Dr. Timothy H. Dellit today began serving as interim CEO of the UW Medicine healthcare system, interim executive vice president for medical affairs, and the interim dean of the University of Washington School of Medicine. In all those capacities, he follows Dr. Paul G. Ramsey, who retired.
The interim appointments are for two years, envisioned as a period to allow for a smooth transition.
Dellit is a professor of medicine whose clinical career has focused on infectious diseases. With 21 years at UW Medicine, Dellit's training and experience has helped the healthcare system lead the nation in developing COVID-19 policies and protocols to treat patients safely and effectively.
In an email that staff received today, Dellit said he recognizes the toll of the pandemic on the organization's 39,000-plus faculty, staff, trainees and students, and the need to focus on their well-being.
"I am deeply committed to listening to you, collaborating on meaningful change, prioritizing the well-being of our workforce, and moving forward together with honesty and transparency," he said. "Our primary focus must be on the well-being and resilience of our people, as without this foundation, we cannot sustain the excellence of our research, education, and clinical care programs."
Dellit also expressed that UW Medicine "must continue to focus on equity, diversity and inclusion across our learning and work environments as we strive to address racism and bias. We are engaging leaders from across UW Medicine in restorative justice training as we expand our ability to identify and address the harm caused by racism and bias and learn how to heal our community."
Dellit earned his MD from Cornell University Medical College. He is board-certified in both infectious diseases and internal medicine.
