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It gives me great pleasure to announce that Margo Vener, George Saba, and Naomi Wortis have been appointed as holders of of our three new endowed chairs in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, the Vitamin Settlement Chairs in Community Medicine. These endowments were made possible by a gift from the California Vitamin Settlement Fund, which was created as a result of a class action suit against Vitamin manufacturers which culminated in establishment of a state fund to be used to improve the health of the people of California. The endowed chairs were created with the aim of supporting faculty in DFCM “to develop and teach new methods of delivering health services in low-income communities.”
Dean Kessler and Chancellor Bishop concurred with the recommendations of the chair selection committees in appointing Drs. Vener, Saba and Wortis as the inaugural holders of these chairs. The selection process was difficult due to the outstanding caliber of so many of the Department’s faculty members who exemplify the community service mission of the endowed chairs. At the same time that we acknowledge the great distinction that these chairs bring to Drs. Vener, Saba, and Wortis, I would also like to recognize the terrific contributions of the entire entire DFCM faculty, as well as our staff, residents and students, to the Department’s mission of community service and improving the health of disadvantaged populations.
Dr. Vener will hold the Vitamin Settlement Chair position that is jointly administered by the UCSF Academy of Medicine Educators with matching funds provided by the Academy’s endowment. The appointment recognizes Margo’s leadership as Director of Predoctoral Education in the DFCM in advancing educational experiences for UCSF medical students that emphasize development of the skills, attitudes, and knowledge for caring for low income patients and vulnerable populations.
Dr. Saba has established himself as one of the nation’s foremost behavioral science educators in family medicine residency training. His Endowed Chair position will support his efforts to further refine curricula to provide residents and medical students a deeper understanding of the psychological, social, cultural and family context of health disparities, and to coordinate educational activities in these areas across the continuum of learning from medical school through residency and ongoing professional development.
Dr. Wortis’s selection to become a holder of an Endowed Chair reflects her leadership as the Department’s Director of Community Programs and the key role she plays in both medical student education, as Co-Director of the Community Health and Social Advocacy Area of Concentration, and resident education, as one of the Co-Directors of the Community Oriented Primary Care curriculum. (We should also congratulate Naomi on the birth of her daughter, Yvonne last week!)
Please join me in congratulating Margo, George and Naomi on their appointments to the Vitamin Settlement Endowed Chairs in Community Medicine. I would also like to thank Harry Snyder and Carl Oshiro, of cypresfunds.net, for their role in establishing this endowment in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. It is very gratifying to have the Department’s commitment to improving the health of underserved populations recognized and supported through this endowment.
Sincerely,
Kevin Grumbach |
