Donovan named to post in Round Rock

To help prepare tomorrow’s doctors for the changing landscape of medical practice and patient care, the Texas A&M Health Science Center (TAMHSC) College of Medicine has named Jim Donovan, M.D., as its first associate dean of clinical integration and practice transformation.

Dr. Donovan will be responsible for integrating the new educational process across clinical rotations and helping prepare students to become leaders in the communities where they will eventually practice.

“The mission of training future physicians, especially in primary care, requires educators to concentrate on medical care as it should be delivered in the future rather than the past experience of its teachers,” Dr. Donovan said. “Medicine is in the midst of disruptive change. To be successful, physicians and those in training must master a new and more complex skill set incorporating innovative health care delivery processes, a rediscovery of patient-centeredness and a deep understanding of quality and patient safety. In addition, systems of care must combine and integrate to provide a seamless, transparent and efficient structure dedicated to evidence-based practice.”

Ruth Bush, M.D., M.P.H., TAMHSC-College of Medicine Round Rock Campus associate dean for academic affairs, said Dr. Donovan’s past experience makes him a perfect fit for the new position.

“Our health care system in America is going to have to undergo major transformation to be sustainable,” Dr. Bush said. “We need to train tomorrow’s doctors to be leaders in many arenas — clinical, administrative and advocacy — and Dr. Donovan will be playing a key role in developing and conducting these learning opportunities for our students.”

Dr. Donovan graduated from The University of Texas with a Bachelor of Arts with honors and received his M.D. at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He went on to St. David’s Hospital in Georgetown, serving as chief of medical staff and later chief medical officer.

“He has the best of both worlds,” Dr. Bush said. “He has been an educator and a program director for family practice residency. He has been on the other side of the equation, which is being a CMO of a large hospital. He’s worked with everyone from risk management to the general counsel, as well as the people on the ground from the janitorial staff to the physician. This range of experiences has offered him the ‘30,000-foot view’ that provides a clear vision of the future of health care and how to prepare our medical students for it.”

David Huffstutler, CEO of St. David’s Hospital in Georgetown, said Dr. Donovan was an instrumental part of the leadership team for more than three years.

“He worked closely with the medical and hospital staff to facilitate many of the significant clinical improvements that have occurred there,” Huffstutler said, “and he has been a valuable resource to HCA Physician Services as they have aligned with numerous physician practices throughout the area.”

Dr. Donovan is looking forward to both the opportunities and challenges in developing tomorrow’s doctors at the college.

“We are fortunate to live in a time of great change in health care, and academic medicine and medical education is uniquely poised to be a catalyst in this transformation,” Dr. Donovan said. “To do this, we must provide an environment uniquely designed to train physicians for the coming changes. There is no higher calling and no greater potential.”