Chair, Department of Surgery

Overview

Macon & Joan Brock, Virginia Health Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School at Old Dominion University (VHS) seeks an accomplished, collaborative, and visionary academic surgeon to serve as its next Chair of the Department of Surgery. Reporting directly to the Dean of the School of Medicine, the Chair will have the opportunity to build upon the Department’s distinguished legacy while advancing innovation, growth, and excellence across its clinical, educational, research, and community missions.

The next Chair of the Department of Surgery will be a nationally recognized surgeon with a distinguished record of achievement in clinical care, education, research, and leadership. The Chair will possess exceptional administrative and organizational skills, a collaborative leadership style, and a demonstrated ability to lead within a complex academic health system. The Chair will be responsible for the overall strategic, financial, clinical, academic, and operational leadership of the Department. In partnership with division leaders, hospital and health system executives, and departmental administrators, the Chair will strengthen the Department’s clinical enterprise, expand its academic impact, and advance its missions of patient care, education, research, and community engagement.

Responsibilities

The following represent key opportunities and expectations for the new Chair of Surgery to address within the first 18-24 months of their tenure (not in any particular order of importance):

• Develop and communicate a compelling vision for the future of the Department that aligns with the strategic priorities of Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University and its affiliated clinical partners. The Chair will serve as a visible advocate, both internally and externally, for the Department and establish credibility as a trusted leader, clinician, educator, and collaborator.
• Strengthen collaboration and alignment across the Department’s diverse clinical sites and affiliated health system partners, including Sentara Health, CHKD, and the Hampton VA Medical Center. The Chair will cultivate strong relationships across the enterprise and identify opportunities for programmatic growth, integration, and innovation.
• Advance and expand the Department’s clinical enterprise by enhancing access to care, growing key service lines, including colorectal and transplant surgery, improving quality and outcomes, and positioning the Department as a leading destination for surgical care throughout southeastern Virginia and the broader Mid-Atlantic region.
• Recruit, retain, and develop a diverse, high-performing faculty. The Chair will support and mentor current division leaders while leading strategic faculty recruitment efforts aligned with departmental and institutional priorities.
• Foster a culture of engagement, collegiality, accountability, and professional growth. The Chair will champion faculty development and create pathways for success across the missions of clinical care, education, research, and leadership.
• Strengthen surgical education programs at all levels, ensuring continued excellence in medical student education, residency training, and fellowship programs. Evaluate opportunities to launch additional fellowship programs and add clinical training sites for residents. The Chair will support educational innovation and maintain strong accreditation outcomes while attracting highly talented and diverse learners.
• Expand the Department’s research portfolio through strategic recruitment, mentorship, and resource development. The Chair will encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and support initiatives that increase scholarly productivity, translational research, clinical trials, and extramural funding.
• Partner with institutional and Sentara health system leadership, and other regional health care systems, to support growth initiatives, operational excellence, workforce planning, and the continued evolution of the academic-clinical enterprise.
• Advance a diverse culture of belonging by recruiting and supporting talented faculty, trainees, and staff from diverse backgrounds and ensuring an environment where all individuals can thrive.
• Build a sustainable leadership structure that supports succession planning, operational effectiveness, and long-term departmental success.

Qualifications

EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION

• M.D. or D.O. degree, board certification in a surgical specialty relevant to the Department of Surgery.
• Eligible for unrestricted medical licensure in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• Qualifications for appointment to the rank of Professor at Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University.

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, LEADERSHIP SKILLS, AND COMPETENCIES

• An accomplished academic surgeon with a record of excellence in clinical care, education, research, and leadership.
• Demonstrated success leading a complex academic department, division, surgical service line, or comparable clinical enterprise.
• Ability to articulate and execute a strategic vision for a modern academic department of surgery, including growth of clinical, educational, and research programs.
• Strong financial and operational management skills with experience improving performance, optimizing resources, and supporting sustainable growth.
• Proven ability to build effective relationships and collaborate across academic institutions, hospitals, health systems, faculty practice plans, and community partners.
• An inclusive, transparent, and approachable leadership style characterized by integrity, emotional intelligence, excellent communication skills, and the ability to build consensus among diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated commitment to faculty mentoring, leadership development, succession planning, and the recruitment and retention of high-performing and diverse faculty.
• Experience supporting and advancing surgical education across all levels, including medical student clerkships, residency, and fellowship programs, with knowledge of ACGME requirements and a commitment to educational innovation.
• A record of scholarly achievement and academic accomplishment, including peer-reviewed publications, research leadership, program development, or other contributions that have advanced the field of surgery.
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering innovation, collaboration, and interdisciplinary scholarship while supporting growth in sponsored research and academic productivity.

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