Please join me in welcoming Elizabeth Fehsenfeld, DMH, to the School of Medicine as our chief of staff.
Dr. Fehsenfeld, who comes to us after an extensive nationwide search, was most recently special assistant to the senior associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix (UACOM-P). Previously, Dr. Fehsenfeld was senior associate vice president of academic affairs for the executive vice president of academic affairs at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV).
As a key member of our school's leadership team, I am delighted to begin working with her to advance our strategic priorities. With a collegial and team-oriented approach, she led many initiatives at other institutions bringing to the chief of staff role a fresh perspective on how to move our priorities forward to achieve our goals.
Joining UACOM-P in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, her approach to problem-solving was critical with the transition to remote/hybrid work and learning. She oversaw PPE procurement systems for clerkship experiences and re-designed faculty and staff spaces to accommodate hybrid work while supporting Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accreditation and site visits.
She worked with university leaders to update institutional policies and campus space at UTRGV. In collaboration with college deans, she spearheaded processes focusing on data analysis for course management, student retention and classroom utilization with an eye on increasing four-year graduation rates. Dr. Fehsenfeld also worked to build partnerships with several UTRGV external affiliates.
Before joining the Executive Vice President Office at UTRGV, she served as special assistant to the interim dean at the UTRGV School of Medicine in its first year of accepting students. Her work with the interim dean focused on further developing the new medical school, creating institutional policies and supporting internal and external infrastructure in preparation for the permanent dean.
I asked Dr. Fehsenfeld to share a few thoughts on joining the school of medicine. She said, "I am excited to join the school of medicine, with its long history of innovation, while contributing to its next chapter under Dean Gerson's leadership. I look forward to collaborating with Dean Gerson's highly-talented team on current and future initiatives, as well as working with the strategic plan to bring its goals to fruition."
Her doctoral work at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, focused on transforming medical education through the medical humanities lens. She began her career in medical education in 2015, serving as an assistant professor and adjunct professor in bioethics and medical humanities, and held leadership roles in arts, healthcare access, and educational nonprofits before receiving her doctorate.
Please reach out and welcome Dr. Fehsenfeld to the School of Medicine!
Stan Gerson, MD
Dean and Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs
School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University
Director, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center (acting)
Director, National Center for Regenerative Medicine