The Opportunity
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock invites applications and seeks nominations for the Chief of the Rheumatology and Immunology Division. The new division Chief will lead and optimize the division’s clinical activity, education and research. The selected candidate will receive an academic appointment at the level of Associate or full Professor of Medicine. The Chief will collaborate with a number of key leaders within UAMS, and the Veterans Affairs Hospital. The academic appointment includes an endowed professorship. This position reports directly to the Department Chair of Internal Medicine.
The future Chief will have the opportunity to strengthen clinical operations, recruit faculty, participate in teaching activities for rheumatology fellows, residents, and medical students, and perform basic and/or clinical research.
Leadership Responsibilities
The chief’s responsibilities will include:
- Leading and managing the Division in its multiple activities, including clinical service, teaching, research, academic and clinical planning, financial matters, faculty, and non-faculty personnel matters;
- Conducting research in the Chief’s area of expertise;
- Ensuring the highest quality of care and service to the patients and referring physicians, while building clinical volume;
- Participating in clinical practice activities in the Chief’s area of expertise; and provide coordination, continuity, and consistency in patient care, and community outreach;
- Maintaining and improving the fellowship, residency and student educational programs and participating in their teaching activities;
- Working with UAMS administration to achieve cost-effective service;
- Attracting and recruiting new faculty to expand the Division;
- Spearheading the Department’s strategic planning process in concert with the overall strategic plan for the College of Medicine and UAMS;
- Working with the relevant teaching hospitals—University Hospital and the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System—and their clinical programs to ensure the successful accomplishment of their teaching and clinical missions.
Candidate Qualifications
The Chief will lead the division exemplifying the core values of diversity, open communication, fairness, and respect.
The ideal candidate will have the following professional qualifications and personal characteristics:
- Board certification in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology;
- Excellent leadership skills with the ability to define and articulate a clear vision for the Division;
- Demonstrated ability to recruit, mentor, and provide faculty career development;
- Robust record of scholarship and research accomplishments;
- Well-developed emotional intelligence with exceptional interpersonal and communication skills;
- Ability to build consensus within groups and teams;
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion;
- Unquestioned personal integrity.
Preferred Experience
- Specialized expertise with national recognition.
- Independent peer-reviewed research funding
Division of Rheumatology and Immunology
The division currently has three physicians, four fellows, and a dedicated team of nurses, medical assistants, and administrative personnel.
The outpatient Rheumatology Clinics, at the UAMS Medical Center and the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital, provide service for patients with rheumatologic diseases to the entire state of Arkansas and the surrounding region (western Tennessee, Western Mississippi Eastern Oklahoma, Southeastern Missouri, and Louisiana).
Both the UAMS Clinic and the VA Clinic have access to CT scanning, MRI, and a complete battery of immunologic tests for the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis and collagen vascular disease. The Division of Rheumatology and Immunology works in close collaboration with the Department of Orthoapedic Surgery that is nationally recognized for clinical practice, education and research.
The facilities of the Arkansas Rehabilitation Institute are available to patients.
The Division or Rheumatology and Immunology is part of the UAMS Department of Internal Medicine which is one of the largest departments in the College of Medicine and is home to approximately 150 full-time faculty members, 81 residents, and 68 fellows serving two residency programs and twelve fellowship programs.
College of Medicine
The UAMS College of Medicine has educated and trained more than 10,600 physicians since 1879, preparing physicians and scientists to transform health in Arkansas and make their mark around the world.
The College is nationally recognized for providing quality education in primary care, graduating a high proportion of physicians who practice primary care, and for generating much-needed doctors for rural Arkansas. UAMS is ranked 36th for Primary Care in the 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools list. The college administers 65 ACGME-accredited residency and fellowship programs and is working with hospitals across Arkansas as they establish and maintain residency programs to help build the state’s physician workforce.
Faculty physicians provide highly specialized care at UAMS’ main and regional campuses and clinics, Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Arkansas Children’s Northwest, the VA Medical Center, and Baptist Health. Faculty researchers are recognized for excellence in many areas including cancer, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, mental health illnesses, and biomedical informatics.
The UAMS College of Medicine is recognized nationally and internationally for the excellence in musculoskeletal research. The Center for Musculoskeletal Disease Research (CMDR), funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), is a multidisciplinary center that encompasses a broad area of musculoskeletal research, including osteoporosis, multiple myeloma, cancer metastases to bone, osteoarthritis, osteomyelitis, and aberrant skeletal development. The CMDR research cores include a Genetic Models Core that uses cutting-edge approaches to genetically manipulate cells and mice, a Bone Histology and Imaging Core that analyzes mouse and human hard tissues, and a Bioinformatics Core that analyzes the large datasets generated by the molecular analyses of cells from mouse and human samples.
About UAMS
UAMS has several prominent research centers, including the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Translational Research Institute, the Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute, and the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging.
In 2019, UAMS completed a 10-year strategic planning process resulting in Vision 2029. This document can be found at UAMS Vision 2029. Included in this plan was the organization of all of UAMS’ clinical assets into a single entity termed UAMS Health. Information about UAMS Health is available at https://UAMSHealth.com.
UAMS Regional Campuses
Founded in 1973 through combined efforts of the Governor, the State Legislature, and UAMS. UAMS Regional Campuses serves as an educational outreach network for UAMS, and the principal means to decentralize medical and other health professions education throughout the state, encourage graduates to remain in Arkansas, and strengthen healthcare in underserved communities.
Little Rock, Arkansas
Where the Ouachita Mountains meet the Delta, you find the Arkansas River and the capital city of The Natural State, Little Rock. With a population of approximately 250,000, Little Rock is large enough to be culturally diverse and small enough to encourage a feeling of community among its citizens. Little Rock is full of modern innovation tempered by rich history. The city possesses breathtaking natural beauty thanks to its mountains, river valleys, and miles of untouched woods. The landscape is ideal for hiking, biking, sailing, camping, and more.
Procedure for Candidacy
Applications, nominations and inquiries can be sent to the Search Committee Chair, Elena Ambrogini, M.D., Ph.D., via email at EAmbrogini@uams.edu.
To assure full consideration, applications must include:
- a curriculum vitae
- Letter of interest
Candidates are encouraged to have complete applications submitted by December 31, 2022.
UAMS is an inclusive Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans and is committed to excellence.
If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by telephone at 501-686-6432 and let us know the nature of your request. We will only respond to messages left that involve a request for a reasonable accommodation in the application process. We will accommodate the needs of any qualified candidate who requests a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The safety of our team members at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is our top priority. For this reason, successful applicants for this position must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or have filed a request for medical or religious exemption as a condition of employment. UAMS will adhere to all federal, state, and local regulations and will obtain necessary proof of vaccination prior to employment to ensure compliance.