Change Highlights Strength of Our School of Medicine
We have shared a lot of exciting news with you in just the past few months, and much of that news is highlighted in this issue of Catalyst.
In January, we welcomed our new dean, L. Ebony Boulware, MD, MPH, to Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Her first official day was spent helping celebrate the groundbreaking for The Pearl, the innovation district in uptown Charlotte that will be home for our School of Medicine’s second campus. Details and photos from the big day begin on page 10.
Dr. Boulware also serves as chief science officer and vice chief academic officer of the newly formed Advocate Health. I am thrilled to have her on board, and our cover story helps share more about her and her plans for leading our medical school.
The formation of Advocate Health also was completed in recent months. More information about this exciting combination, created with Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health, is on page 8.
In addition to those developments, I look forward to fully moving into my role as chief academic officer for Advocate Health. This transition represents increased responsibilities over the academic core for all educational and research work being done across the entire health system. I will work closely with our new dean to advance our School of Medicine in its significant growth. Additionally, I will continue in my role as chief executive officer of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and as executive vice president for health affairs with Wake Forest University.
These changes truly are making our School of Medicine an even mightier anchor for outstanding academic medicine in a sea of change within the world of health care. I hope you share our excitement, and I invite you to engage with us as we change health care for the better.
Julie Ann Freischlag, MD, FACS, FRCSEd(Hon), DFSVS, MAMSE
Chief Academic Officer and Executive Vice President, Advocate Health
Chief Executive Officer, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, Wake Forest University