The Department of Pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern) is conducting a national/international search for the next Chief for the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. Reporting to the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Jorge Bezerra, the Chief of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology will be charged with delivering state-of-the-art clinical care to children with hematologic and oncologic disorders at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas and Plano. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to envision and realize the future growth of an outstanding Pediatric Hematology and Oncology program, within the vibrant and growing UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Health, also routinely considered among the nation’s finest.

The Role

This leader will build on a foundation of success while defining the future culture of the Division, leveraging the talents of a diverse group of faculty, staff, fellows, residents, and students as the Department of Pediatrics and its primary health system partner, Children’s Health, enter a period of unprecedented growth. The Chief will lead the Division in providing excellent, high value pediatric care while advancing the field through research and innovation, and educating future physicians. This leader will collaborate across the Department of Pediatrics, UT Southwestern and with key partners at Children’s Health.

Through collaboration across Divisions and with Children’s Health, the Chief will establish and promote best practices, improving high reliability of clinical services and high quality transitions of care through the health system. This leader will leverage data and analytics to measure outcomes and drive quality improvement. The Chief will ensure alignment of the clinical and academic missions of the Division with the Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Health, and the Joint Pediatric Enterprise.

The Chief will build a robust portfolio of research, while encouraging the importance of grant-funding, scholarly output and publications in high impact journals. This Chief will foster an outstanding teaching environment, while continuously improving and advancing the medical education curriculum and training programs available.

Key to success in advancing the academic, research, and clinical missions, the Chief will have strong business acumen and be responsible for operations and financial performance for the Division. The Chief will prioritize recruiting, training, developing, and retaining world-class faculty to advance the Division and Department’s bold growth strategy. This leader will maintain a collaborative and transparent atmosphere, further develop existing programs, and identify potential opportunities for additional development.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will be a nationally or internationally recognized physician or physician-scientist, board certified in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology. 

Applicants will be considered at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor level with or without tenure. Appointment rank will be commensurate with academic accomplishments and experience. Applicants must be eligible for licensure in the state of Texas and must be board certified in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology.

Education and Experience

·   MD or MD/PhD (or equivalent) from an accredited medical school is required

·   Nationally recognized as a leader in the field of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology with an outstanding track record of accomplishment in clinical     care, research, and education

·   Operationally minded; ability to outline a clear road map for the execution of the division’s expansion

·  Strong business acumen with the ability to build collegial relationships, influence and negotiate within a highly matrixed, large and complex     organization.

·   Proven successful track record of mentorship

·   Ability to connect and build strong relationships with others, demonstrated strong emotional intelligence and an ability to communicate clearly

·  A leader viewed by others as having a high degree of integrity and forethought in their approach to making decisions; the ability to act in a t   transparent and consistent manner while always taking into account what is best for the organization

The Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology

The mission of the UT Southwestern Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Division is to provide excellent, high value care to infants, children, and adolescents while advancing the field through research and innovation as well as enhancing the education of future physicians. The growing Division is comprised of 36 faculty members who play a pivotal role in advancing the Division’s clinical and scholarly programs focused on cancer and a myriad of blood diseases. 

Clinical Services

As the largest cancer and blood disease program in North Texas and one of the largest in the United States, the Division provides care for more than 400 children with newly diagnosed cancer and close to 1,600 children with newly diagnosed blood diseases annually. Care is primarily provided in the Pauline Allen Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCBD) at Children’s Medical Centers in Dallas and Plano, nationally known as a center of excellence in patient care, education, clinical and laboratory research, and patient advocacy. The Division continues to expand its geographic footprint by increasing the scope and scale of clinical care provided in Plano, and growing into other suburban sites, including Prosper. Regional outreach includes providing educational and consultative resources for primary and referring physicians. Recognizing the rising demand for hematology and oncology care in the expanding Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, which boasts a population exceeding 7,500,000, the Division is actively engaged in expansion efforts to ensure that it can effectively meet the needs of children requiring specialized services.

Research

A wide variety of translational research activities spanning basic science and clinical and population projects are being carried out by faculty in the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology.

§ Laboratory Research: Research is carried out in laboratories in the Division of Hematology/Oncology and across the entire UT Southwestern Medical Center campus, including the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern.

§ Clinical Research: The Division’s clinical research efforts span a portfolio of 150 or more clinical research studies, supported by a robust infrastructure provided by the Clinical Research Office (CRO) within the Gill Center and the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern. Currently, there are 126 oncology, 19 hematology and 21 CITP trials that are open for enrollment for Gill Center patients.  

Education

The Division’s education mission is to impart knowledge, instill excitement for learning, and translate important clinical questions into focused areas of research. The Division provides educational opportunities for medical students, pediatric residents, pediatric hematology and oncology fellows, as well as junior faculty.

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

UT Southwestern, one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers, is located just a short drive from downtown Dallas. The campus integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution’s faculty number more than 2,800 and includes six who have been awarded Nobel Prizes since 1985, 25 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 16 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 13 investigators in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. UT Southwestern physicians provide medical care in about 80 specialties to more than 117,000 hospitalized patients, nearly 360,000 emergency room cases, and oversee approximately 3 million outpatient visits a year. Many are cared for in the three major hospitals on campus: Clements University Hospital, Parkland Memorial Hospital, and Children’s Medical Center Dallas.

In 2023, UT Southwestern was recognized as the #1 hospital in Texas* (tie) and among the top 20 in the nation in the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings. With a core emphasis on advancing scientific discovery, UT Southwestern is also ranked among the top 25 medical school research programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Last year, UTSW was awarded more than $290 million in support from the NIH.

Children’s Medical Center Dallas (Children’s Health)

For more than 110 years, Children’s Health has pursued a long-standing commitment to the community to provide high-quality patient care, advocacy, and education with an unwavering focus on their mission: to make life better for children. Children’s Health is hailed as one of the largest and most prestigious pediatric health care providers in the country. The institute is comprised of 8,400 employees, providing care for more than 288,000 patients annually. The institute is consistently recognized among the top children’s hospitals in the country including its ranking by U.S. News & World Report as the top pediatric hospital in North Texas, number 2 in the Southwest, and number 16 in the nation for 2023-2024.

UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Health recently unveiled plans for a new $5 billion pediatric health campus in Dallas’ Southwestern Medical District. Spanning more than 33 acres, the new pediatric campus offers a patient-centric design that can meet the rapidly increasing need for more pediatric services ranging from the most common to the most complex. It will serve as a joint hub for innovation, academic research and training, and the development of lifesaving technologies to provide exemplary care for the youngest members of the community.

Nomination and Application Procedure

To receive full consideration, interested individuals should electronically submit a Curriculum Vitae and a letter of interest to Russell Reynolds Associates.  The letter of interest is a two-page cover letter, primarily detailing your experience, qualification, and key achievements related to this position specification and briefly expressing your interest in this Chief role. All inquiries should be sent to UTSWPedHemOnc@russellreynolds.com. Applications will be reviewed immediately and accepted until the position is filled.

UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community.  As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.

This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.

Appointment rank will be commensurate with academic accomplishment and experience. Consideration may be given to applicants seeking less than a full-time schedule.

To learn more about the benefits UT Southwestern offers, visit https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/employees/hr-resources/