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Director, Division of Cardiovascular Disease and  

Co-Director of the Cardiovascular Institute

Heersink School of Medicine

Department of Medicine

University of Alabama at Birmingham

The Department of Medicine (DOM) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Heersink School of Medicine welcomes applications and nominations for the next Director of the Division of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), who will also serve as Co-Director of the Cardiovascular Institute (CVI).  UAB Medicine is ambitious:  it aims to have the best cardiovascular program in the Southeast and one of the top 10 in the country within 5 years.  As part of one of the nation’s leading academic health sciences centers and a top 30 hospital for cardiology and heart surgery according to U.S. News & World Report, the incumbent has an exceptional opportunity to elevate cardiovascular research, training, and care across the region and the nation.

The Division’s growth in reach and reputation has allowed it to truly live its tripartite mission to provide the highest quality care (often in the most serious and complex situations), to foster cardiovascular scientific discovery and develop new therapeutic innovations, and to train the future generation of cardiovascular specialists and researchers. Over the past decade under Dr. Sumanth Prabhu’s leadership, the Division increased its faculty by nearly 50%, developed new clinical programs, dramatically grew its research portfolio, and enhanced and expanded its fellowships.

The next Director will lead and catalyze growth and realize the strategic vision for cardiovascular programs at UAB. In 2019, UAB established the Cardiovascular Institute (CVI) to enhance all cardiovascular programs, to provide a platform for UAB Medicine to invest deeply in cardiovascular programs, and to drive UAB to become the go-to cardiovascular program in the Southeast.  The CVI is poised to realize this vision with the next Division Director serving as CVI Co-Director in partnership with James Davies, MD, Director of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery and CVI Co-Director.

The next Division Director will be a physician-investigator who is a transparent, inclusive, and thoughtful leader; someone who is a passionate advocate, mentor, collaborator, and team-player. Experience in growing a clinical footprint, working with service lines, and building research across the basic-clinical spectrum is essential; and equally so, the ability to focus on these mission areas in the spirit of valuing diversity, equity, inclusion, and personal and professional development. The next Director must have an eye for recruiting top talent, with an equal eye to developing talent already within the Division. As division directors at UAB have great responsibility and authority, this leader will be responsible for the success of all mission areas, hiring, and the financial health of the Division.

Simultaneously leading the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine (one of the Department of Medicine’s largest divisions) and leading the CVI as Co-Director requires this Director to have a nuanced appreciation for matrix organizational structures. The Director must be a highly effective team player to build trusting relationships, align goals across a variety of constituents, create win-wins, minimize duplication, clarify roles, and effectively lead a multi-faceted and matrixed organization down the same path towards the same goal. An effective Division Director will know how to partner with leadership at the departmental, school, and health system level, as well as with peers and faculty of all ranks. Aligning the many, many strengths in cardiovascular disease at UAB will be the primary goal of the next Director.

UAB has engaged Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in the search. All nominations and applications should be sent in confidence to: Randi Alberry (ralberry@imsearch.com) or Afi Tettey-Fio (atetteyfio@imsearch.com). Electronic submission strongly recommended at www.imsearch.com/8097. UAB is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to fostering a diverse, equitable and family-friendly environment in which all faculty and staff can excel and achieve work-life balance irrespective of, race, national origin, age, genetic or family medical history, gender, faith, gender identity and expression as well as sexual orientation. UAB also encourages applications from individuals with disabilities and veterans. A pre-employment background check investigation is performed on candidates selected for employment.