The inaugural Associate Dean for the Office of Ignatian Mission in Medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine (SLU SOM) is a key leadership position responsible for defining and implementing the strategies and initiatives to assess, cultivate, and advance our mission-driven culture in the School of Medicine. Reporting directly to the Vice President for Medical Affairs/Dean of the School of Medicine, the Associate Dean will play a pivotal role in shaping the embodiment of our mission throughout the academic and research environments for learners, faculty and staff, through articulation and implementation of a clear strategic plan with defined, measurable goals, tangible outcomes and accountability mechanisms to ensure long-term success. As a leader in SLU SOM, the Associate Dean will have the full support of the Dean and SLU SOM leadership, and will intersect with all areas of the University and the communities we serve, including SSM Health, our healthcare delivery network, and collaborators in the region. This position may permit another clinical, research, educational or administrative role. Any clinical position would be contingent on successful employment and credentialing with SSM Health and would be wholly employed by SSM Health as part of the SLUCare Physician Group.

The Office of Ignatian Mission in Medicine manages and oversees SOM programs and services across the school’s education and research missions to build a culturally sensitive and inclusive body of learners, faculty, and staff consistent with applicable equal opportunity laws and the University’s Catholic, Jesuit identity. The office will create opportunities to engage in the exchange of diverse ideas inside and outside the classroom and provide programs and services that support an engaged, welcoming, and inclusive campus environment. This leader will work collaboratively with the SSM Health and SLU leadership teams who are working in similar areas.

To achieve these goals, we seek a leader with a diverse skill set including empathy, humility, emotional intelligence, cultural competence, effective communication, community engagement experience, and the ability to lead across diverse groups. The ideal candidate must embody the mission—not only through professional qualifications, but through a sincere commitment to the mission of Saint Louis University, as a Catholic, Jesuit institution grounded in Ignatian spirituality and values. Transparency in communication, accountability and ownership for decisions and actions, and active involvement in the work and decision-making processes is required. Experience in medical school leadership is essential. Experience with community engagement, advisory boards and local health contexts is highly valued.

Saint Louis University School of Medicine
SLU SOM has a long tradition of excellence in medical, graduate medical, and graduate education. Established in 1836, the school has the distinction of awarding the first medical degree west of the Mississippi River and is proud to be part of the 450-year tradition of Jesuit education.

The mission of SLU SOM is to pursue education, research, clinical care, and improving the health of our community through professional development, collaboration, and social justice, grounded in our Catholic, Jesuit values. We endeavor in the pursuit of truth for the betterment of society and the greater glory of God.

SLU SOM trains physicians, health professionals, and biomedical and health data scientists, conducts medical research and provides health services. We embody cura personalis (“care for the whole person”). Our work goes beyond training physicians, healthcare professionals and scientists to be scholars of the human body. We graduate physicians who appreciate humanistic medicine, concern themselves with the sanctity of human life and commit to treating all patients with dignity and respect. In short, the medicine we practice is changing lives for the better.

SLU SOM, SLUCare Physician Group, and SSM Health have partnered for decades to deliver exceptional care at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital, and, more recently, SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital.

On July 1, 2022, SLUCare’s more than 600 faculty, along with other academic medical professionals and staff became the dedicated academic physician practice of SSM Health. Clinically, they collaborate with SSM Health’s over 600 community-based providers to deliver care at more than 50 physician office locations. This integration affords patients seamless access to all levels of care, including highly specialized procedures and clinical trials. The integration provides an investment in SLU SOM to expand medical education and clinical research. The SOM oversees the academic activities of teaching and research along with academic rank and tenure.

Duties and Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Collaborate with the Dean, department chairs, and other senior leaders to develop and implement a strategic plan for the advancement of the mission, goals, and structure of the Office of Ignatian Mission in Medicine (OIMM) to further enhance our mission-driven culture in the School of Medicine.
- Provide visionary leadership to enhance the engagement, inclusivity and belonging amongst the learners, faculty, and staff of the School of Medicine.
- Develop and implement initiatives designed to enhance the quality, diversity, and impact of educational programming, faculty, staff and student support and well-being, and community engagement in the School of Medicine.

Programmatic and Administrative Oversight
Embracing an inclusive and community-informed engagement strategy, the charge for the inaugural leader of the Office of Ignatian Mission in Medicine will be to align the inclusivity, community engagement, wellness and pathways activities of the School of Medicine to continue and enhance the work we are already doing and identify new and innovative opportunities for learners, faculty, and staff and the partners and community populations we serve.

This includes, but is not limited to:
- Education of a culturally humble healthcare workforce; seeking to immerse SLU SOM’s faculty, staff and trainees in a training atmosphere that prepares our learners for the practice of medicine within the communities we serve
- Wellness – advance the cause of wellness for SOM constituents (faculty (with SSM), staff, and learners) by collaborating with an active Wellness Task Force to assess and implement initiatives leveraging the resources of the Office of Ignatian Mission in Medicine to enhance wellness across our community
- Pathways programs – assessing and supporting alignment of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)-related programs across departments and offices of the SOM to ensure maximum reach and effectiveness
- Community service and volunteerism – supporting student engagement in collaboration with the Office of Student Affairs and Office of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, oversight of a mobile health outreach van and collaborating with internal and external partners to address community needs
- Supporting learners, faculty, and staff through affinity/interest groups and employee resource groups (ERGs)
- Coordination of Mission Ambassadors throughout the SOM learning environment
- Participation in accreditation of educational and mission programs

Reporting Relationships
- Direct reports:
- Staff and Faculty, including Assistant Deans, in the OIMM
- Associate/Assistant Deans in other SLU SOM administrative offices with assigned mission-related responsibilities (dotted line)
- Collaboration with faculty and staff embedded within other SLU SOM administrative offices, including the Office of Student Affairs for medical student wellness, student research and community service.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Personal Characteristics

• Dynamic, innovative, visible servant leader, who can engage stakeholders at all levels, including SLU SOM faculty, learners, staff, alumni, and partners including SSM Health.

• Ability to Cultivate a Common Vision: must be able to develop and cultivate a vision for engagement with our mission across SLU SOM in collaboration with SSM Health, and the university, working collaboratively with learners, faculty, staff, and other executives.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

• Analytical Skills and Data-Driven Focus: will understand how to use data and develop evidence-based strategic planning and assess outcomes for effective and successful fulfillment of SLU SOM’s mission and core values.

• Flexible, yet decisive style and politically savvy, will possess superb listening skills and the ability to navigate the political landscape, responding well to politically charged and/or sensitive situations. They must know how to build consensus, accrue buy-in, and work through competing interests.

• Experience with the Unique Culture and Needs of a SOM: experience within academic medicine. They must understand the successes, motivations and challenges of faculty, learners and staff in a medical school environment.

• Understanding of the Culture of Higher Education: must be prepared to work within the culture of shared governance, tenure and promotion, multiple and competing goals, and the unique needs of learners, faculty, staff, and executives in the context of the larger university.

• Understanding of Organizational Change: should understand the elements and dynamics of changing an organizational culture, and the commitment to see the change through to completion. They must exhibit passion and patience, and lead the design, implementation, assessment, and evolution of key milestones over time.

• Technical Mastery of Inclusivity and Community Engagement Issues: will have an excellent command of diversity and community engagement issues, faculty recruitment and retention strategies, cultural sensitivity in education, evaluation of the campus climate, and the policy and legal dynamics of equal opportunity laws and diversity in higher education; the Associate Dean must be comfortable leveraging social justice, educational benefits, and business case rationales for diversity, inclusivity and community engagement initiatives consistent with federal and state law and accreditation standards and the University’s Catholic, Jesuit identity.

• Strong commitment to SLU SOM’s mission and Catholic, Jesuit values of cura personalis, “care for the whole person”: the Associate Dean will foster an inclusive environment that welcomes all expressions of diversity and identity, including race, ethnicity, national origin, age, ability, gender, sexual orientation, faith, and ideology.

• Creative and innovative approach to program development, coupled with strong identification and assessment of outcome and metrics.

The faculty appointment associated with this position within the Office of Ignatian Mission in Medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine is open to those who successfully apply for and complete the hiring protocols of the University and SSM Health, where applicable. If the position is combined with a clinical role, the Associate Dean will be wholly employed by SSM Health and clinical duties will be performed as a member of the SLUCare Physician Group. The leadership role is designated within and supported by Saint Louis University as a portion of that employment.