University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
Under the leadership of Dean Henri Ford, the Miller School of Medicine has engaged in a culture change (C-Change) initiative to create an environment where faculty feel energized by their work and supported to develop personally and professionally. We know institutional culture affects faculty vitality, trust and inclusion, work-life balance, values alignment, and equality and the Miller School is committed to improving the experience for all members of our community.
Goals
Goal 1: Perform an assessment of the Miller School culture, using the validated C-Change Faculty Survey from Brandeis University.
Goal 2: Communicate broadly, and through multiple venues, the results of the survey.
Goal 3: Create large, diverse teams to take a deep dive into the data and develop a series of short-term, medium-term, and long-term priorities.
Goal 4: Create smaller teams to support the initiative and drive its progress. Specifically, teams will develop tactics to address the multiple priorities and identify individuals to oversee the work.
Accomplishments
October 2018 – December 2018
Dean Ford engaged Brandeis University leadership to survey the Miller School faculty in October 2018 about their experiences at the medical school. Sixty-two percent of the faculty participated.
January 2019 – April 2019
The Brandeis team analyzed the data and Dr. Linda Pololi presented the results in January 2019 in multiple venues to the Miller School faculty. The survey results identified five themes:
mentoring
gender equity
research faculty
diversity
institutional factors
We issued a request for volunteers and 150 faculty responded to participate on one or more of five C-Change Action Teams. The Action Teams developed 153 recommendations for culture improvement.
May 2019 – August 2019
A Steering Committee consisting of the Dean and the leaders of the Action Teams sorted the 85 quick-win recommendations into four domains:
institutional culture
research and development
compensation
faculty affairs and professional development
In August 2019, Dean Ford shared with the Faculty Council the organizational framework for prioritizing the recommendations and moving forward with addressing the quick-wins. A faculty leader oversees each domain to develop tactics for meeting the priorities and managing the process.
September 2019 – December 2019
Dean Ford has kept the faculty-at-large updated as to progress through regular email communications, departmental meetings, Faculty Council meetings, and so forth.
Steering Committee and Domain Teams
The C-Change Steering Committee and four domain teams focus on the areas identified by the C-Change Action Teams as opportunities for improving the culture at the Miller School.
Henri Ford, M.D., Dean & Chief Academic Officer, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Joan St. Onge, M.D., M.P.H., Senior Associate Dean for GME and Faculty Affairs & Professional Development
Enrique Mesri, Ph.D., professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Elizabeth Greig, M.D., assistant professor of clinical medicine, Medical Director, UHealth/Fisher Island
Michael Paidas, M.D., Chair, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Heather McCrea, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of clinical neurosurgery
Maria Delgado Lelievre, M.D., assistant professor of clinical medicine
Rose Van Zuilen, Ph.D., associate professor of professional practice, Department of Medical Education, acting associate director of the Educational Development Office
Ana Palacio, M.D., M.P.H., professor of Population Health and Computational Medicine
Erin Kobetz, Ph.D., M.P.H., Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship, professor, Department name. Lina Shehadeh, Ph.D., research professor, Department of Medicine
Heidi Allespach, Ph.D., professor of clinical family medicine Marie Denise Gervais, M.D., Assistant Dean for Admissions
Mecker Moller, associate professor of clinical surgery
Latha Chandran, M.D., M.P.H, Executive Dean for Education and Policy, Department Chair and Professor, Medical Education
Laurence Gardner, M.D., professor, Department of Medicine
Daniel Armstrong, Ph.D., professor, Department of Pediatrics, Director, Mailman Center for Child Development
Nanette Vega, Ph.D., assistant professor of professional practice, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement
Elizabeth Greig, M.D., Medical Director, UHealth|Fisher Island*
Eduardo Alfonso, M.D., Chair, Department of Ophthalmology
Jose Guillermo Gomez
Merce Jorda, M.D., Ph.D, M.B.A., professor and Chair (Interim) Department of Pathology
Michael Nares, M.D., assistant professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Irena Pastar Ph.D, research associate professor, Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery
Allan Pollack, M.D., Ph.D, Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology
Julia Sanchez, M.D., assistant professor of Clinical Medicine, Department of Medicine
Seth Schwartz, Ph.D., professor, Department of Public Health Sciences
Bradford Lee, M.D., MSc, assistant professor of Clinical Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute
Joan E. St. Onge, M.D., M.P.H., Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
*Denotes Domain Lead
Team Priorities
Priority 1: Analyze salaries of all faculty by department/division, share and discuss with leadership for developing recommendations to increase fairness and equity.
Priority 2: Require Chairs and Center / Institute Directors to complete an annual or bi-annual report on gender and salary equity within department and across divisions for tracking and reporting.
Priority 3: Identify activities that add value to the university mission and develop plan for incentivizing individuals appropriately.
Priority 4: Gather feedback from faculty at the end of fiscal year to determine how well the compensation plan is working.
Joan St. Onge, M.D., M.P.H., Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs & Professional Development*
Michael Paidas, M.D., Chair, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Marie Denise Gervais, M.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Family Medicine, assistant dean for Admissions
Lina Shehadeh, Ph.D, FAHA, Research Professor, Department of Medicine,
Enrique Mesri, Ph.D, Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Elizabeth Greig, M.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Medical Director, UHealth|Fisher Island
Ana Palacio, M.D., M.P.H., Professor of Public Health Sciences
Maria Delgado-Lelievre, M.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Heather McCrea, M.D., Ph.D, Assistant Professor of linical neurolsurgery
Rose van Zuilen, Ph.D, Associate Professor of Professional Practice, Department of Medical EducationSadfar Kahn, M.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Helen Hui-Chou, M.D., Associate Professor of Clinical Orthpaedics
Sharon Andrade-Bucknor, M.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Heidi Allespach, Ph.D., Professor of Clinical Family Medicine.
*Denotes Domain Lead
Team Priorities
Priority 1: Work with HR to develop and disseminate policies for inclusive recruitment of faculty.
Priority 2: Develop process for an annual review of faculty composition, including rank, female faculty and URM faculty within each department.
Priority 3: Create series of faculty development options focused on the clinician educator, scientist, and NextGenMD faculty.
Priority 4: Develop institution-wide mentoring plan for mentors and mentees.
Priority 5: Create a division of faculty wellness, focusing on time management, work life balance, financial wellness, and support for faculty.
Michael Paidas, M.D., Chair, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology*
Barth A. Green, M.D., FACS, FAANS Executive Dean of Global Health and Community Service
Christopher Hartnett, senior manager, Professional Development
Monica Lopez, senior manager of Business Operations, UMMG
Ralph Sacco, M.D., M.S., FAHA, FAAN, FANA, Chair of the Department of Neurology
Betina Senat, senior manager of Research Administration, Department of Medicine
Lina Shehadeh, Ph.D, faculty member, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology
Carl I. Shulman, M.D., Ph.D, M.S.P.H., Executive Dean for Research
Edward R. Schwartz, M.D., Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
Maria Rose van Zuilen, Ph.D, acting associate director, Educational Development Office
Rozanna Vanegas, human resources generalist
Iliana Vera, department administrator, UMMG Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine
*Denotes Domain Lead
Team Priorities
Priority 1: Develop plan to incentivize research faculty to promote high-impact academic productivity.
Priority 2: Establish guidelines and milestones for reducing disparity among members in the same tracks.
Priority 3: Create a centralized resource space to assist investigators with new and ongoing studies, i.e., subject recruitment and retention, and notification of available lectures and workshops.
Priority 4: Complete a public inventory of specialized equipment available by individual investigators and establish a committee to create an institutional policy for sharing equipment.
Priority 5: Explore opportunities to enhance the Dean’s Bridge award.
Priority 6: Create organizational structure that includes a voluntary internal peer review process for research grant applications and grant writing instruction.
Enrique A. Mesri, Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology & Immunology*
Ana Palacio, M.D., M.P.H., professor of Clinical Medicine and Public Health Sciences
Joan E. St. Onge, M.D., M.P.H., Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
Grace Zhai, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology
Carl Schulman, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Dean for Research
Shaun P. Brothers Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Ramiro Verdun Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine
Zhibin Chen, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Ernesto Bernal Mizhrachi, Professor and Chief, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine
Maria C. Delgado-Lelievre, M.D, Assistant Professor of Medicine
Michael Paidas, M.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Sheela Dominguez, Executive Director of Strategic Operations and Co-Administrator, CTSI
Karen Young, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics
*Denotes Domain Lead
Team Priorities
Priority 1: Develop plan to incentivize research faculty to promote high-impact academic productivity.
Priority 2: Establish guidelines and milestones for reducing disparity among members in the same tracks.
Priority 3: Create a centralized resource space to assist investigators with new and ongoing studies, i.e., subject recruitment and retention, and notification of available lectures and workshops.
Priority 4: Complete a public inventory of specialized equipment available by individual investigators and establish a committee to create an institutional policy for sharing equipment.
Priority 5: Explore opportunities to enhance the Dean’s Bridge award.
Priority 6: Create organizational structure that includes a voluntary internal peer review process for research grant applications and grant writing instruction.
C-Change Newsletter
In order to frequently communicate and keep you abreast of our progress, please see C-Change Newsletter.
If you have a story of progress or suggestion related to this initiative, please email facultyaffairs@med.miami.edu. We will share your feedback directly with the Steering Committee charged with managing the C-Change initiative's progress. We look forward to hearing from you.
