After more than 10 years as medical director of the University Health Center, Dr. Gerald Fleischli is trading in his administrator’s hat.
Anne Leavitt, associate vice president of Student Affairs, announced Friday that Fleischli is planning to step down at the end of the 2001-02 school year, and the University will begin a national search for a new director in March. The announcement was made at a Student Health Advisory Committee meeting.
Dr. Fleischli cited personal reasons for his decision to step down. He said he plans to continue practicing medicine at the health center but wants to move away from the administrative side of the job so he can focus on seeing patients and spending time with his wife, Linda, to whom he’s been married for more than 40 years.
“For years my wife has been saying, ‘why don’t you retire?’” Fleischli said. “I had a list of things I wanted to do. … I think I’ve gotten things rolling.”
Fleischli has worked in student medicine for more than 30 years, beginning with an 11-year stint at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. He worked as director of the health center at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, for 10 years before coming to the University in 1991.
His decision to step down leaves the University with the task of appointing a replacement who will be able to work on current plans, such as the expansion of the health center, while defining a new direction for the center.
“(He) wants to leave by Sept. 1,” Leavitt said. She pointed out that since fall term is usually a busy time for the health center director, “it would be nice to have (the new director) by July 1.”
But before the search for a new director can begin, decisions have to be made on the search criteria. One of the key issues will be whether the University hires an administrator or a physician for the position, and Leavitt has asked the SHAC for its input. Currently, Fleischli oversees the day-to-day operation of the health center in conjunction with medical administrator Bob Petit, while continuing to see patients almost every day.
“This is about looking to the future,” Leavitt said. “Are we going to stay half administrator/half doctor and one administrator, or are we going to reorganize?”
Fleischli’s decision to step down came as a surprise to members of the SHAC, a group of students and faculty who work with Fleischli on issues relating to the health center’s programs. Chairwoman Amy Biggs, a general science major, said the line of communication between Fleischli and the SHAC has helped streamline the health center’s programs.
“The great thing about the SHAC is that people with no connection to medicine have input,” she said. “Sometimes students notice things the (Health Center’s) staff doesn’t. For me, you want to hire a physician who’s a good physician but can also stay on top of things.”