Bobrow named inaugural VP of healthcare innovation

By Darla Brown, Office of Communications
Dr. Bentley J. Bobrow

Bentley J. Bobrow, MD, will serve as UTHealth Houston’s first vice president for healthcare innovation, effective July 1. (Graphic by UTHealth Houston/Jonathan Lopez)

Dr. Bentley Bobrow
Bentley J. Bobrow, MD

Following a national search, former chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine Bentley J. Bobrow, MD, has been selected as UTHealth Houston’s first vice president for healthcare innovation, effective July 1.

Bobrow, the Nancy, Clive and Pierce Runnells Distinguished Professor in Emergency Medicine, stepped down as chair of the department as of June 30, following five years in the position. In his new role, 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.

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.

Samuel Luber, MD, MPH

Samuel D. Luber, MD, MPH, professor of emergency medicine, Memorial Hermann Chair at McGovern Medical School, and assistant dean for Graduate Medical Education, will serve as chair ad interim to ensure continuity of the Department of Emergency Medicine’s 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, 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.

Luber joined the McGovern Medical School faculty in 2009 and previously served as the interim co-chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine from 2018-19. He also serves the department as executive vice chair of academic affairs and the assistant designated institutional official for the Office of Graduate Medical Education.

“Please join me in congratulating Dr. Bobrow, thanking Dr. Luber, and supporting them both in these important leadership roles,” said Kevin Morano, PhD, senior vice president, Academic and Faculty Affairs.

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