Longtime UB professor Frederick Morin has stepped into a dual role as interim vice president for health affairs and interim dean of the medical school as UB searches for permanent replacements for both jobs.
Morin was appointed to the two jobs last week, as Margaret Paroski, who has the same dual responsibilities, is leaving UB on April 18 to take a position with Kaleida Health Services.
Morin said he will focus on implementing programs that allow medical students to work on their residencies within the medical community of Western New York. These programs will increase the department's presence in local hospitals and further the quality of UB's medical program.
"Our big goal in the next year or so is to formally put down in writing what the responsibilities, authority and finances are of the arrangement, so as to solidify our clinical teaching base," Morin said.
Morin said doing that is important because it would provide better health care to Western New York, and allow better access to patients for medical students.
In the end, Morin would like to see the university and hospitals develop "cutting edge" medical centers that draw patients from Western New York.
"The top-notch centers in America have always had this combination and a formal agreement will help solidify our approach to this," Morin said.
One of President John Simpson's goals for UB is to be ranked in the upper half of the Association of American Universities, which represents 62 leading research universities in the US and Canada. Morin said UB can achieve that goal by substantially expanding academic excellence through the research base of the school.
"It is clear that no university can do this without the medical school leading the way," Morin said.
Morin has served as chair of the pediatrics department since 1997 and also works at the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo.
He said his academic perspective - both in teaching and research of hypertension found in newborns - will prove invaluable to the university.
Provost Satish Tripathi said he is pleased to welcome Morin into the new position.
"Dr. Morin's experience as an educator, physician, researcher and chair provides him with a comprehensive view of the health sciences that will prove invaluable as he assists in the transition in the office of the vice president for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences," Tripathi said in a UB press release.
When asked about the "interim" title of his new position, Morin said he will work towards the goals set by Simpson in his expected brief tenure, and will return to his prior positions when the vice president and dean positions are filled permanently.
The search for a permanent vice president for health affairs is currently underway and many qualified candidates are involved in the process, Morin said.
"Though it's hard to predict the future, presumably in the next six months the interim positions will be filled permanently," Morin said, adding, "I have been assured that I will be able to go back to my day jobs."
