty position in pediatrics, said his first priorities will be hiring deans for the medical school campuses and the College of Nursing, and the re-submission of "critical grant funding" for the Arizona Cancer Center.
The regents also had a study session on university productivity and efficiency, in light of a recent request from Gov. Janet Napolitano to address those issues. Everyone agreed on the concept, but there was concern about a punitive Legislature.
"We have the opportunity to find ways to stretch our dollars and convince the public of our fiduciary responsibility so they will trust us with more," said Regent Fred DuVal. "The risk is that we will give the budget cutters . . . a pathway for evisceration of the university system."
In other business, the regents approved the Technology and Research Initiative Fund's 2008 annual reports from the universities.
Leslie Tolbert, UA vice president for research, graduate studies and economic development, announced that Canon Inc. has given the College of Optical Sciences a $3 million grant to fund nine research projects and is negotiating a 10-year collaboration that could be worth "billions" to UA.
Tolbert also presented UA's revised Technology and Research Initiative Fund budgets for fiscal 2009 and business plans for new projects.
UA's nearly $34 million tech and research fund budget will help launch a $6.7 million ASU-UA Solar Energy Initiative and a $1.06 million project to increase higher education in rural southern Arizona.
- Read All Comments » 5 TOTAL COMMENTS
-
David N. (Arrow)
Aug 15, 2008 @ 9:23amThat's what top doctors get. That's the free market. -
Tomas R. (#2160)
Aug 14, 2008 @ 9:49pmNot only that, he was the provost former bossm she oversaw the search herself and there were no other finalists!!! c'mon, something fishy happened here besides the taxpayers getting "fooled" once again... also who is getting the bill? the UA or is this a share thing with ASU? because if not, Crow is folling us again... can the reporter go back and find this out? where is the funding for this Crist coming from? tell us...
-
Suncusser R. (Suncusser)
Aug 14, 2008 @ 5:06pmWe could get about 10 new Assistant Professors, 1.5 University Presidents, 80% of a heart surgeon or 60% of a Football coach. Its going to be a tough job and I hope he earns it but wow on that salary.
- Post a Comment »