Conversations With the Dean - Dr Harry Jacobson

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• published: 25 Feb 2011
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Dean Turney Stevens talks with Dr. Harry Jacobson, vice chancellor emeritus of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, during his recent visit to the Lipscomb University to campus to speak to College of Business students. Prior to his retirement in 2009, Dr. Harry Jacobson served as Vanderbilt University Medical Center's chief executive for 12 years during which time he oversaw the addition of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital and development of the 100 Oaks clinic complex among other growth measures. Following his retirement, Jacobson formed early-stage investment group Tri-Star Technology Ventures and he is actively investing today in early stage health care ventures. Prior to VUMC, Jacobson, a former chief of nephrology for the U.S. Army, co-founded dialysis service company Renal Care Group, which was later acquired by Fresenius Medical Care. He also serves on the board of directors for Merck, Kinetic Concepts, Ingram Industries, MedSolutions and several early-stage health care businesses. The Vanderbilt Medical Center includes the Schools of Medicine and Nursing, a distributed healthcare system made up of four hospitals and a network of ambulatory care facilities, and a large faculty group practice. The Medical Center employs almost 20,000 individuals including 1,800 faculty and has an annual budget of $2.8 billion. Vanderbilt's adult and children's hospitals are recognized as among the Top Hospitals in America and are also recognized for being among the most wired as well as the highest quality. In 2009 Vanderbilt was recognized by Fortune Magazine as a Top 100 Place to Work. Dr. Jacobson received his M.D. degree from the University of Illinois in 1972, completed an internal medicine residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and specialty training in Nephrology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Dallas. He is Board- certified in both Internal Medicine and Nephrology. In 1978, after two years of active duty in the U. S. Army as Chief of Nephrology at the U.S. Army Surgical Research Center at Brooke Army Medical Center, he joined the faculty at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas. He joined the Vanderbilt Medical School faculty in 1985 as Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Nephrology and in 1997, became Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs. Dr. Jacobson has published over 100 research articles, reviews, and book chapters and co-edited the book, The Principles and Practice of Nephrology.