As chairman of UNMC’s internal medicine department, John Gollan, M.D., Ph.D., oversees a department whose population size exceeds some small towns in Nebraska.
The department consists of approximately 500 people, including physicians, researchers and support staff. It is comprised of sections, which are devoted to the major areas of internal medicine: cardiology; diabetes, endocrinology and metabolism; dermatology; gastroenterology; general medicine; geriatrics; infectious diseases; nephrology; oncology/hematology; pulmonary; and rheumatology.
To better manage this vast department, Dr. Gollan has established an Executive Council to assist him in policy-making decisions, provide feedback and serve as contacts on issues ranging from education to research to primary care.
“This group of talented individuals will function as an ‘advisory think-tank’ to aid in the strategic development of the department and to oversee specific areas,” Dr. Gollan said. “The recommendations and ideas arising from this group will then be discussed with the section chiefs before being implemented. Without the input of leadership from within the department it would be impossible to stay on top of all of the issues that arise.”
Dr. Gollan’s executive council, which meets monthly, consists of:
- Lynell Klassen, M.D. — vice chairman for Veterans Administration affairs;
- James O’Dell, M.D. — vice chairman for education;
- Debra Romberger, M.D. — vice chairwoman for research;
- Joseph Sisson, M.D. — vice chairman for decision support;
- Thomas Tape, M.D. — vice chairman for primary care and information Technology;
- Rowen Zetterman, M.D. — vice chairman for subspecialty clinical affairs.
Dr. Klassen, a Stokes-Shakleford professor, has been a nationally funded investigator at the Omaha VA Medical Center and UNMC since 1982. As associate chief-of-staff for research, he administrates the VA research program that includes a significant portion of the department’s peer-review research activity. As vice chairman, he will continue to promote the close interaction between the VA and UNMC.
Dr. O’Dell, chief of the rheumatology section, has directed the department of internal medicine education committee and the residency program since 1984. As vice chairman for education, he will oversee teaching and education issues. As a reflection of Dr. O’Dell’s leadership, the medical residents have achieved 100 percent pass rates for the past four years for the board exams.
Dr. Romberger, associate professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine, is chair of the Omaha VA Medical Center Human Studies Subcommittee and a member of the UNMC College of Medicine Research & Development Committee. As vice chairwoman for research, Dr. Romberger chairs the Department Research Council, which promotes clinical and basic science investigation and facilitates research training for undergraduate students, as well as medical students and house staff.
Dr. Sisson, Larson Professor and chief of the pulmonary and critical care medicine section, assumes the new role of vice chairman for decision support. He will continue to guide the development of the Internal Medicine Information System (IMIS). The IMIS project, initiated by Dr. Sisson in 1999, enables the department to electronically track productivity, streamline business processes, facilitate communication and provide data for decision support.
Dr. Tape, associate professor of general internal medicine, has coordinated the internal medicine activities in the primary care practice sites since 1987. As vice chairman for primary care and information technology, he represents the department in matters of primary care and serves as a liaison between the primary care internists and University Medical Associates practice management. He also has a longtime interest in promoting physician use of computers, which serves as another focus of his vice-chair duties.
Dr. Zetterman, professor and acting chief-of-staff of the Nebraska-Western Iowa VA Health Care System, has been the vice chairman of clinical operations for the department of internal medicine. He has held many clinically oriented and administrative roles while helping to lead UMA and NHS. In addition, he was also the first president of the NHS Medical Staff Office. He now assumes the new role of vice chairman for subspecialty clinical affairs.