Jennifer Adams, MD, has been named the chair of the UNMC Department of Dermatology, effective Sept. 1.
In making the announcement, Bradley Britigan, MD, dean of the UNMC College of Medicine, said Dr. Adams was a strong and innovative leader who had helped build the almost 8-year-old department.
“Dr. Adams brings a vision for the future of the department, as well as a passion for addressing the shortage of dermatologists in our state,” Dr. Britigan said. “We are excited to see her step into this role.”
Michael Ash, MD, CEO of Nebraska Medicine, said:
“Dr. Adams is a respected leader who knows the department well. She brings not only the skills and determination to lead, but also the vision that draws others to join her. Under her guidance, the department of dermatology will grow in impact, innovation and excellence.”
An Omaha native and Central High School graduate, Dr. Adams joined UNMC in early 2019, shortly after the creation of the UNMC Department of Dermatology.
“I was thrilled for the opportunity to help build a new program in my home state,” she said. “Building the program is what brought me back home.”
Before coming back, Dr. Adams earned her MD at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. She attended Lankenau Medical Center in Pennsylvania for an internship in internal medicine and completed her dermatology residency at the University of Miami and Jackson Memorial Hospitals in Miami, serving as chief resident. She also earned a Tropical Medicine & Hygiene degree from the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and spent time globally caring for patients before starting clinical practice in North Carolina.
Part of what brought her home, she said, was a desire to return to academic medicine.
“During my chief resident year at University of Miami, I really loved how the students and trainees really push you to learn more,” said Dr. Adams, who last year earned a UNMC Impact in Education Award. “I was out in private practice in North Carolina for a bit before returning to academics. … I realized quickly that I missed sharing the joy of what I love to do with other learners and seeing the joy spark in them as well.”
As she moves into the chair’s role, Dr. Adams sees a lot of strengths in her still-young department.
“The need in Nebraska has been really enormous,” she said. “We were 50th out of 50 states for dermatologists per capita before we started up. Even with rapid growth and delivering care across the state – we have gone up to 17 providers now – we’re still only ranked 47th out of 50 states.
“But we’ve done an incredible job of expanding access for complex care for the region and being that academic referral center for complex medical dermatology and surgical dermatology.
“We have a tremendous pediatric dermatology division out at Children’s Nebraska, and we’ve expanded our specialized care programs at the VA and Nebraska Medicine. I’m proud that we’ve been able to not just increase access to dermatology as a whole, but increase access to even niche areas of dermatology.”
One of her goals in her new role, she said, was to nurture the departmental culture that she called the “secret sauce” to the department’s growth and success.
“The faculty, residents and staff here are committed to the mission of delivering extraordinary patient care and pushing ourselves to expand the academic mission,” she said, noting two new dermatology fellowships – in pediatrics and Mohs surgery/dermatologic oncology – started in the past few months.
Dr. Adams comes to her new role with a great deal of leadership experience. In addition to serving as interim chair since July 2024, and as vice chair before that, Dr. Adams has been the program director in the department for the last four years as the department expanded its new training program. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Nebraska Dermatologic Society, chairs a national committee for the Women’s Dermatologic Society and is a representative to the American Academy of Dermatology Advisory Board, in addition to serving on numerous national AAD committees.
Dr. Adams pointed out that although the department is relatively new, it has had a tremendous ripple effect across the care in the region. A major goal, she said, is to continue to expand access to dermatologic care in the state.
“We still have a long way to go in the state and the surrounding region,” she said. “My goal is to partner with communities and deliver the care that they need. Much of the state just does not have access to dermatologic services, so that is a priority.”