Colleen Koch, M.D., M.S., M.B.A., named Dean of the College of Medicine

Published: October 30th, 2020

Category: Memos

David R. Nelson, M.D., Senior Vice President for Health Affairs, UF &

President, UF Health

Dear Colleagues:

I am pleased to announce that Colleen G. Koch, M.D., M.S., M.B.A., chair of the department of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine and anesthesiologist-in-chief of The Johns Hopkins Hospital, has been named dean of the University of Florida College of Medicine. She will begin her new role Jan. 10.

The UF College of Medicine, Florida’s highest-ranked medical school and No. 18 among all public medical schools in the country, is the largest college within our academic health center, with 28 research-oriented and clinical science departments and the School of Physician Assistant Studies. Dr. Koch has a distinguished record of visionary leadership, scholarly accomplishments and demonstrated excellence in academic health and clinical administration, and I am confident she is the right individual to lead the college in its rise among the nation’s top medical schools.

I am grateful for the efforts of the search committee, co-chaired by Leon L. Haley Jr., M.D., MHSA, dean of the College of Medicine-Jacksonville and CEO of UF Health Jacksonville, and Julie Johnson, Pharm.D., dean of the UF College of Pharmacy and distinguished professor, and I thank its members for their hard work and input. The committee was impressed by Dr. Koch’s proven ability as well as her passion for academics, quality of care, patient safety and medical operations.

Dr. Koch is a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist who has authored more than 100 publications and is nationally known for her clinical outcomes research in cardiac surgery, transfusions and quality of life.

Under her leadership, the department of anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins has implemented a number of innovative initiatives and strategies in areas like research, professional development, and quality and safety. For the second year in a row, the department was ranked the No. 1 anesthesiology program by U.S. News & World Report’s medical school specialty rankings and is among the top five funded academic anesthesiology departments in the U.S.

Prior to joining Johns Hopkins in 2014 to lead its anesthesiology department, Dr. Koch practiced at Cleveland Clinic for 22 years while also serving in numerous roles in research, education, administration and medical operations throughout the organization.

In addition to her current role as department chair, Dr. Koch is chair of the Medical Board for Johns Hopkins Hospital and serves on the Medical Executive Leadership Committee for Johns Hopkins Health System, the Board of Governors Clinical Practice Association for Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Medical Staff Professionalism Group.

Outside of Johns Hopkins, Dr. Koch serves on the board of trustees of the International Anesthesia Research Society, where she is also past chair of the executive committee of the board of trustees. She is a member of the board of directors for the Kennedy Krieger Institute, an internationally recognized organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with disorders of the brain, spinal cord and musculoskeletal system. She serves on that board’s education subcommittee, helping to develop employment opportunities for neurodiverse individuals in the Baltimore community. She is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association and the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

Dr. Koch received her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati and completed her anesthesiology training at Harvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She earned a master’s degree in clinical research design and statistical analysis from the University of Michigan and a master’s in business administration from Case Western Reserve University.

As we prepare for the transition in leadership at the College of Medicine, I want to express gratitude to Joseph A. Tyndall, M.D., M.P.H., for serving as interim dean for more than two and a half years. He has provided exceptional leadership in all three missions of the college and helped guide the UF Health community during a time of rapid growth and unprecedented challenges. Dr. Tyndall now prepares for his new role as associate vice president for strategic and academic affairs for UF Health and will continue as chair of emergency medicine.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Koch to the UF Health family and the UF College of Medicine when she begins her new role in January.

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