The Arizona Medical Association is calling for an independent investigation into the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix.
A resolution passed by the association’s House of Delegates on Saturday says the departures of six Phoenix medical school leaders, as well as recent accreditation issues, are reasons for serious concerns about medical education in the state.
The group is asking the Arizona Board of Regents to initiate an investigation into “any U of A organizational impediments or policies that contributed to the departures of the well-respected and quality team that was in place.”
The association's resolution says it is a public statement of "no confidence" in the executive leadership at the UA and in the health sciences leadership and its operations of the Phoenix medical school.
Dr. Joe G.N. “Skip” Garcia, senior vice president of health sciences at the UA in Tucson, said on Tuesday that university leaders remain committed to the Phoenix medical school and that the departures that occurred are not unusual in academia.
“We remain focused on building a world-class medical school in Phoenix that offers the best training environment for students, is leading new discoveries in scientific research and is providing the highest quality patient care,” he said in a prepared statement.
In a news release, the 4,000-member association of Arizona physicians said problems at the Phoenix medical school could have a negative effect on the UA’s first and largest medical school campus in Tucson.
UA College of Medicine-Phoenix Dean Stuart Flynn recently announced his departure from the position he’s held since 2008. He’ll be founding dean of a medical school jointly operated by Texas Christian University and the University of North Texas Health Science Center. Flynn was not immediately available for comment Tuesday.
Five other senior-level deans from the Phoenix medical school recently handed in their resignations, UA officials confirmed Tuesday — four are following Flynn and a fifth is going to a bigger job at Case Western Reserve University.
Garcia in his statement said leaders in academia often bring their own people with them when they move jobs. He also said the fact that leaders at the medical school are being recruited for other jobs speaks to the school’s success.
But the association called the departures a “significant loss for the medical school and to the state of Arizona.”
The Phoenix medical school has also had accreditation issues. Last year, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education wrote a letter to the school saying changes would be needed in order to secure full accreditation.
Among other things, the accrediting body expressed concern about a recent academic affiliation between Phoenix-based Banner Health and the UA that was created when Banner merged with the Tucson-based UA Health Network.
The Phoenix medical school has since been granted provisional accreditation this year, which puts it on pace for full accreditation in early 2018, UA officials say.
The Phoenix-based Arizona Medical Association wants the Arizona Board of Regents to take “corrective action” based on an investigation, “to ensure long-term excellence in medical education at the U of A College of Medicine Phoenix and Tucson.”
Arizona Board of Regents Chair Jay Heiler issued a statement Tuesday saying that the regents appreciate the long-standing involvement of the Arizona Medical Association in medical education in the state. He said the Board of Regents looks forward to hearing about the resolution.
“Meanwhile, the board, (UA) President (Ann Weaver) Hart and her executive team’s consideration of the present structure and operating challenges at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix continues, and will continue in earnest at the board’s meeting this week in Flagstaff,” his statement says.
“Developing and sustaining a world-class medical education enterprise in Phoenix remains the board’s priority, and the voice and views of the medical association are important in the community as we move in that direction,” it adds.
In his statement, Garcia says he acted quickly to demonstrate the university’s commitment to ensuring continued success of the Phoenix medical school. He appointed Dr. Kenneth Ramos as interim dean.
“The UA is investing nearly $250 million in expanded capital facilities on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus and planned academic enhancement fund expenditures in College of Medicine-Phoenix academic programs,” his statement says.
“I respectfully suggest that all of these facts point to a UA leadership team that is fully engaged in the success of the College of Medicine-Phoenix.”
The UA College of Medicine-Phoenix admitted its inaugural class of first-year medical students in August 2007.
The UA’s College of Medicine-Tucson opened in 1967 and has classes of 115 per year. The UA’s College of Medicine-Phoenix has class sizes of 80 students per year.
