New chair of Community Health and Family Medicine is national leader in field

Peter J. Carek, M.D.

Peter J. Carek, M.D.

Peter J. Carek, M.D., has been appointed chairman of the department of community health and family medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine.

“We are very excited to have Dr. Carek join our UF College of Medicine leadership team,” said UF College of Medicine Dean Michael L. Good, M.D. “He brings a broad national perspective and a wealth of experience as a practicing primary care physician, innovative educator and a leader in the field. He will advance our department and primary care programs to new levels of engagement and accomplishment in the state and nation.”

Carek is currently a professor of family medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, as well as the vice chair of the institution’s department of family medicine. He will begin his new role Oct. 1.

“It’s an honor to welcome Dr. Carek, an exceptional educator and national leader in family and sports medicine, to UF Health,” said David S. Guzick, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president for health affairs and president of UF Health. “Under his chairmanship, the department of community health and family medicine will undoubtedly flourish as it continues to provide outstanding primary care to our community, train the next generation of family medicine physicians, and provide an outstanding academic environment for patient-centered research.”

Carek received his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1987 and completed his residency at the MUSC department of family medicine in 1990. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Family Medicine and is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

He was appointed to the MUSC faculty in 1992 and received tenure in 2002. Additionally, Carek held the position of medical director at a MUSC family medicine practice from 2008-2012 and was the residency program director in the MUSC department of family medicine from 1995-2012. He has also served as a physician for athletic teams and tournaments for more than 20 years; most recently, Carek was the team physician for the athletic department at the College of Charleston.

His clinical interests include primary care sports medicine, exercise and wellness, preventive medicine and quality improvement. During the last 20 years, he has given more than 110 lectures across the country on these topics, as well as approximately 70 peer-reviewed presentations.

Carek’s research and training is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as private and public organizations. He has reviewed manuscripts for numerous academic journals, published more than 85 articles, co-authored two scholarly books and written 14 book chapters.

He is a member of several professional societies, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine.

He has received numerous awards for his work, including the 2009 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award and the 2010 Nikitas J. Zervanos Outstanding Program Director Award.

“We are delighted that Dr. Carek is joining our team,” said Timothy M. Goldfarb, chief executive officer of Shands HealthCare. “His personal skills and professional experiences will add to our ability to respond to a nationwide move toward population-based patient care.”

The department of community health and family medicine has an outstanding reputation and has excelled under the leadership of the current chair, R. Whit Curry Jr., M.D., Carek said.

“I feel both honored and humbled to be offered the opportunity to join this outstanding department, college and group of clinicians and educators as we work to improve the health of our patients, investigate new models of care and enhance the education of all our learners,” he said.