Dr. James Haynes, a Chattanooga-based family medicine physician, has been named dean of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine-Chattanooga after serving as interim dean since December 2021.
In a news release from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Haynes listed several priorities for his new role, including adding graduate medical education positions, expanding rural health care initiatives and leveraging the region's academic infrastructure and resources to help bolster affiliated hospitals.
He also aims to improve faculty development, provide junior faculty a clear path for academic growth and promotion, and partner with the community to improve the health of the citizens in the Chattanooga area, according to the release.
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"I am grateful for the opportunity, and I believe we have a bright future here," Haynes said in the release.
Haynes has taught in graduate medical education for more than 20 years and has served as the chairman of the Department of Family Medicine in Chattanooga since 2019. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
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In addition to his contributions to academic medicine, Haynes is a more-than-20-year veteran of the Air Force and past president of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society.
Haynes is "a fantastic leader, who seeks to grow the UTHSC College of Medicine by building bridges with all of our relevant stakeholders," Scott Strome, executive dean of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, said in the release.
"Our future is incredibly bright with Dr. Haynes at the helm in Chattanooga."
The College of Medicine-Chattanooga includes 400 faculty members, approximately 190 residents and fellows, and approximately 250 students, who rotate for training annually, according to the release. The college has been affiliated with Erlanger Health System for 50 years.
Contact Elizabeth Fite at efite@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6673. Follow her on Twitter @ecfite.