The Department of Neurology at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine is recruiting an academically accomplished and strategic leader to serve as Division Chief of Child Neurology.
This Division Chief position is a senior-level faculty position responsible for driving the continued growth and advancement of child neurology programs both at VCU and in the surrounding communities across all missions. This position will lead clinical and research partnerships in collaboration with other institutional stakeholders. The Division Chief will also support excellence in the division’s teaching responsibilities at the undergraduate and graduate medical education levels.
The Division Chief should be a nationally recognized leader in the field of child neurology. Unique clinical expertise and funding as an independent investigator is preferred. This role will require significant administrative effort to support the growing division. A teaching role for medical students, residents and fellows in the ACGME-accredited Child Neurology Residency will also be important. The Division currently accepts one resident each year for a categorical Child Neurology residency training program. The academic appointment with the VCU School of Medicine will be at rank of Associate Professor or Professor and will be commensurate with experience.
The Division of Child Neurology is comprehensive in scope, caring for children with epilepsy, neuromuscular disorders, headache, acute brain injury, stroke, tuberous sclerosis, movement disorders, and developmental delay. Specialty care is also available for children with multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases of the nervous system. The division offers multidisciplinary care for patients with neurofibromatosis at the recently created multidisciplinary neurofibromatosis clinic.
The division includes nine (9) core faculty and five (5) advanced practice providers with 1 additional faculty member starting in February 2024, another starting in July and one ongoing recruitment. The primary outpatient location is at the Children's Pavilion of the Children’s Hospital of Richmond (ChoR) in downtown Richmond. The division also offers services at CHoR’s satellite clinics at Chesterfield Meadows and the Fredericksburg Multispecialty Center. The division provides an inpatient consultative service and runs the pediatric EMU service in downtown Richmond.
The Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU continues to be ranked among the top children’s hospitals across the country, ranked by U.S. News and World Report in eight (8) pediatric specialties (including Neurology and Neurosurgery), and in the top 10 among children’s hospitals in the Mid-Atlantic region. VCU child neurology and neurosurgery were ranked #33 in the country by U.S. News and World Report for Best Children’s Hospitals (2023-2024). In April 2023, CHoR opened the Children’s Tower, home to the state’s only Level 1 pediatric trauma center, 72 all private acute and intensive care beds, an emergency department with 24/7 access to pediatric specialties, and a six-bed pediatric EMU.
The Division accepts one resident each year for a categorical residency training program. The Child Neurology Residency Program allows increasing patient-care responsibility across three years of training. An elective opportunity in pediatric neurological rehabilitation is also available. National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded and university-funded programs provide lab-based and clinical research for senior-level residents. Residents complete their first two years of training in VCU’s Department of Pediatrics before joining the team in the Division of Child Neurology for the remainder of the five-year program. Upon completion, successful residents are eligible for board exams in both pediatrics and neurology.
Responsibilities
Direct patient care and clinical support functions, including clinical algorithms and pathways as well as providing oversight for program safety and quality.
Collaborate with key stakeholders in the establishment of a neuroscience service line.
Oversee all aspects of neurological care of pediatric patients, including outpatient and inpatient settings.
Identify opportunities for strategic program growth in partnership with the Departments of Pediatrics, Neurosurgery, and others.
Identify and stimulate meritorious and fundable basic science-based and translational/clinical research in child neurologic disorders, including multi-investigator grants.
Recruit additional academic clinicians and translational and clinical investigators.
Mentor and train investigators in laboratory-based and/or clinic based translational research.
Seek and establish research partnerships with other academic institutions, Pharma and Biotech to enhance the program’s translational goals.
Secure an adequate portfolio of investigator-initiated and hybrid trials with industry partners, focused on the needs of patients in VCU’s and ChoR’s catchment area.
Enhance intra- and inter-programmatic interactions through the CHoR.
Sustain efforts in mentoring, training, advocacy, and outreach.
Position Qualifications
Education/Training:
M.D. or M.D/Ph.D. degree (or equivalent)
Successful completion of a child neurology residency at an accredited institution.
Eligibility for licensure in Virginia and board certification, or eligible, in Neurology with Special Qualification in Child Neurology (ABPN).
Desired Experience, Credentials, and Attributes:
Strong history of basic, translational, and/or and clinical research demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications and extramural grant funding.
Nationally recognized leader in the field of Child Neurology research and/or clinical practice.
Demonstrated track record of active participation in multidisciplinary clinical programs focused on patient-centered care.
Ability to thrive and lead in a growing, complex, and matrixed environment.
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build consensus and cooperation among various stakeholders.
Passion for Child Neurology program development and research.
A team builder who can mentor and direct others in research initiatives.
- Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU.
Salary/Benefits: This is a full-time position. Salary will be commensurate with experience with a generous benefits package.
To Apply: Send your CV to Renee Breer at [email protected]
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