Andrew Filak Jr., MD, a member of the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians, has been appointed by the University of Cincinnati (UC) President Neville Pinto, PhD, to serve as the interim senior vice president for health affairs and dean of the College of Medicine, effective Thursday, August 2.
Dr. Filak currently serves as senior associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Medicine and vice president for education for UC Health. He is also chair of the Department of Medical Education and the designated institutional official (DIO) for graduate medical education for the College of Medicine and the UC Medical Center. He previously served as interim dean of the college and as the UC vice president for health affairs from August 2010 through June 2011.
“I have been proud to be a Bearcat for the past 40 years. We have an outstanding faculty that continues to explore and advance each of our three missions. Our students are exceptional and have unlimited potential,” said Dr. Filak. “I have great confidence in our administrative leadership including our dean’s staff and our department chairs. I look forward to working with our many partners within the university, in the health care sector, and in the community.”
Dr. Filak continues to practice family medicine, teach medical students and residents, and serves on many national, state, and university committees. In 2011, he was appointed to the Advisory Panel on Medical Education of the Association of American Medical Colleges. He is a past president of the Association for Hospital Medical Education. Dr. Filak is an alumnus of the Harvard Macy Program for Leaders in Medical Education. As the current vice chair of the board of directors of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, he serves as a member of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Institutional Review Committee.
Last month, Dr. Filak received the Daniel Drake Medal from the UC College of Medicine, the college’s highest honor. Other honors he has received include the Family Medicine Educator of the Year Award from the OAFP, the Parker J. Palmer Courage to Lead Award from the ACGME, the John C. Leonard Award from the Association for Hospital Medical Education, and the UC President’s Award for Excellence.
For more information about Dr. Filak, visit UC’s Health News.
Congratulations on accepting this challenge at such a prestigious institution! Know that all of us in Family Medicine support your efforts, and hope we can be of assistance as you take UC to an even greater level of academic performance and community relevance.