Job Categories
Academic General Pediatrics
Division Chief, General Academic Pediatrics
On behalf of the Department of Pediatrics at UF Health in Gainesville, FL CareerPhysician, the nation’s premier leader in academic child health executive search and leadership development, invites applications and nominations for a dynamic and visionary leader to serve as the next Division Chief of General Academic Pediatrics. This leadership appointment offers a business savvy leader with strong interests in building teams and enhancing research and scholarly engagement and production to establish a strong national reputation for UF Health Pediatrics. The selected leader will be charged with evaluating clinical activities and reach to identify pathways for collaboration across campus and within the community to create better infrastructure for productive research activities for faculty. In addition, the Chief will develop a vision for recruitment and resources to further research and academic missions, capitalizing in a very strong and productive clinical footprint.
Opportunities and Highlights:
- Home to 38 faculty and 12 APPs, General Academic Pediatrics at UF Health is highly productive and profitable. The division has an outstanding reputation serving children and families throughout North Central Florida and into Southern Georgia and parts of Alabama, financially, generating ~$2-3 million in revenue over expenses each year, and is thus a major source of income for the Department.
- Dr Rashmin Savani has been Chair of the Department of Pediatrics since 2022. He is a nationally renowned neonatologist with a successful research program of his own. He is well respected and liked by his faculty, is supportive of them, and is a great advocate for the Department and for GAP.
- The primary objectives for the incoming Chief are two: 1) Evaluate the efficiency within the division pertinent to clinical care and develop a strategy for innovative models of care. 2) Recruit talented physicians and APP faculty to further the clinical reach in Ocala and Tallahassee, where UF Health has presence and patient loyalty. 3) Develop a vision for research and education for fellows and faculty, leveraging UF’s infrastructural strength and commitment to innovation.
- UF Health has outstanding resources for research which are currently unrealized:
- One Florida database provides claims data on 31 million patients in Florida.
- The PORCH (Pediatric Research Hub) program in the Department of Pediatrics is available to help faculty through all stages of conducting research. I don’t think it is used to any degree by GAP faculty.
- UF Health and the clinics run by GAP are all on Epic, which provides a wealth of data on patient encounters
- The College of Public Health has several active research programs which overlap with clinical activities and interests of GAP faculty. These include:
- Center for Technology and Child Health which “develops and tests digital tools that promote language, mental health, physical activity, sleep quality and more for children and families.”
- Strong Departments of Epidemiology, Health Services and Child and Pediatric Clinical Psychology.
- The College of Public Health presents a great, underutilized resource in terms of potential, mutually beneficial collaborations, as investigators there need access to children for their studies.
- Key leadership objectives for the named Chief:
1) Expand Access to Pediatric Primary Care Services.
The new Chief will be expected to lead continued clinical growth efforts across the region, particularly in rural and underserved communities. This includes strengthening the division’s presence in existing markets, supporting the planned development of pediatric clinics in Ocala and Newberry, and identifying additional opportunities for strategic expansion
2) Research and Mentorship
The incoming Chief will be empowered to develop strategic pathways for clinical and translational research, leveraging the abundance of resources available at University of Florida to create better collaborations between pediatrics and adult services as well as leveraging campus-wide innovation.
3) Develop Collaborative Primary Care Models
A key initiative will be fostering collaboration with other departments and specialties across UF Health. This includes helping advance plans for a joint pediatric and family medicine clinic in Newberry and strengthen relationships with pediatric subspecialties to improve coordinated, multidisciplinary care delivery.
4) Strengthen Faculty Recruitment, Retention, and Development
The Chief will be responsible for recruiting and retaining high-quality faculty while promoting faculty engagement, mentorship, leadership development, and academic advancement. Supporting physician wellness and maintaining a positive divisional culture will also be important priorities.
5) Improve Pediatric-to-Adult Transition Processes
The division recognizes the need for stronger transition pathways for adolescents and young adults. The new Chief will be expected to collaborate with Internal Medicine and Family Medicine leaders to improve continuity of care as patients transition into adult healthcare systems.
6) Expand Community Outreach and Population Health Initiatives
The Chief will help strengthen the division’s community presence through outreach initiatives, school partnerships, preventive health programs, and regional engagement efforts. This includes supporting programs that improve healthcare access, preventive screening, and health education across North Central Florida communities.
- The selected Chief should possess an interest and ability to develop strong, collaborative culture and support faculty in their growth and development. Additionally, strong skills in clinical operations and innovative models for care and experience in creating cultivating scholarly production advancing the national reputation of the division.
Invested in Innovation
The University of Florida (UF) is a premier AI-focused institution, offering world-class infrastructure and university-wide academic integrations. Its core artificial intelligence resources include: HiPerGator Supercomputer: UF hosts the fourth-generation HiPerGator AI supercomputer, the fastest AI supercomputer in academia globally. It features hundreds of NVIDIA Blackwell (B200) GPUs and is extensively used for both grant-funded research and student projects. NaviGator Toolkit & Chat: A secured, locally deployed generative AI environment. It grants UF faculty, students, and staff access to over 40 different Large Language Models (LLMs) with full privacy compliance for sensitive datasets. Academic Programs & Certificates: UF offers over 200 AI-designated courses across all 16 colleges. Students can earn a 9-credit university-wide AI certificate or participate in discipline-specific learning pathways like the AI Medallion. AI Squared (AI2) Center: This hub coordinates multidisciplinary teaching, offers faculty support for new AI courses, and hosts student events like “AI Days”.
All interactions will remain confidential, and no inquiries will be made without the consent of the applicant.
Qualifications
MD/DO
BC/BE Pediatrics
Application Process
Should you have interest in discussing the role, please forward your curriculum vitae to Mark Lozano, Executive Vice President, CareerPhysician, LLC, mark@careerphysician.com c/o Luke Millican, Luke@careerphysician.com, to schedule a convenient time for a confidential conversation. The Search Committee will require a CV and Cover Letter stating qualifications and reasons for interest in the role.
Contact Name
Luke Millican
