The University of Wisconsin, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health (DFMCH), a leader in Family Medicine research, teaching, and service, is seeking an MD/DO and/or PhD trained health researcher with a successful track record of peer-reviewed publication and grant funding for the position of Vice Chair of Community Health.

The Vice Chair of Community Health will support the DFMCH vision, mission, and strategic priorities. This individual will work with departmental, institutional, and community members to promote health equity through strategic and system-level efforts in community engagement across and beyond the department’s clinical, educational, and research arms.

The Vice Chair of Community Health will provide research mentoring to junior faculty and fellows. For those with clinical training, there will be an opportunity to see patients or perform other clinical duties.

The successful candidate will support the five objectives for high-quality primary care as defined by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. They are: payment; access; workforce; health information technology; and accountability.

Job Responsibilities:

The Vice Chair of Community Health will be an integral part of a departmental community health initiative designed to bridge the gap between academic medicine, clinical medicine, the health care delivery system, and the community. Active research focus areas in DFMCH include, but not limited to, community based participatory research, alcohol and/or substance misuse and use disorders, respiratory infections and infectious disease surveillance, integrative health, health disparities research, obesity prevention, interprofessional primary care teams, health care literacy, artificial intelligence in primary care, value-based care and primary care service. The selected candidate will collaborate closely with DFMCH colleagues to develop and submit grant proposals for external funding, oversee grant activities, supervise and participate in data collection and analysis, and examine project results, develop human subjects protocols, collaborate in the preparation and writing of progress reports and publications, and in the presentation of the research project at local, regional, and national meetings. The faculty will be expected to participate in professional, public, and university service and faculty governance appropriate to the faculty rank and carry leadership responsibilities.

The Vice Chair of Community Health may provide consultative support and expertise for statewide DFMCH faculty and stakeholders regarding community research and evaluation methods. There are excellent opportunities to collaborate with a group of health services researchers within the department, across the Madison and the UW System Campuses, the State Department of Health Services, and Wisconsin communities through the Department’s Statewide Clinical Campus. This includes opportunity to work with partners in the UW Madison Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, the Collaborative Center for Health Equity and to partner with the Milwaukee Center for Urban and Population Health. Extensive resources to support health services research are available through the department and the ICTR Health Innovation Program (www.hip.wisc.edu) as well as the Wisconsin Partnership Program.

The Vice Chair of Community Health is Responsible For:

Leadership

Provides strategic direction to the DFMCH Office of Community Health (OCH), specifically:

  • Dedication to advancing health equity and eliminating health disparities in service to the health of the communities of Wisconsin and beyond.
  • Strategic guidance of community-engagement initiatives, research, and evaluation within the field of Family Medicine.
  • Securing grants to expand capacity to address priority areas including, but not limited to rural health, LGBTQ+ health, community health worker capacity building, and food/nutrition security.
  • Development of fundraising strategies.
  • Alignment of DFMCH community-engagement efforts with UW Health Office of Population Health, UW-Madison/SMPH, local and state public health departments, and community partners.
  • Building relationships with, and elevating voices of, community health partners (i.e. community members, organizations).
  • Serve on the DFMCH Leadership team and collaborates with other DFMCH Vice Chairs to work towards department strategic priorities by integrating community engagement with primary care clinical delivery, education, and research initiatives.
  • Serves on the DFMCH Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee as a voting member and collaborates with the SMPH Program Manager, DEI.
  • Supports, advises, and participates in the evaluation review process for applicable faculty and academic staff.
  • Sponsors and supports committees and workgroups including, but not limited to, the Health Equity Workgroup for Scholarship (HEWS) and the Community Health and Health Quity Workgroup for Scholarship Learning Collaborative (CHHEWS).

Education

  • Recruits, sponsors, mentors, and advises faculty, residency, and staff development in health equity, community engagement, and population health curriculum and training opportunities.
  • Develops opportunities to bring interprofessional and community partners to serve as teachers and collaborators.
  • Advises the Director of Community and Population Health residency rotation.
  • Advises and supports residency leadership in the advancement of Patient Family Advisory Councils within residency clinics.
  • Provides medical student mentoring and rotation support.

Research

  • Collaborates with research members to enhance community-engaged health equity research.
  • Collaborates with the Vice Chair of Research to recruit researchers with expertise in community-engaged and community-based participatory research.
  • Collaborates with UW SMPH/UW-Madison interprofessional partners who can expand departmental research and advocacy capacity.
  • Works in partnership with the OCH academic staff to align research and evaluation strategies within the OCH. Increases opportunities for evaluation of community-engaged partnerships, such as establishing patient and family advisory groups and community advisory panels to inform research and educational missions.
  • Leads and advocates for healthier outcomes for Wisconsin communities through the application of salutogenic science.
  • Applies strategic ideas and application to increase departmental federal research funding and publications.

Communication

  • Collaborates with DFMCH Communications team to communicate OCH objectives, achievements, resources, and opportunities.
  • Disseminates best practices and research findings through publications, presentations, and conferences.

The Vice Chair of Community Health role will be supported with 50% FTE with the remaining 30-50% FTE dedicated to research, teaching various learners include medical students, residents, fellows and others in clinical and research settings, as well as clinical care responsibilities.

The chosen applicant will participate in administrative and committee work to support the clinical and scholarly missions of UW Health and the School of Medicine and Public Health. An essential part of these duties will be working in a collegial relationship with other faculty members.

About SMPH and DFMCH:

The successful candidate will join a world-class institution that encourages, values and supports interdisciplinary basic, clinic and population health research, and attracts scholars and students from around the world. Madison is the state’s capitol city with a population of over 270,000, and offers an ideal combination of natural beauty, stimulating cultural events, outstanding schools.

The University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine and Community Health (UW DFMCH) is a large, tier-one clinical department in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) that offers outstanding educational and research programs. UW DFMCH has 204 faculty, 211 adjunct faculty, and 170 staff located throughout the state transforming health care for all. There are over 160 residents in our sponsored and academic partner programs, with Madison residency program ranking ninth in the nation for 2023. More than 400 medical students train in the department each year. In fiscal year 2023, our physicians and residents practicing at 17 clinics throughout the state managed over 403,900 patient visits – an integral part of the department’s success that demonstrates its commitment to patient care. Research funding from the NIH and other state, federal and private sources exceeded $6.7 million in fiscal year 2023 and supported major research projects in pain management, opioid prescription guidelines, mobile health for alcohol use disorder treatment, management of sinusitis, and infectious disease surveillance. Learn more about our department’s work by visiting https://www.fammed.wisc.edu/ and DFMCH Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: https://www.fammed.wisc.edu/diversity/

Anticipated start date: January 2025 (remains flexible for final candidate)

Requirements:

  • MD/DO and/or PhD or equivalent degree(s)
  • The successful candidate for this position will have robust community-engaged or community based participatory research portfolio and/or have research interest and experience in community-engaged or community based participatory research, health services research, public health research, primary care research, or related areas.
  • A proven track record of pursuing and successfully obtaining extramural funds and publication in peer-reviewed journals is of benefit, as is experience in leading research teams including, but not limited to health services, community health, public health, primary care research, integrative health or health disparities.
  • Five (5) years of administrative and leadership experiences and a commitment to advancing strategies to promote health equity.
  • Expertise implementing quantitative and qualitative research methods, data collection and analysis, and summarizing and publishing research findings.
  • Experience building partnerships across clinical and community organizations and state agencies and attending community events.
  • Ability to think strategically from a system perspective and bring community voice into research and clinical spaces.
  • Ability to mentor faculty, staff, and clinicians to develop trusting community relationships.
  • Experience mentoring BIPOC and underrepresented groups.
  • Applicants will be considered for all titles listed in this position. Successful applicants will have evidence of a track record of success as a researcher in a leadership role or preparedness for success as demonstrated through training or other similar accomplishments.
  • The candidate will hold a MD/DO and/or PhD or equivalent degree(s) with experience and expertise in relevant fields. Candidates must meet criteria for a tenure appointment at the associate or full professor rank at UW-Madison.
  • If an MD/DO, must have Wisconsin medical licensure required prior to start date.
    Certification by or eligible for certification by American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) or American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians (AOBFP). Successful completion of a fully accredited Family Medicine Residency Program.

Salary/Benefits:

  • Competitive salary and excellent benefits, including state retirement and state benefits.

Community: Madison, Wisconsin (population 270,000) is the vibrant state capital and home to the University of Wisconsin. With many picturesque surrounding towns, the area has the best of all worlds: natural beauty and outdoor recreation, stimulating cultural offerings, distinctive restaurants and shops, and an irreverent spirit of fun. Built on an isthmus between lakes Monona and Mendota, Madison is renowned for its beautiful scenery. A total of five area lakes and more than 270 city parks create the perfect setting for an abundance of year-round outdoor activities from hiking, biking, swimming, and sailing to cross-country skiing, snow sailing, and ice fishing. Urban culture, natural beauty, small-town charm – the greater Madison area offers it all!

Open Position Link:

For additional information, please contact:
Ashley Royston, Faculty Recruiter
Phone: (608) 890-3746
Email: ashley.royston@fammed.wisc.edu

The UW-Madison is an EO/AA employer, women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Wisconsin caregiver and open records laws apply. A background check will be conducted prior to employment.