Bobrow to serve as UTHealth Houston’s first vice president for healthcare innovation
I am pleased to announce that, following a comprehensive national search, Bentley J. Bobrow, MD, will serve as UTHealth Houston’s first vice president for healthcare innovation, effective July 1.
Dr. Bobrow, the Nancy, Clive and Pierce Runnells Distinguished Professor in Emergency Medicine, will advance UTHealth Houston’s goals of providing state-of-the-art health care in the 21st century, with a special focus on space medicine.
Space medicine is a burgeoning field, and UTHealth Houston is uniquely positioned to address the health challenges of aviation and space travel through innovation and collaboration. Dr. Bobrow will be charged with growing the university’s existing space medicine training and research programs and creating partnerships across The University of Texas System, NASA, SpaceX, and other organizations and industries to advance space medicine.
Dr. Bobrow transitions to this new role after five years as professor and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. Samuel D. Luber, MD, MPH, an emergency medicine physician, longtime academic leader, and Memorial Hermann Chair at McGovern Medical School, will serve as chair ad interim to ensure continuity of the Department of Emergency Medicine’s exceptional education, research, and clinical programs while a national search for a permanent chair continues.
Since joining UTHealth Houston from the University of Arizona College of Medicine in 2019, Dr. Bobrow has furthered a culture of collaboration and a commitment to excellence and innovation. Pioneering the Department of Emergency Medicine’s space medicine program, which includes a first-of-its-kind fellowship focused on acute medical care in space, is among the many examples of his dedication to the advancement of health and science.
The enhancement of medicine through the integration of evidence-based practices and public health policies has been central to Dr. Bobrow’s vision, and he will build upon that vision as he works with other leaders across our seven schools to develop a preeminent space medicine institute at UTHealth Houston. In addition, he will coordinate with UT Physicians leaders to create an urgent care facility at Bellaire Station and lead programming and expansion efforts, including telehealth and mobile health.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Bobrow, thanking Dr. Luber, and supporting them both in these important leadership roles.