Posted July 7, 2007
Loring W. Rue III, MD, is the School of Medicine’s new senior associate dean for clinical affairs, effective July 15. The appointment was made by Senior Vice President for Medicine and Dean Robert R. Rich, MD, who created the position in 2006 as part of an administrative reorganization of the school’s structure. Director of Geriatric Psychiatry F. Cleveland Kinney, PhD, MD, the inaugural appointee, recently stepped down from the position.
The clinical affairs dean is the SOM liaison with clinical affiliates, including UAB Hospital, The Kirklin Clinic ® (TKC), UAB Highlands, Children’s Hospital, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Medical West, and Baptist Health, Montgomery.
He also manages the impact of the school’s clinical activities on other components of the school, including educational and research programs, faculty appointments, compensation, compliance, and care delivery.
In addition, Dr. Rue is charged with making sure the school’s perspective is represented in and complements the Health System’s strategic planning process.
“Dr. Rue is widely known throughout the state of Alabama for his exceptional service as chief of the Section on Trauma, Burns, and Surgical Critical Care and for his leadership within UAB as vice chair of the Department of Surgery,” Dr. Rich says. “He interacts effectively with physicians across divisions and departments and is broadly respected for his excellent judgement and wise counsel. I consider him the outstanding individual to serve as principal leader from the dean’s office in the important task of implementing our developing joint UAB Health System, School of Medicine, and Health Services Foundation (HSF) clinical strategic plan. I am delighted that he has consented to take on this additional important responsibility.”
Scott E. Buchlater, MD, Health System vice president and chief strategy and quality officer, says he looks forward to working with Dr. Rue to ensure smooth integration of the clinical strategic planning process already underway.
Dr. Rue says, “This role is designed to enable the School of Medicine to interface more effectively and synergistically with the clinical enterprise. I look forward to representing the school’s perspective and assuring strategic objectives are closely aligned with those of the Health System and HSF as well as of the
school’s research and education enterprises.”
Dr. Rue is professor and vice chair of surgery and director of the UAB Center for Injury Sciences and the UAB Trauma Center.