Waldrum to chair Council of Teaching Hospitals and Health Systems for AAMC
Michael Waldrum, dean of East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine and CEO of ECU Health, assumed the role as chair of the Council of Teaching Hospitals and Health Systems (COTH) Administrative Board for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), effective Nov. 12. In addition to his chair role, Dr. Waldrum is a voting member of the AAMC Board of Directors.
Michael Waldrum, dean of East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine and CEO of ECU Health, assumed the role as chair of the Council of Teaching Hospitals and Health Systems Administrative Board for the Association of American Medical Colleges. (Photo by Cliff Hollis)
Council members include CEOs, presidents and other executives who lead the AAMC’s nearly 400-member teaching hospitals and health systems. They concentrate on issues specific to academic medicine, such as demonstrating its value and societal good, financing graduate medical education, funds flow, and enterprise-wide mission alignment. Waldrum is a leading voice in advocating for policies promoting and enhancing academic health care and in particular, rural academic health care.
“Dr. Waldrum has clearly earned the respect of hospital executives and leaders in academic medicine across the country as he was selected for this leadership role by his peers,” said Rosha McCoy, MD, AAMC acting chief health care officer. “As an AAMC council, COTH is one of the crucial professional development groups for the association, bringing together the highest tiers of leadership from academic medical centers. Dr. Waldrum has shown a deep commitment to patients and communities, with a particular focus on rural communities, a passion for academic medicine, and an excellent ability to navigate tough challenges. We are thrilled to have him as chair of the COTH Administrative Board and look forward to working with him over the coming year.”
Health care in America faces significant and unique challenges and it’s even more difficult in rural areas of the country where 183 hospitals have closed their doors since 2005, according to a recent UNC Sheps Center report. In eastern North Carolina, academic medicine is how ECU Health strives to sustain quality rural health care now and into the future and achieve its vision to become the national model for rural health care.
“It’s an honor to work collaboratively with other leaders across the nation who are committed and passionate about academic health care,” Waldrum said. “I understand the important responsibility and opportunity I have to highlight and advocate for the future of health care in rural America. I appreciate my peers for entrusting me with the opportunity to bring my unique perspective to the AAMC Council of Teaching Hospitals and Health Systems.”
The AAMC leads and serves the academic medicine community to improve the health of people everywhere. Founded in 1876 and based in Washington, D.C., the AAMC is a not-for-profit association dedicated to transforming health through medical education, health care, medical research and community collaborations.