Dr. Robert D. Simari has been named executive vice chancellor of the University of Kansas Medical Center, according to an announcement today.
Simari has served as Franklin E. Murphy Professor in Cardiology. He is the executive dean for the KU School of Medicine, where he will continue to serve while there is a national search for his replacement.
“Dr. Simari has served as interim executive vice chancellor since July 1, and he has provided tremendous leadership and stability to the medical center during a time of transition,” said Douglas A. Girod, chancellor of the University of Kansas, in a news release. “I am pleased KU Medical Center is in capable hands, and I look forward to working closely with Dr. Simari to advance the medical center’s mission.”
“As an alumnus and executive dean of the KU School of Medicine, it is a great honor and a humbling experience to be named executive vice chancellor of the University of Kansas Medical Center,” Dr. Simari said in the news release. “This is an exciting time in the 114-year history of the medical center, and I look forward to collaborating with our partners and other university leaders to continue to train the best health professionals for Kansas, improve the health of our region and discover the cures and treatments of tomorrow.”
A 1986 graduate of the KU School of Medicine, Simari has served as executive dean of the medical school since March 2014. He currently serves as the chief academic and administrative officer for the School of Medicine and provides oversight and leadership to all three medical school campuses: Kansas City, Kan., Wichita and Salina.
Simari has been instrumental in guiding the School of Medicine’s new curriculum development and the construction of the Health Education Building, both of which made their debuts this past summer.