To our School of Medicine Community:
It is with mixed emotions that we announce that J. Harry “Bud” Isaacson, MD, professor of medicine at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine (CCLCM) of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, will step down as Executive Dean of CCLCM at the end of 2025. He intends to continue his practice in general internal medicine as well as coaching and other activities to support the professional staff of Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Issacson guided the Lerner College Program of CCLCM in the School of Medicine for seven years as Executive Dean, and has worked closely with Dr. Lia Logio to build a remarkable and collaborative educational environment for medical students. Together, they successfully prepared the medical school for the recent Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accreditation self-study and site visit review. Dr. Isaacson has been involved in the 5-year physician investigator Lerner College Program of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine since its inception including in his prior role as Assistant Dean of Clinical Education.
“Bud has been an amazing partner dedicated to innovation and integration in the curriculum and an approach that welcomes input and adjustments based on students’ needs and feedback,” Dr. Logio shared. “Bud is the consummate educator. He has been a strong advocate for what is best for students and for upholding the high professional standards necessary in the practice of medicine. He has been a valued collaborator in managing the medical school activities.”
The announcement from Cleveland Clinic by Drs. James Stoller and Serpil Erzurum noted: “An award-winning physician, coach and educator, Dr. Isaacson has been a cornerstone of Cleveland Clinic’s mission to educate the next generation of physician investigators of CCLCM. Over his tenure, the Lerner College Program reached new heights. This year, we saw a 19% increase in applications (to 2,745 applicants for 32 positions) and the highest yield of accepted offers in program history (offering 44 slots to fill 32 positions).”
In their announcement, they went on to say that “Dr. Isaacson has seen our programs through many milestones, from the celebration of our Health Education Campus opening to the unprecedented educational challenges of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and the 20th anniversary of CCLCM. Under Dr. Isaacson’s stewardship, CCLCM has developed its offerings to equip the next generation of healthcare professionals with the skills, professionalism and empathy required to navigate care in an ever-changing medical landscape. These initiatives encouraged integration of pressing societal and environmental factors, like climate change, into our curricula, as well as a deeper connection and understanding of the communities we serve. This humanities-informed approach to medical education helps build the mindset necessary for the workforce of the future: physicians and researchers that will provide the highest level of care to our communities for generations to come. As further testimony to the success of CCLCM, 30 alumni of CCLCM classes now serve on the Cleveland Clinic staff.”
Please join us in heartily thanking Dr. Isaacson for his years of service in this critical role for our organization.
A search for a new Executive Dean will be initiated through Cleveland Clinic Education in conjunction with the dean’s office.
Sincerely,
Lia Logio, MD
Vice Dean Medical Education
School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University
Stan Gerson, MD
Dean and Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs
CWRU School of Medicine
Director, National Center for Regenerative Medicine