Please note the following clarification to the email below that was sent this morning: The Department Chairs will continue to report directly to the Dean of the School of Medicine. During this interim period, the Section Chiefs of EHC will be accountable to Dr. Lee for EHC clinical operations related to The Emory Clinic faculty physician practice.

 

June 26, 2023

 

 

This email is sent on behalf of Ravi Thadhani, MD, MPH, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, Emory University

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

I wanted to share with you that Dr. Ira Horowitz, Physician Group President, Co-Chief of Clinical Operations, EHC, and Director of The Emory Clinic, will be retiring July 31, 2023. Ira has served in this role since 2018 and has been a committed leader, strong physician advocate and trusted colleague. He holds the John D. Thompson Chair in Gynecologic Surgery, is a Professor in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics (GYNOB) at the Emory University School of Medicine and Executive Associate Dean for Faculty and Clinical Affairs at the School of Medicine.

 

Ira joined Emory in 1992 and has served in multiple physician leadership roles prior to his current position, including Chief Medical Officer of Emory University Hospital, Associate Director for the Emory Clinic and Executive Associate Dean at the School of Medicine. Ira’s accomplishments since joining Emory are too numerous to count, but I wanted to highlight just a few of his contributions.

  • Ira joined GYNOB as division director in 1992 and assumed several other leadership roles over the years, including Chair of the department. Under his direction, the department achieved significant growth and increased offerings for patients. He established the Women’s Center at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital and was involved in the collaboration efforts with Winship.

  • Ira was the first Chief Medical Officer at Emory University Hospital (EUH). He helped shape the operating unit CMO model and played a strong leadership role when EUH received the country’s first patients with Ebola. He was instrumental in leading EUH to achieve the No. 1 ranking on the UHC (now Vizient) Quality & Accountability Scorecard.

  • As Physician Group President, Ira led the Emory Clinic and professional practice during a time of significant growth. He championed Emory Clinic’s achievement of Magnet accreditation, strengthening the partnership among all disciplines and areas of practice.

  • Ever the physician advocate, Ira set a high standard for clinical excellence, practice and professionalism. He facilitated equitable physician programs across Emory Healthcare and School of Medicine and has skillfully and professionally managed complex faculty issues. He has always been committed to enhancing physician collaboration across the organization and supporting our physicians in achieving joy in practice.

Ira is a compassionate leader and champion of the academic medicine model. He is known for his excellence in teaching and patient care, advocacy for staff and providers, and focus on creating excellence in women’s health.


We are truly grateful for his commitment to Emory and thank him for making a positive impact on our teams and the way in which we deliver care.

 

Incoming CEO Dr. Joon Lee will take on Ira’s responsibilities and work closely with the Physician Group Practice teams during this transition to foster synergy among leadership, physicians and staff. 

 

Please join me in thanking Ira and wishing him well in the future.

 

Ravi

 

Ravi Thadhani, MD, MPH

Executive Vice President for Health Affairs

Emory University