Division Chief, Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergy, Immunology, Sleep McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston at UTHealth in Houston, Texas

Job Description:

The Department of Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas, is seeking a Chief for the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergy, Immunology and Sleep. The McGovern Medical School is a component of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and is situated in the Texas Medical Center. The Division has established inpatient services at the Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital and other hospitals in the Memorial Hermann system, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and LBJ hospital in the Harris Health system. Outpatient services are provided in the Texas Medical Center and at several sites throughout the Houston area and its suburbs. An ACGME accredited Pediatric Pulmonology Fellowship program is well established and has successfully graduated Board Certified trainees since 2006.

Divisional faculty have diverse interests and expertise within their respective specialties, including:

• Successful multidisciplinary High risk Pulmonary and Neonatal clinics for children with medical complexity
  
  
• Accredited Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Center
  
  
• A multidisciplinary congenital diaphragmatic hernia follow up clinic
  
  
• A developing aerodigestive clinic
  
  
• Multidisciplinary Pulmonary /Sickle Cell disease clinic
  
  
• Growing sleep program including a combined Sleep/ENT clinic
  
  
• Active programs in flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy and Pulmonary function, including exercise bronchoprovocation studies and cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Special pulmonary function testing capability includes incentive oscillometry and nasal nitric oxide measurement.
  
  
• Diagnosis and management of children with immunodeficiencies, neuromuscular disease and mitochondrial disease
  
  
• Management of patients requiring home ventilators (with invasive or noninvasive ventilation).
  
  
• Telemedicine
  
  

The Division Chief will lead the program within a dynamic and growing academic and clinical environment. Recent growth at CMHH has been dramatic, with increasing acuity in the 118-bed Level IV NICU, and expanding from 20 PICU beds to 52 beds in 2021, with 22 dedicated PICU beds and 30 Cardiac ICU beds. The cardiac program has grown substantially and has high utilization of pulmonary resources including; early bronchoscopy, home ventilation and innovative home care/ follow up approaches. Being situated in the Texas Medical Center (TMC) in Houston enables faculty in the Division to establish successful and productive collaborations with faculty in these TMC medical institutions, including MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Position Overview

Reporting to the Chair of Pediatrics, the Chief of Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergy, Immunology and Sleep will oversee administrative, academic and clinical activities of the Division. The Chief is responsible for the growth and advancement of clinical, research, and teaching excellence, academic and clinical planning, development and resource management, and for the implementation of inpatient systems of care. The Chief will foster and recruit faculty and trainees, strengthen collaborative departmental and hospital partner relationships, enhance outreach activities and engage community physicians.

Leadership and General Administrative Duties

• Create a positive work environment for the Division that encourages communication, trust, teamwork, and professional growth. Develop a culture that is anti-racist and fosters diversity, equity and inclusion. Work to ensure that all faculty and staff feel valued and supported. Strengthen others by showing appreciation and celebrating successes.
  
  
• Build a culture of professionalism, transparency, and accountability within the Division by being a role model, holding faculty accountable and providing timely and constructive feedback.
  
  
• Establish a system for ensuring that relevant information from the Department, Medical School, and Hospital/Health System is communicated in a timely manner to all faculty and staff.
  
  
• Actively partner with administrative staff to manage the business and financial operations of the Division.
  
  
• Serve as a role model of engagement in important Department, Hospital/Health System activities and initiatives.
  
  

Oversight of Clinical Activities

• Identify and regularly update scope of clinical practice for the Division.
  
  
• Lead and supervise expansion of new Division clinical programs including programs in Pulmonary hypertension, planned growth in the areas of heart and lung transplantation, development of an Asthma center for management of patients with moderate to severe asthma, and other programmatic expansions.
  
  
• Ensure that the quality of care meets/exceeds accepted standards.
  
  
• Lead and participate in safety initiatives and quality performance improvement in accordance with the Department and Hospital/Health System initiatives.
  
  
• Review patient/family survey results and identify/address patient/family-identified deficiencies in clinical care.
  
  
• Create metrics for defining and evaluating overall Divisional and individual faculty performance and success in meeting clinical expectations.
  
  

Oversight of Division-Specific Educational Programs

• Continue and expand Division education programs that meet the needs of the following groups of learners, as appropriate and directed by the Department, Medical School and/or Hospital/Health System:
  
  
  
  • medical students
    
    
  • residents
    
    
  • fellows
    
    
  • medical practitioners (continuing medical education programs)
    
    
  • allied health professionals (both internally and externally)
    
    
  
  
• Oversee the current ACGME accredited Pediatric Pulmonary Fellowship Program
  
  
• Create metrics for evaluating individual faculty performance and success in meeting educational expectations.
  
  

Oversight of Research and Scholarly Missions of the Division

• Create an environment to foster research and scholarly activities in the Division.
  
  
• Develop and overall thematic approach and strategic plan for research within the Division.
  
  
• Foster collaboration and team science within and beyond the Division.
  
  
• Ensure appropriate mentorship and progress for faculty engaged in research.
  
  
• Create metrics for evaluating individual faculty performance and success in meeting research/scholarly expectations.
  
  
• Monitor research budgets and effort allocation.
  
  

Career Development of Faculty

• Monitor, foster, and guide career development of each faculty member in the Division, in concert with the expectations of the Department and School of Medicine.
  
  
• Ensure that every faculty member has an individual performance review and an updated career development plan annually.
  
  
• Provide guidance to faculty for academic promotion and prepare letters of recommendation as appropriate.
  
  

Qualifications

• M.D. or equivalent medical degree, with Board Certification in Pediatric Pulmonology
  
  
• Qualify for a faculty position at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor.
  
  
• Recognized leader in Pediatric Pulmonology who is regarded as an expert clinician with proven achievement in developing outstanding programs and a passion for delivering patient care of unsurpassed quality.
  
  
• Experience as a successful manager with a track record of effective, cooperative leadership, faculty development, and strategic vision gained within an academic environment.
  
  
• Demonstrated ability to work as a member of a team, providing effective communication and an interest in furthering the research, scholarly and academic missions of the group.
  
  
• Demonstrated success in the recruitment and development of faculty and trainees. One who leverages a national reputation to attract the highest level of talent.
  
  
• A record of research contributions, either in clinical, educational, or translational science.
  
  
• Possesses strong personal and professional ethical values, impeccable integrity, energy, flexibility, and a positive attitude.