Can Anyone Fix Health Care?
The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) welcomes Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., president and chief executive officer of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), to the IUPUI campus as part of its CTL Winter Lecture Series. This lecture series honors nationally recognized scholars who have made a contribution to their discipline as well as teaching and learning within their discipline.
The nation’s political gridlock, economic outlook, and high health care spending coupled with poor outcomes have converged in an unprecedented manner to present daunting challenges for academic medical centers, while also opening a remarkable window of opportunity for them. There has never been a better time to fundamentally redesign the health care system, which stands at the epicenter of many of the nation’s challenges. However, in order for it to play a leadership role in this redesign of health care, academic medicine will need to make transformational changes in how it meets its missions of education, research, clinical care, and community engagement. Dr. Kirch will discuss how the Indiana University School of Medicine and academic medicine at large can respond to this leadership imperative and accomplish “true” health care reform.
This event is free and open to the public. Click here to register for this event.
- Reception: 4:30pm - 5:30pm, Campus Center, Room 409
- Public Lecture: 5:30pm - 7:00pm, Campus Center, Room 450A
A native of Denver, Dr. Kirch received both his B.A. and M.D. degrees from the University of Colorado, which in 2002 presented him with its Silver and Gold Alumni Award. He has had an active career as a clinician and researcher, and has held medical faculty positions at Penn State, the Medical College of Georgia, and George Washington University.
A distinguished physician, educator, and medical scientist, and a noted authority on the organization and management of academic medical centers, Dr. Kirch's career spans all aspects of academic medicine and includes leadership positions at two medical schools and teaching hospitals, as well as at the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Kirch assumed the position of AAMC president in July 2006 following six years as senior vice president for health affairs, dean of the college of medicine, and CEO of the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center at The Pennsylvania State University, where he and his leadership team are credited with revitalizing the institution and guiding it through a period of educational innovation and major growth in clinical activity and research funding. Before joining Penn State, Dr. Kirch held a number of leadership positions at the Medical College of Georgia from 1994 to 2000, including serving as dean of the medical school, senior vice president for clinical activities, and dean of the school of graduate studies.
As a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, Dr. Kirch conducted research on the biological basis of and clinical treatments for severe neuropsychiatric disorders. Following the completion of his residency training at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, he joined the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in Bethesda, Maryland, where he was named acting scientific director in 1993. His NIMH contributions were recognized when he was presented with the Outstanding Service Medal of the United States Public Health Service.