John Riggs, MD, ’86, named assistant dean for professionalism
Dean Barbara J. Stoll has appointed John Riggs, MD, the assistant dean for professionalism, effective April 1, 2020.
Riggs, the John T. Armstrong Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology, has been serving as co-director of the learning environment along with Vineeth John, MD, MBA, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. This new role expands his area of focus.
“McGovern Medical School’s new Office for Professionalism will be a cohesive and collaborative approach to professionalism that will involve and benefit various constituencies across our school,” Dean Stoll said.
“We anticipate that the Office of Professionalism under Dr. Riggs’ leadership will provide a coordinated approach to enhancing the learning environment,” added Patricia Butler, MD, vice dean for Educational Programs.
Riggs commented, “We are in the process of developing the scope and strategies of the office by holding a number of conversations with stakeholders inside the medical school as well as with colleagues at other medical schools across the country who have similar offices.”
He added that through these discussions he has discovered many programs across the school and university that are already working to enrich the professional well-being of our students, residents, faculty, and staff. “We are working to understand what we are already doing and what opportunities exist. These skills are not easily quantifiable.”
Although the office’s strategies are still being developed, Riggs said the intent is to “increase kindness, compassion, efficacy, and efficiency of our work by focusing on what make us better as a profession.”
“Professionalism is paramount for physicians and is best demonstrated and nurtured by faculty role models,” said Margaret McNeese, MD, vice dean of Admissions and Student Affairs and Ransom Lummis Family Professor in Pediatrics. “The office can serve as a resource for faculty and students to best achieve this goal.”
Riggs joined the medical school faculty in 1990 as an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences. He also holds an adjunct associate professor faculty position at the School of Biomedical Informatics. A ’86 graduate of the Medical School, Riggs also completed his residency in obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at UTHealth. He earned a master’s degree in health information sciences from SBMI in 2001.
He has served as director of both the medical student clerkship and residency programs in OB/GYN at LBJ Hospital. He also served as the chief medical information officer of LBJ Hospital, leading its electronic medical record installation across the hospital and clinics.
Written by Darla Brown, Office of Communications