Description

Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University Health System (DUHS), and the Duke Health Integrated Practice (DHIP) seek a nationally recognized surgeon at the Associate Professor to Professor level to serve as Chair of the Department of Surgery. Reporting directly to the Executive Vice President for Health Affairs of Duke University and Dean of the School of Medicine, and the Chief Executive Officer of DUHS, the chair has the opportunity to shape a robust academic department with a proven reputation for providing high-quality, innovative, patient-centered care, advancing broad-reaching research, and cultivating a wide-range of surgery-related educational programs, while developing the comprehensive surgical services across Duke Health. The ideal candidate will have proven leadership and recruitment expertise, a distinguished record of original research, exceptional clinical and educational skills, and a commitment to Duke Health’s missions.

The Department of Surgery is a large, multispecialty organization hosting over 125 surgeons with the Divisions of Abdominal Transplantation, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Community Practice, Minimally Invasive Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery, and Vascular Surgery. Its transplant program celebrated 10,000 successful organ transplants in 2022 and is proud to lead the way in innovative transplant breakthroughs both locally and globally. The Department also hosts a robust Division of Surgical Sciences, which is home to 40 externally funded, PhD scientists, who partner with the clinical surgeons to foster mechanistically sound basic, translational, and clinical research, as well as robust programs in data science, artificial intelligence, and health services research. It has perennially been top ranked in NIH funding for over 25 years and has been #1 in NIH funding the last 4 years. The Department has numerous global collaborations and partnerships within the Duke Global Health Institute, and strong ties with Duke-National University of Singapore.

The Department provides high quality care to patients at Duke University Hospital, the Durham VA Medical Center, three community hospitals, and five ambulatory surgery centers. It oversees the training of Duke medical students completing their core surgical clerkship, supports exceptional residency and fellowship training programs throughout the specialties represented, and has a state-of-the-art simulation center for advanced surgical training. Advanced research training for residents is conducted through a dedicated and protected research residency program.

The chair oversees all operational and programmatic aspects within the Department of Surgery and is responsible for oversight of all clinical/research/education activities, including the management of all budgets and resources within their department, as well as mentorship and development of all researchers, providers, and trainees.

Responsibilities

Institutional

• In collaboration with University leadership, provide visionary and innovative leadership to take the Department into the next phase of growth, specifically achieving the next levels of excellence in its missions, while maintaining national and international distinction.
• Establish strong professional relationships, foster open communication and teamwork, and champion healthy change.
• Work collaboratively with enterprise leadership team to build, grow, and integrate areas of acknowledged clinical excellence with outstanding outcomes, access, and patient satisfaction.
• Promote and ensure appropriate and equitable development opportunities for faculty, including individualized mentorship plans, leadership development, and other support for advancement.
• Support responsible stewardship of philanthropic funds in collaboration with Duke Development and faculty within the Department.
• Maintain or enhance a strong administrative team which is closely aligned with the objectives of the chair. Recruit and retain strong division chiefs and vice chairs who collaborate with DUHS service line vice presidents and School of Medicine vice deans; ensure division chiefs and vice chairs represent diverse backgrounds and expertise in leading both the clinical and academic missions
• Serve on DUHS, School, and DHIP committees related to the overall program and administration, including the respective Executive Committees, Perioperative Executive Committee, Graduate Medical Education Committee, and other committees essential to the direction of the hospital and department.
• Serve as the Department’s representative for outside community activities related to patient care, research, and education with specific reference to surgical care.

Clinical

• Oversee short- and long-range planning, funding, procurement, and sustainability; direct professional activities and projects to ensure excellence and high quality within the Department while maintaining accreditation and certification of the surgery facility.
• Work directly with hospital administration in developing appropriate budgets, capital equipment requests, and financial issues as they relate to the clinical operations of the Department of Surgery.
• Develop and grow the Department of Surgery, including expansion of currently available services, growth of new modalities including robotic, minimally invasive, and hybrid approaches to complex surgical diseases, and implementation of strategies to care for larger cross sections of North Carolina, Southeastern US, national and international populations.
• Oversee surgical quality by ensuring appropriate quality improvement and quality control initiatives, including formal reporting programs within the NSQIP, STS, UNOS, and VQI quality reporting systems.
• Promote an inclusive and healthy workplace environment for Department employees where all can thrive.
• Oversee Departmental clinical conferences, M&M proceedings, and business meetings.
• Perform comprehensive annual evaluations and ensure appropriate conduct inclusive of core values of the faculty, providing consistent feedback regarding performance/conduct.

 
Educational

• Ensure top-tier, clinical and research education, and advanced training to medical students, residents, and fellows, as well as education mentorship to faculty and community providers.
• Ensure that all residency and fellowship programs remain nationally recognized for quality, inclusiveness, and innovation, while maintaining accreditation and compliance.
• Oversee education activities provided by Department faculty and encourage inclusion of content and resources that advance equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Participate in resident and hospital staff (e.g., nursing, advanced practice provider and technician) conferences and rounds.
• Maintain the Surgery Grand Rounds and other specialty-specific conference series to provide broad educational opportunities for the trainees, faculty and staff and outreach to surgeons and practitioners in the community.

Research

• Coordinate and contribute to the advancement of the exceptional transdisciplinary research at Duke and collaborating centers via active engagement in crafting the Duke Health strategic research priorities and participation in multidisciplinary investigation to expose disease mechanisms, translate promising new therapeutic approaches, test new therapies in pivotal clinical trials, and examine their impact to patients and society in general.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop others to build internal research capabilities and promote talent that facilitates sustained excellence.
• Supervise, prepare, implement, and monitor the Department research budget that encompasses all funding sources and ensures compliance with grant, legislative, and institutional guidelines in research.
• Retain, recruit, mentor, and develop outstanding research faculty within Surgery and partner with other departments, centers, institutes, and schools to attract and retain top research talent. Ensure an atmosphere of support and development.
• Ensure an unwavering atmosphere of ethical research practices.

Key Priorities of the Chair and Department

• Provide guidance and support for an energized, diverse faculty bolstered by key recruits who are passionate about their work and committed to the highest levels of excellence across all departmental missions.
• Integrate the enterprise-wide clinical strategy across the health system via active collaboration with key stakeholders and develop an aligned strategic plan for the Department.
• Develop strategic growth priorities for the Department and participate as an important voice in the institutional direction, while prioritizing both the clinical and academic missions.
• Create, engage, and empower teams at the chair’s leadership table.
• Cultivate strong relationships with faculty and enhance morale across the Department through a focus on faculty, learners, and staff engagement, and active listening to constituent concerns.
• Encourage faculty to engage in innovative, transdisciplinary research and education programs.
• Foster equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives to create positive, supportive communities for all.

 
About Duke Health
Duke Health encompasses the world-class academic health care and research of the Duke University Health System, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University School of Nursing, Duke-NUS Medical School, Duke Global Health Institute, and the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy.

The health system advances our clinical mission by delivering care across three hospitals (Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, and Duke Raleigh Hospital) and numerous outpatient services, including Duke Primary Care, Duke Health Integrated Practices, Duke HomeCare & Hospice, Duke Health and Wellness, and multiple affiliations.

Leading the education and research missions of Duke Health are the School of Medicine and its numerous departments, centers, and institutes; the School of Nursing; Duke-NUS Medical School; Duke Global Health Institute; and the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy.

Through the integration of its education, research, and clinical care missions, Duke Health is steadfast in its dedication to improving the lives of all who come to us for hope, health, and healing. We do so by elevating standards of care; conducting breakthrough research and discovery; teaching and training the next generation of providers; and strengthening global and community health.

We are Duke
Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Candidates should submit a letter of interest and a Curriculum Vitae to Lauren Binanay via email at lauren.binanay@duke.edu by February 3, 2025.