Life After Being a Pathology Department Chair II: Lessons Learned.

The 2016 Association of Pathology Chairs annual meeting featured a discussion group of Association of Pathology Chairs senior fellows (former chairs of academic departments of pathology who have remained active in Association of Pathology Chairs) that focused on how they decided to transition from the chair, how they prepared for such transition, and what they did after the transition. At the 2017 annual meeting, the senior fellows (encompassing 481 years of chair service) discussed lessons they learned from service as chair. These lessons included preparation for the chairship, what they would have done differently as chair, critical factors for success as chair, factors associated with failures, stress reduction techniques for themselves and for their faculty and staff, mechanisms for dealing with and avoiding problems, and the satisfaction they derived from their service as chair. It is reasonable to assume that these lessons may be representative of those learned by chairs of other specialties as well as by higher-level academic administrators such as deans, vice presidents, and chief executive officers. Although the environment for serving as a department chair has been changing dramatically, many of the lessons learned by former chairs are still valuable for current chairs of any length of tenure

Dealing With Deans and Academic Medical Center Leadership: Advice From Leaders.

The 2017 Association of Pathology Chairs Annual Meeting included a session for department chairs and other department leaders on how to deal with deans and academic medical center leadership. The session was focused on discussing ways to foster positive relationships with university, medical school, and health system leaders, and productively address issues and opportunities with them. Presentations and a panel discussion were provided by 4 former pathology chairs who subsequently have served as medical deans and in other leadership positions including university provost, medical center CEO, and health system board chair. There was a strong consensus among the participants on how best to deal with superiors about problems, conflicts, and requests for additional resources and authority. The importance of teamwork and accountability in developing a constructive and collaborative relationship with leaders and peers was discussed in detail. Effectiveness in communication, negotiation, and departmental advocacy were highlighted as important skills. As limited resources and increased regulations have become growing problems for universities and health systems, internal stress and competition have increased. In this rapidly changing environment, advice on how chairs can interact most productively with institutional leaders is becoming increasingly important

Life After Being a Pathology Department Chair III: Reflections on the "Afterlife".

The Association of Pathology Chairs Senior Fellows Group provided reflections on activities that have kept them engaged and inspired after stepping down as chair. They offered advice to current chairs who were considering leaving their positions and also to individuals contemplating becoming pathology chairs. A majority (35/41) responded: 60% maintained teaching/mentoring activities; 43% engaged in hobbies; 40% took other administrative positions including deans, medical center chief executive officers, and residency program directors; 31% continued research; 28% wrote books; 20% performed community service; 14% led professional organizations; 14% developed specialized programs; 11% engaged in clinical service; and 11% performed entrepreneurial activities. Most individuals had several of these activities. One-third indicated that those considering becoming chair should be able to place faculty and department needs before their own. One-fourth emphasized the need to know why one wants to become chair, the need to develop clear goals, and the need to know what one wants to accomplish as chair before applying for and accepting the position. More than half (57%) indicated that before stepping down as chair, one should have a clear plan and/or professional goals that can be served by stepping down. Some even suggested that this be in place before applying for the chair. Almost two-thirds (63%) indicated they had no regrets stepping down as chair. These findings may be valuable to those contemplating stepping down from or stepping into any department chair position or other academic leadership role

Managing Knowledge and Technology to Foster Innovation at The Ohio State University Medical Center

Biomedical knowledge is expanding at an unprecedented rate—one that is unlikely to slow anytime in the future. While the volume and scope of this new knowledge poses significant organizational challenges, it creates tremendous opportunities to release and direct its power to the service of significant goals. The authors explain how the Center for Knowledge Management at The Ohio State University Medical Center, created during the academic year 2003–04, is doing just that by integrating numerous resource-intensive, technology-based initiatives— including personnel, services and infrastructure, digital repositories, data sets, mobile computing devices, high-tech patient simulators, computerized testing, and interactive multimedia—in a way that enables the center to provide information tailored to the needs of students, faculty and staff on the medical center campus and its surrounding health sciences colleges. The authors discuss how discovering, applying, and sharing new knowledge, information assets, and technologies in this way is a collaborative process. This process creates open-ended opportunities for innovation and a roadmap for working toward seamless integration, synergy, and substantial enhancement of the academic medical center’s research, educational, and clinical mission areas

Bilateral native nephrectomy improves renal isograft function in rats

Bilateral native nephrectomy improves renal isograft function in rats. Bilateral native nephrectomy has been suggested to improve renal allograft survival in man. This effect may be most prominent in patients experiencing acute tubular necrosis following transplantation. Thus, native kidneys may alter the course of ischemic acute tubular necrosis in the transplanted kidney. In the present studies, we utilized an experimental model of syngeneic transplantation in which rejection does not occur. We studied Lewis rat renal isografts transplanted into littermates following sham, unilateral or bilateral native nephrectomy. In a fourth group of rats, we evaluated the importance of native kidney excretory function by studying isografts transplanted into littermates with bilaterally obstructed native kidneys. Renal blood flow and excretory function were measured in vivo, eight days following transplantation. Renal excretory function of isografts transplanted into animals following bilateral native nephrectomy was similar to normal nontrans-planted Lewis kidneys. The presence of either one or both functioning native kidneys significantly reduced isograft inulin clearance, PAH clearance, and blood flow. However, when isografts were transplanted into Lewis rats with bilaterally obstructed native kidneys, renal isograft inulin clearance and blood flow were not significantly impaired Non-transplanted kidneys demonstrated “functional hypertrophy” following contralateral nephrectomy, with glomerular filtration rate and renal blood flow increasing by approximately 50%. In contrast, isograft glomerular filtration rate in animals following bilateral native nephrectomy was equivalent to that of single kidneys from normal animals with both kidneys in situ. However, renal blood flow of isografts from these animals increased to the same level as nontransplanted Lewis kidneys following contralateral nephrectomy. Histological examination of isografts from animals with functioning native kidneys in situ demonstrated extensive disruption of normal renal architecture with tubular and interstitial injury. This was in marked contrast to the appearance of Lewis–Brown Norway allografts, to isografts from animals following bilateral native nephrectomy, and to isografts from animals with bilaterally obstructed native kidneys. In Lewis–Brown Norway allografts, there was evidence of rejection with active inflammatory cell infiltration, arteriolitis and venulitis. In isografts from animals following bilateral native nephrectomy or with bilaterally obstructed native kidneys, renal architecture was normal. Thus, the detrimental effect of native kidneys on isograft function may be related to impaired recovery from ischemia or potentiation of ischemic injury which occurs during the transplantation procedure

Life After Being a Pathology Department Chair: Issues and Opportunities.

Although there is a considerable literature on transition of faculty members to the position of department chair, there is a dearth of publications about transitioning from the chair to other activities including retirement. The Association of Pathology Chairs senior fellows (all of whom are former chairs of academic departments of pathology) made this topic a focus of discussion at the Association of Pathology Chairs 2016 Annual Meeting. Of the 33 senior fellows engaged in this discussion, following their time as chairs, a small majority (18) transitioned to other administrative posts within or outside the university, while the others either returned to the active faculty (7) or retired (8). The motivating factors and influences for transitioning from the chair were probed along with the processes used in executing the transition, such as the development of transition plans. The reasons for selecting the specific type of postchair activity were also investigated. There was extraordinary diversity in the type of post-chair activities pursued. To our knowledge, no other medical specialty has examined these issues, which may be potentially relevant for the career planning of active chairs

Life After Being a Pathology Department Chair II: Lessons Learned.

The 2016 Association of Pathology Chairs annual meeting featured a discussion group of Association of Pathology Chairs senior fellows (former chairs of academic departments of pathology who have remained active in Association of Pathology Chairs) that focused on how they decided to transition from the chair, how they prepared for such transition, and what they did after the transition. At the 2017 annual meeting, the senior fellows (encompassing 481 years of chair service) discussed lessons they learned from service as chair. These lessons included preparation for the chairship, what they would have done differently as chair, critical factors for success as chair, factors associated with failures, stress reduction techniques for themselves and for their faculty and staff, mechanisms for dealing with and avoiding problems, and the satisfaction they derived from their service as chair. It is reasonable to assume that these lessons may be representative of those learned by chairs of other specialties as well as by higher-level academic administrators such as deans, vice presidents, and chief executive officers. Although the environment for serving as a department chair has been changing dramatically, many of the lessons learned by former chairs are still valuable for current chairs of any length of tenure

Life After Being a Pathology Department Chair: Issues and Opportunities.

Although there is a considerable literature on transition of faculty members to the position of department chair, there is a dearth of publications about transitioning from the chair to other activities including retirement. The Association of Pathology Chairs senior fellows (all of whom are former chairs of academic departments of pathology) made this topic a focus of discussion at the Association of Pathology Chairs 2016 Annual Meeting. Of the 33 senior fellows engaged in this discussion, following their time as chairs, a small majority (18) transitioned to other administrative posts within or outside the university, while the others either returned to the active faculty (7) or retired (8). The motivating factors and influences for transitioning from the chair were probed along with the processes used in executing the transition, such as the development of transition plans. The reasons for selecting the specific type of postchair activity were also investigated. There was extraordinary diversity in the type of post-chair activities pursued. To our knowledge, no other medical specialty has examined these issues, which may be potentially relevant for the career planning of active chairs