UNM medical school has wide-ranging leadership changes

A significant number of new leaders have taken over the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in recent months.

In addition to replacing the top executive of the UNM Health System, the medical school has welcomed new chairs of Neurosurgery, Surgery, Family and Community Medicine and Emergency Medicine — all in the last five months.

Dr. Michael Richards is the interim-executive director of the entire health system after he replaced Dr. Douglas Ziedonis in August.

The week UNM President Garnett Stokes removed Ziedonis from his position, she said the health system needed to pivot. Stokes said the university needed to add hospital staff and expand the medical school. She said the hospital is expecting a significant increase in hospital admissions in the future.

“I am enthusiastic to share good news that we are recruiting and promoting strong leadership at the UNM School of Medicine,” Dr. Patricia Finn, the dean of the UNM School of Medicine, said in a statement to the Journal. “Our commitment is (to) provide extraordinary health care. With fresh perspectives, we can reimagine our approach to patient care, discovery and education, fostering a collaborative spirit among faculty, students, staff and trainees.

“Our new leaders will also be instrumental (at) growing our programs so that we can expand the health care workforce in New Mexico to meet the health needs of our people now and into the future.”

Dr. Griffith Harsh took over as chair of neurosurgery at the start of the year.

Family and Community Medicine

Dr. Jennifer Edgoose started as chair for Family and Community Medicine on Aug. 1.

She previously worked at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, where she was the executive vice chair and vice chair in the Department of Medicine and Community Health. She earned her medical degree and master’s of public health from Columbia University and completed her residency in family medicine at the University of Washington.

She was the lead editor of the American Academy of Family Physicians’ Health Equity Curricular Toolkit. She also served on the Health Equity Team for Family Medicine for America’s Health, an effort to address disparities in primary care, and has received numerous national awards.

Department of Surgery

Dr. Sharmila Dissanaike started as chair of the Department of Surgery on Aug. 12.

She has experience in active trauma, burn and acute care surgeries and has written more than 150 peer-reviewed articles and textbook chapters. Prior to joining UNM, she worked at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, Texas, where she was a chair and professor.

She’s held several national leadership roles, including president of the Southwest Surgical Congress and governor of the American College of Surgeons. She has served on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education residency review committee for surgery.

Emergency Medicine

After serving as the interim chair for two years, Dr. Diane Rimple was recently named the permanent chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the UNM School of Medicine. She started Aug. 15.

Rimple started college at Oberlin College studying Chinese language and literature and then transitioned to the medical field. She earned her medical degree from Penn Medicine. She has been at UNM since 2001.

“Throughout her tenure as interim Chair, Dr. Rimple has showcased her dedication to medical education and emergency care,” Finn said in a memo announcing Rimple’s appointment. “She has been instrumental in advancing the department’s initiatives, including preparing for the new Critical Care Tower.”