Announcing the appointment of Beth Harleman as Vice Chief of Medicine at ZSFG, and the launch of a search for new Associate Chair for Faculty Experience

Dear Colleagues:

We’re pleased to announce that Beth Harleman, who has served the department in myriad ways, will be applying her talents and passion to a new and crucial role: Vice Chief of the Medical Service at ZSFG, effective July 1. Lisa Winston, the current vice chief, is stepping down to become chief of staff at ZSFG.

In accepting this new role, Beth has decided to leave her position as Associate Chair for Faculty Experience, a role that she inaugurated in 2017. As Associate Chair, Beth led all of our DOM retreats and strategic planning in areas such as transforming our use of technology, promoting diversity and equity, faculty recruitment and retention, and bringing our multiple sites closer together. She was a champion for our underrepresented-in-medicine faculty, female faculty, junior faculty, and faculty with leadership roles. She conceived and led a number of highly regarded leadership training programs, as well as our orientation programs for new faculty.

Beth has held a number of other key departmental leadership roles. Prior to her current Associate Chair role, she led the DOM’s work in strategy, including the development of the department’s strategic plan in 2013. She also led the execution of last year’s School of Medicine strategic plan. On top of that, Beth served as an Associate Program Director for our Internal Medicine Residency Program for 13years. Beth has brought tremendous wisdom, passion, and authenticity to all of her roles, as well as a powerful ethical compass that drives her to advocate for justice and equity – for faculty, staff, trainees, and patients. She has also been a strong proponent of work-life integration, and a role model for literally hundreds of faculty, residents and students.

Luckily for us, Beth is going to apply all of these talents to an equally crucial role at ZSFG, a role that will allow her to spend more time at an institution she cherishes and to dive more deeply into clinical and operational management.

Beth has agreed to stay on as Associate Chair for Faculty Experience through October, giving her time to lead our new faculty orientations and complete a report on the experience of women in the Department of Medicine. We are launching an internal search, chaired by Meshell Johnson, Director of Faculty Diversity, for a new Associate Chair. The Associate Chair for Faculty Experience will help develop and implement programs, events, and resources to support and enhance faculty success in all stages of their careers, as well as promote well-being, joy in practice, faculty development, diversity, and recruitment and retention. Applicants should be Department of Medicine faculty members with significant experience in areas that relate to strategic thinking, leadership development, diversity, and/or well-being – and who have a strong interest and demonstrated skill in promoting community and collaboration.

Please join us in congratulating Beth Harleman on this new position and thanking her for her many contributions. She is someone who makes UCSF and our department so special.

Bob Wachter
Chair, Department of Medicine

Neil Powe
Chief of the Medical Service, ZSFG
Vice Chair, Department of Medicine