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The University of Houston has appointed Dr. Jonathan McCullers as the new vice president of health affairs and dean of the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine. He succeeds Dr. Stephen Spann, who retired in August after a long career in medicine, including eight years at UH.
“It is a tremendous honor to be selected as the second dean of the Fertitta College of Medicine,” McCullers said. “Dr. Spann did such an amazing job shepherding the College through its first four years, and I am eager to take the torch and run with it.”
Before joining UH, McCullers was the senior executive dean of clinical affairs and chief operating officer at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center College of Medicine since 2019. In that role, he oversaw all clinical affairs for the university across Tennessee and served as the main liaison to more than a dozen affiliated health systems throughout the state.
McCullers also held the position of chair of pediatrics for Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, where he contributed to its transformation into a comprehensive academic medical center.
“I look forward to leading the great team that has been established as we train the next generation of physicians, deliver outstanding, personalized clinical care, conduct groundbreaking research in collaboration with other colleges at UH and serve our local community,” McCullers stated.
A native of Virginia, McCullers earned his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he also completed his internship and residency.
In an interview about his vision for the college, McCullers shared his thoughts on several topics:
When asked what drew him to UH and Fertitta College of Medicine, he said: “I was attracted by the community-facing mission of the College and the fact that is a new College with significant opportunities to grow.”
Regarding his vision for the college over the next 5-10 years, McCullers outlined plans to expand class sizes from 60 to 120 per year, grow their clinical presence in Texas communities, and develop research focused on quality care delivery.
On improving health outcomes in underserved communities, he emphasized expanding education, research, clinical services through a Federally Qualified Health Center model, and engaging with communities on their terms.
Discussing curriculum innovation and emerging technologies like digital health and AI: “We’re already starting with an advantage regarding innovation – our curriculum gets students out into the real world sooner than others... We will start to better leverage AI through digital avatars of our professors and other solutions that will improve diagnosis and treatment.”
His priorities for advancing faculty research include better partnerships with regional health care systems for student training sites and collaborative research models involving both health systems and communities.
Reflecting on his career achievements: “Generally, my work improving lives in areas I have served... helping lead Memphis through COVID while maintaining focus on health equity.”
For students pursuing medicine today: “Go into Medicine with an open mind and don't be afraid to dream big. Medicine is a great field with unlimited opportunities for anyone with drive.”
Finally addressing pressing healthcare issues: “Medicine is too costly and too unevenly distributed. We need to innovate to deliver higher quality care equitably at lower cost... This Mission resonates strongly with me.”