About Us
John M. Carethers, M.D.
John G. Searle Professor and
Chair, Department of Internal Medicine
Message From Our Chair
Dear Faculty and Staff:
In October, the Pulmonary and Critical Care Division lost a maverick in Galen Toews, who directed that division for 24 years. His love for junior faculty development and his mannerisms will be greatly missed. Ted Standiford will shepherd the division while a national search is conducted. With the stepping down by Jeff Halter as Chief of the Geriatrics Division after 27 years, Raymond Yung has been permanently named his replacement as of November 1, 2011. Ray’s appointment coincides with the division’s name change to Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, to help emphasize this division’s longstanding training in palliative care medicine.
The Department of Internal Medicine will engage in opportunities for philanthropy to increase the number of endowments held in the Department. This active engagement, with the help of our faculty and staff, will be ongoing but also coincide with structural changes for the Development Office of the health system during 2012. The Department holds around 30 professorships, for example, but my goal is to get this to 50 within the next 3 years with your help. Endowments help our faculty and staff in that a perpetual source for an academic activity is present.
The health system has released the core of the UMHS Strategic Plan, and 5 of 7 clinical areas involve Internal Medicine. Look for engagement and discussions on how to implement the plan for these areas during the early part of 2012. Areas include transplant, critical care medicine, digestive diseases, cardiovascular medicine, and oncology.
On behalf of the Department of Internal Medicine, I wish each and every member of our great department a happy and safe holiday season. I look forward to even bigger and better things for 2012!
John M. Carethers, M.D.
John G. Searle Professor and Chair
Department of Internal Medicine
