The University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine (UMKC SOM), in partnership with University Health Kansas City (UH, UHKC) invites nominations, inquiries, and applications for the position of Chair to lead the Department of Psychiatry. This is an outstanding opportunity to shape the future of mental health care, education, and research across a growing health system.
The University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine was founded in 1971 as a bold and innovative response to regional and national health care needs. Over the past 55 years, UMKC SOM has trained over 4,000 physicians, many of whom practice in underserved, rural, and primary care settings. It continues to be recognized for its forward-thinking curriculum, strong clinical partnerships, and leadership in addressing health disparities.
University Health Kansas City is a major academic health system and the principal clinical partner of the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine, serving as the region’s public safety‑net hospital and a cornerstone of medical education, research, and community health. With more than 4,500 employees, two acute‑care hospitals, and over 70 primary and specialty clinics, UH delivers comprehensive, high‑acuity care to a diverse urban population and plays a central role in training more than 600 medical students and 350 residents each year.
The University Health Kansas City and University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine partnership represents one of the most comprehensive and mission‑driven academic psychiatry environments in the Midwest. Together, the two institutions form an integrated clinical and educational enterprise that delivers a full continuum of psychiatric care across inpatient, outpatient, emergency, and community settings; trains the next generation of physicians; and advances mental health for the region.
The Department of Psychiatry is both an academic and clinical Department that serves as a major training and care hub for mental health services in the Kansas City metropolitan area and across Missouri. The Department of Psychiatry is a continually growing Department currently comprised of 23 Psychiatrists, 13 APPs (PA/APRN), 18 Psychologists, and 26 residents, working across affiliated institutions and in the community.
Reporting to the Chief Clinical Officer of University Health Kansas City and to the Dean of the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine, the Chair will provide visionary leadership across all Department missions, including clinical care, education, research, and community engagement. They will oversee faculty recruitment and development, program expansion, and the integration of psychiatric services across the health system. With the opening of a large state of the art psychiatry hospital in partnership with the State of Missouri, the Chair will guide a transformative era of growth, innovation, and community impact. As the primary architect of the new hospital's clinical and academic identity, the Chair will cultivate a culture of excellence, collaboration, and patient-centered care.
The next Chair will be a nationally prominent, visionary psychiatrist with administrative leadership and faculty management experience. The successful candidate will have skills in multi-institutional management within an expanding clinical enterprise, interpersonal and communication skills, commitment to compassionate care supporting the community in service to diverse patient populations, a passion for the education of the next generation of psychiatrists and a spirit of innovation to lead growing research and scholarly work in the discipline.
Applicants must have a M.D., D.O, M.D./Ph.D., or equivalent degree, be board certified in psychiatry, and be eligible for medical licensure in the state of Missouri. In addition, applicants must possess outstanding leadership skills and administrative experience obtained in a medical school, an academic medical center setting or behavioral health service line and a demonstrated track record of achievement commensurate with appointment to the faculty at the rank of Associate or full Professor in the UMKC SOM.
Please direct all confidential inquiries, nominations, and applications (including a letter of interest and CV) to Valerie Weber, M.D., Imran Ali, and Tricia Porter via email: [email protected].
University Health complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex (including sex characteristics such as intersex traits, pregnancy or related conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex stereotypes). University Health does not exclude people or treat them less favorably because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Please visit https://www.universityhealthkc.org/notice-of-nondiscrimination/ for more information.