Pediatric Insight: Passing Leadership Wisdom To The Next Generation

Topic: A Partnership of the Department Chair and Department Administrator is Essential for Financial Success

Financial management is often an area that physician leaders have not yet developed experience prior to assuming their leadership role. The complexity of clinical reimbursements, research funding sources and institutional compensations has greatly increased the management demands for physician leaders. Fortunately, department chairs, and most division chiefs, often have an administrator available to share this responsibility. In this conversation of members of CareerPhysician’s Child Health Advisory Council, experienced leaders reflect on the nature of this relationship and how it might be maximized.

Listen to the podcast. Read the conversation recap.

Our moderator:

Bruder Stapleton, MD

Dr. Stapleton is a pediatric nephrologist, Professor Emeritus and Chair Emeritus at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He served as Chair of the Department of Pediatrics from 1996 to 2018, as well as Chief Academic Officer and Associate Dean from 2005 to 2018.

Our panel:

Christine Gleason, MD

Dr. Gleason is a neonatologist and Professor Emerita of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She served as Division Director of Neonatology at Johns Hopkins from 1990 to 1997 and as Division Chief of Neonatology at the University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Hospital from 1997 to 2015.

Craig Hillemeier, MD

Dr. Hillemeier is a pediatric gastroenterologist and Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics at Penn State University. He served most recently as the CEO of Penn State Health 2014 to 2019.

Renée Jenkins, MD, FAAP

Dr. Jenkins is a Professor and Chair Emerita at Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C. Dr. Jenkins served as the inaugural director of the adolescent medicine program from 1976 to 1994 when she was appointed department chair of Pediatrics and Child Health, serving in this capacity until March 2007. Dr. Jenkins served as national president of the American Academy of Pediatrics from 2007 to 2008.

Danielle Laraque-Arena, MD, FAAP

Danielle Laraque-Arena (AKA Danielle Laraque), MD, FAAP is President and Professor Emerita of SUNY Upstate Medical University (UMU) and served as the 7th President of UMU, the first woman and first African American to have done so in that institution’s 182 years. In that role she served as Chief Executive Officer of the health system and was tenured Professor of Pediatrics, Public Health & Preventive Medicine and Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Sciences.

Wesley D. Millican, MBA

Wesley D. Millican, MBA, is CEO and Physician Talent Officer of CareerPhysician, LLC, providers of comprehensive talent solutions for academic children’s hospitals, colleges of medicine and academic medical centers across the nation. Mr. Millican is an acknowledged expert in completing complex faculty and executive leadership initiatives across academic medicine.

Valerie Opipari, MD

Dr. Opipari is a pediatric hematologist/oncologist and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan School of Medicine and C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Dr. Opipari has held a number of administrative roles at the University of Michigan including Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, Associate Chair for Research in the Department of Pediatrics and Chair of the University of Michigan Biomedical Research Council.

Robert S. Sawin, MD

Dr. Sawin is a pediatric surgeon, Emeritus Professor and Surgeon in Chief at Seattle Children’s Hospital and the University of Washington. Dr. Sawin served as the Vice-Chairman of the Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, Senior Vice President and Chief Surgical Officer of the Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Arnold (Arnie) Strauss, MD

Dr. Strauss is a pediatric cardiologist, Emeritus Professor and Chair of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Strauss served as the Chair of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati, Director of the Cincinnati Children’s Research Foundation (CCRF), and Chief Medical Officer of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) from 2007 to 2014.

At the Child Health Advisory Council, we conduct regular roundtable discussions. What topic would you like to see featured in upcoming discussions? Let us know.