University of California Office of the President

September 19, 2005

MEMBERS OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT COMMUNITY

Dear Colleagues:

In July, Provost M.R.C. Greenwood announced the appointment of Wyatt R. (Rory) Hume as Executive Vice Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. At that time, she noted that the relationship between Academic and Health Affairs was being evaluated for better integration.

I am pleased to announce that, effective immediately, Dr. Hume will also assume the title of Vice President for Health Affairs. This position was previously held by Michael Drake, M.D., who left in July to become Chancellor at UC Irvine. While Health Affairs will be integrated with Academic Affairs, Dr. Hume will represent the University as the senior officer in charge of Health Affairs, serve as a member of my Cabinet, and have direct access to me on health affairs matters.

Dr. Hume is ideally suited to this new and expanded role. As Executive Vice Chancellor at UCLA, his responsibilities included management oversight of the UCLA health system, including the health sciences schools, the faculty practice plans, and the hospitals and clinics. Before that, he had extensive experience at UCSF and UCLA, as a department chair and dean, in health science teaching, research, clinical care, and in program administration.

Dr. Hume’s dual role will create additional opportunities for cooperation and collaboration among all academic programs and elements at UC, something that I believe is central to our future strength. In the coming weeks, Dr. Hume will be consulting with the senior staff in Health Affairs and with the health science deans across the system about the nature and needs of our health science programs and the structure and function of the Health Affairs portfolio.

In closing, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Cathryn Nation, M.D. for her service as Interim Vice President for Health Affairs. She has been invaluable to me and to the University during this transition period. I am pleased to note that Dr. Nation will continue to work with Dr. Hume as Executive Director and as his senior deputy in the Office of Health Affairs.

Sincerely,

Robert C. Dynes
President