UB medical school names David P. Hughes, MD, inaugural senior associate dean for clinical affairs

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences has named David P. Hughes, MD, the inaugural senior associate dean for clinical affairs.

The new position is a direct reflection of the changes underway as the UB medical school moves downtown, says Michael E. Cain, MD, vice president for health sciences and dean of the medical school, in making the announcement.

Hughes also has been named senior vice president and chief clinical integration officer for Kaleida Health.

“This precedent-setting joint appointment of Dr. Hughes further aligns the UB medical school with its clinical partners in the community, including UBMD, Kaleida and Great Lakes Health,” Cain says. “He will be responsible for strengthening the vital synergies that the move downtown will underscore between clinicians, medical educators and UB students and residents.”

In his new UB post, Hughes, currently clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine at UB, will work to optimize the clinical performance of the academic programs, which are essential to the strength of the clinical programs and the training of future physicians and other providers.

The chief clinical integration officer is a new position at Kaleida, charged with providing clinical leadership in designing new care delivery processes that improve services, improve quality, reduce costs and eliminate variation.

 “As health care delivery undergoes significant change, together with our physicians and staff, we need to better coordinate how care is delivered and integrate the various components of care in order to improve outcomes and reduce costs,” says James R. Kaskie, president and CEO of Kaleida Health.

Hughes received his master’s degree in public health from the Medical College of Wisconsin and his medical degree from UB. He completed his residency in emergency medicine at Wake Forest University Medical Center in North Carolina. He received his bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Kettering University in Flint, Michigan. Prior to entering medical school, Hughes was a process engineer at the General Motors Tonawanda Engine Plant.