Bernardino Leaving UB; Paroski Named Interim VP, Dean of UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Michael E. Bernardino, M.D., announced today that he is resigning effective Feb. 14 as vice president for health affairs at the University at Buffalo and dean of the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

At the same time, UB President William R. Greiner announced the appointment of Margaret W. Paroski, M.D., the medical school's senior associate dean for academic affairs and admissions, as interim vice president for health affairs and interim dean of the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Greiner said UB "will hold off on the search for and appointment of a new vice president and dean until UB's 14th president has been appointed by the SUNY Trustees." Greiner on Monday announced plans to retire as UB's 13th president effective June 30, or at a later date if requested by State University of New York Chancellor Robert L. King, depending on the appointment of his successor.

In a message to faculty members, Bernardino said today that he and his wife are moving back to Atlanta to be closer to their children. Prior to coming to UB as vice president of health affairs in April 1998, Bernardino, who also holds an MBA degree, had served as director of managed care with the Emory University System of Health Care, Inc., and professor of radiology in the Emory University School of Medicine.

As vice president, he has overseen the clinical and collaborative activities of UB's five health-sciences schools -- medicine and biomedical sciences, dental medicine, health related professions, nursing and pharmacy. He was named dean of the medical school in July 2001.

"I think that this is an appropriate time to move on," Bernardino noted in his message. "We have accomplished the major goals that I set forth when I arrived in Buffalo: establishment of an infrastructure within the medical school, reorganization of the school, restructuring of the practice plan and the negotiation of new affiliation agreements with the teaching hospitals. The latter two I consider to be very significant events in the history of the medical school. And the last one, as important as it is to UB, probably is more important to the Buffalo community."

Greiner noted that Bernardino's contributions to UB during the past five years "have been significant, and his departure is a loss to our entire UB community."

He added: "Mike came to UB with a clear vision and action agenda: reform of the administrative structure of our faculty practice plans, and transformation of our relations with our affiliated hospitals regarding both the delivery of graduate medical education, and the fiscal and managerial relationships between the hospitals and the medical school vis a vis our shared responsibility for teaching, research and health care delivery.

"These reforms have been made," Greiner added. "Our practice plans are on a sound fiscal basis, and our new affiliation agreements provide not only the platform for first-rate teaching and research programs, but also a new framework for regional health care delivery. Beyond these extraordinary accomplishments, Mike has seen to it that the finances of the medical school and its administrative leadership are both in very strong condition."

While Bernardino has given credit to many colleagues in and outside the university for their roles in those accomplishments, Greiner said that "he has been an extraordinary leader. UB, the medical school and all of us in the Buffalo-Niagara area owe Mike a debt of gratitude for all that he has done to date, and for the future prospects for Buffalo-Niagara which his work here has greatly enhanced."

UB Provost Elizabeth D. Capaldi praised Bernardino for "managing in a very short period of time to organize the clinical affairs of the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and to put the financial affairs of the school in excellent shape.

"We now have a firm foundation to move forward," Capaldi added, "and all of us are indebted to Mike for his excellent work. I doubt anyone else could have accomplished what he has in this short a period of time. We will miss his leadership."

Greiner said Paroski "is one of UB's most accomplished faculty members, and has proven herself an outstanding administrative officer. I have every confidence that she will provide excellent leadership for the medical school and for clinical affairs."

Prior to joining the medical school's administration in May 2001 as director of admissions, Paroski served as medical director of the Erie County Medical Center for five years and as clinical director of neurology at the medical center for four years. She has been a member of the medical school's faculty since 1984 and is a professor of neurology. A 1980 graduate of the UB medical school, Paroski is president of the UB Alumni Association and past president of the UB Medical Alumni Association.

An accomplished educator, Paroski was the 1988 recipient of the UB medical school's coveted Seigel Award for Excellence in Teaching. In addition to her administrative duties, she currently teaches five medical school courses and serves as the course coordinator for the mandatory senior neurology rotation. She served for a year as the school's point person for curriculum development and implementation in preparation for the Liaison Committee on Medical Education Review, which took place in October 2002.

She also has an active practice in neurology.

A native of Buffalo, Paroski earned a bachelor of arts degree in biology and psychology at Canisius College in 1976. She completed her residency training in neurology in UB's affiliated teaching hospitals and is board certified in psychiatry and adult neurology. In 2000, she completed a master's degree in medical management at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.