Photo by Sarah Kiewel

Doug Barrett, MD, announced Friday, June 13 that he will delay his plans to return to full-time faculty service and remain as senior vice president for health affairs. UF President Bernie Machen asked Barrett to stay on board as health affairs vice present until the search for a new SVPHA is completed or until June 30, 2009, whichever occurs first.

Barrett told faculty and staff of the Health Science Center that the change in plans is primarily due to the recent transition to interim leadership in the College of Medicine and associated challenges within the health center.

“My intent is to provide support to Interim Dean Mike Good and the senior leadership of the College of Medicine, to assist in implementing an effective partnership with Moffitt, and to facilitate President Machen’s planned adjustments to the respective roles of the provost and senior vice president for health affairs,” Barrett said. “I will keep you abreast of developments as they occur, and I look forward to continuing to work with all of you during this critical period of change.”

The university announced in March that Barrett would step down from his leadership post at the Health Science Center and return to clinical practice and teaching within the department of pediatrics. Barrett, a pediatric immunologist, has held the job of vice president of health affairs since 2002. He joined UF in 1980 as an assistant professor in the department of pediatrics’ division of immunology/infectious disease. In 1986, he became chief of the division of immunology and transplantation, and in 1991, he was appointed chairman of pediatrics and the Nemours eminent scholar.