March 3, 2015

On March 3, 2015, Dean Mark Richardson announced the appointment of Sharon Anderson, M.D. R' 82, as chair of the Department of Medicine. This appointment is effective immediately.

Dr. Anderson served as interim chair since April 2013. Over the past year, a search committee, led by John Hunter, M.D., chair, Department of Surgery, conducted a thorough national search. Dean Richardson said, “This search demonstrated that Dr. Anderson's record of leadership and vision for the department provides the strongest and most expeditious path to move forward on our collective goal to build the department into one of the finest in the nation.”

This leadership appointment includes a package of significant new investments. Working with the Office of the Dean and department faculty, Dr. Anderson and her leadership team will be charged with developing a strategic plan to invest in four areas:

• recruitment of general medicine faculty
• development of innovative, hallmark interdisciplinary programs
• strengthening clinical research programs, including recruitment of clinician-scientists
• strengthening the graduate medical education programs.

A member of the OHSU faculty since 1991, Dr. Anderson is a professor in the Department of Medicine and a member of the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension. Previously, she was chief of medical service at the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center (now VA Portland Health Care System) and associate dean for faculty development in the School of Medicine.

Dr. Anderson received her M.D. from Louisiana State University Medical Center. After internal medicine residency training at OHSU, she completed her clinical nephrology training at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (formerly Beth Israel Hospital), and her research training at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

“This is an exciting time for the Department of Medicine; health care reform and other external factors have sharply increased the potential impact of new strategic investments in the department which will enhance our ability to improve human health and well-being,” said Dean Richardson.

Home to about 260 primary faculty members, 11 divisions and more than 300 affiliate community faculty members, the department is involved in all aspects of the school's missions. As the largest of 26 departments in the OHSU School of Medicine, the faculty, staff, residents and other members of the Department of Medicine play a key role in the school's success.

Dr. Anderson, a nationally-recognized and innovative clinician, educator, researcher and leader with a demonstrated commitment to partnership, will help guide the department as it moves into a national leadership position while providing maximum opportunities for faculty success in this dynamic new era.

“Please join me in welcoming Dr. Anderson into this leadership role in the OHSU School of Medicine,” said Dean Richardson. 
 

More

Meet the OHSU Dept. of Medicine's new chair  (Portland Business Journal)