On Jan. 1, 2022, Selwyn M. Vickers, M.D., FACS, assumed the role of CEO of the UAB Health System and CEO of the UAB/Ascension St. Vincent’s Alliance, while also continuing to serve as Dean of the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine.
The organizational change in leadership is due to the substantial growth of UAB’s clinical enterprise and in the areas of research and medical training in the past five years. Following the retirement announcement of Will Ferniany, Ph.D., UAB Health System leadership strategically chose to adopt the CEO/Dean model that several peer Academic Medical Centers have implemented. Emory University School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Johns Hopkins Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, and several others have experienced great success with the model of dual roles.
Vickers, who has served as Dean since 2013, said he aims to pursue the missions of the health system and the medical school as one unified venture that provides the most outstanding care for UAB’s patients. “It is my great honor to work in these capacities,” he said. “Since day one of my career at UAB, I’ve held the same outlook and attitude towards our health system as I hold now: desiring its success.”
As CEO, Ferniany led the UAB Health System with excellence and quality. Under his leadership, the UAB Health System expanded revenue from $2.3 billion in 2008 to more than $5.8 billion. “He has transformed our health system into a thriving enterprise. I am honored to have the torch passed to me to continue Dr. Ferniany’s success,” stated Vickers.
Vickers said managing these roles will be possible because of his trusted, seasoned leadership team. “Together, we will continue to pursue high-quality patient care, the best possible outcomes, and growing our nationally-recognized programs,” he said.
In addition to his role of CEO and Dean, Vickers is the James C. Lee, Jr. Endowed Chair, a professor in the Department of Surgery, an internationally recognized pancreatic cancer surgeon who still sees patients, president of the American Surgical Association, and a pioneer in health disparities research. He has had continuous National Institutes of Health extramural funding for over 25 years.
Listen to a recent conversation that Vickers had with Tony Jones, M.D., chief physician executive and senior associate dean for Clinical Affairs, on his podcast, 'The Checkup,' about the transition to CEO and Dean.