Chair of Ophthalmology and Vision Science

The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson (UACOM-T) seeks a dynamic, distinguished academic ophthalmic leader to enhance the department, build relationships, and serve as the next chair, Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science (DOVS).  This is a unique opportunity to substantially grow the clinical program and advance research funding in partnership with one of the largest, nonprofit health care systems in the country.  The incoming chair will also hold an endowed chair.

With a dozen core faculty members, the DOVS serves as a major referral center for the Southwest region and has a long history of innovation.  The department hosts 12 residents across two, ACGME-accredited programs and basic and clinical research programs are supported by the NIH as well as philanthropic sources.  Faculty provide clinical services and mentor trainees at the Banner-University Medical Center Tucson, Banner-University Medical Center South, and the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System.

The University of Arizona (UA) is one of the nation's premier research institutions.  The National Science Foundation ranks the UA 21st in research and development expenditures among U.S. public and private universities.  In addition, the James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences is the pre-eminent program of its kind in the world, training more students in optical sciences than any other institution in the U.S.  UA Health Sciences is the statewide leader in biomedical research and health professions training and includes the UA Colleges of Medicine (Phoenix and Tucson), Nursing, Pharmacy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, with main campus locations in Tucson, and the growing Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix.  In 2015, Banner Health merged with the University of Arizona Health Network to form Banner-University Medicine.  At the heart of this merger is academic medicine – research, teaching, and patient care – across three academic medical centers in Tucson and Phoenix.

The next chair of the DOVS will strategically enhance the subspecialty clinical offerings of the department by providing the continuum of tertiary ophthalmic services, with particular opportunities to grow the retina and cornea services.  This physician leader will provide strategic leadership and direction with responsibilities for the growth of the clinical enterprise to expand research, scholarly activity with the advancement of education.  The leader will have the ability to build a program within the larger context of a growing regional health care system.  The next chair will evaluate and leverage department strengths to expand the UA/Banner footprint, recruit and retain talented faculty, and prepare the department for the changing healthcare landscape.

The successful candidate will be an outstanding clinical and academic leader with a record of accomplishment setting a vision, inspiring faculty, mentoring trainees, and driving results.  They will have a passion for growing complex clinical care, building relationships with community based providers, and possess a desire to build systems and processes to maximize efficiency. The chair will engage faculty, mentor the careers of others, hold them accountable to agreed upon objectives and create a collaborative environment conducive to camaraderie, excellent clinical care, research, education, and service.  Qualified candidates must hold an M.D. or equivalent medical degree; be board certified in ophthalmology, eligible for medical licensure in Arizona, and meet UA criteria for appointment to a tenured senior level faculty position.