I am pleased to announce the appointment of Cam E. Enarson, M.D., M.B.A., as Dean of Creighton's School of Medicine and Vice President for Health Sciences. Below is the text of the news release on the appointment. I want to thank the Selection Committee for its diligent efforts in the search process.

John P. Schlegel, S.J.
President

OMAHA, Neb. -- Creighton University, a leader in medical education, research and patient care, has named Cam E. Enarson, M.D., M.B.A., Dean of Creighton’s School of Medicine and Vice President for Health Sciences.

The Rev. John P. Schlegel, S.J., President of Creighton, announced the appointment of Dr. Enarson (pictured at right), who joins Creighton from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, where he was Senior Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences and Anesthesiology.

“Dr. Enarson is highly regarded as an accomplished physician, teacher and successful medical school leader. He will continue to build on Creighton’s exceptional medical school, health sciences programs and research initiatives. He has both medical education and business expertise, which makes him ideally suited to lead our medical school and health sciences enterprises into a new era of growth, service and prosperity,” said Fr. Schlegel.

Creighton University is committed to providing students with the best medical education and training while embarking on cutting-edge health and scientific research. Reflecting this commitment is Creighton’s new $53 million expansion and renovation of its science instructional and research space, including expanded research space in the Criss Buildings. The $22 million Hixson-Lied Science Building, which opened in early 2003, is central to Creighton’s recommitment to science education. The Science Building fosters learning among undergraduate and professional health sciences students and faculty.

Creighton’s NIH-funded research has more than doubled in the past five years to $8.4 million annually, and its extramural grant awards have increased to $24 million annually. In addition, Creighton has embarked on the most aggressive campus expansion project in its history, with proposed development to the west of Creighton University Medical Center and eastward expansion in tandem with dynamic downtown Omaha development.

Dr. Enarson will continue to grow the programs that were strengthened by his Creighton predecessor, M. Roy Wilson, M.D., who was named President of Texas Tech Health Sciences Center.

“I am excited about the opportunity to come to Omaha. Creighton is clearly ‘on the move,’ and I look forward to working with students, faculty and staff in all the Health Sciences schools to facilitate continued growth in research, education and clinical service,” Dr. Enarson said.

“I would like to promote national recognition of Creighton’s education programs, facilitate the development of joint degree programs and develop international collaborations for education and research. I believe strongly in the social accountability of educational institutions. Practically this means that education, research and service activities of the institution are directed toward the priority health concerns of the community, region, state and nation,” said Dr. Enarson, who was an Association of American Medical Colleges Council of Deans Fellow in 2001-02.

Dr. Enarson’s postdoctoral training included positions at Wilmington Medical Center in Delaware, the University of Maryland Medical System and the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center at Pennsylvania State University. He has a strong clinical background, including service as a Fellow in Cardiothoracic Anesthesia and Intensive Care at Hershey Medical Center. He has been at Wake Forest since 1990.

Dr. Enarson has published numerous articles on an array of medical topics in leading medical journals and he has given lectures and presentations across the country and in other countries including China, Germany and Norway. He is a member of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and the Governing Council of the Section on Medical Schools of the American Medical Association.

He earned a B.A. degree Summa Cum Laude at Concordia College in Minnesota, and a bachelor of Medical Science and Medical Degree from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In addition he received an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Enarson will begin his new duties at Creighton early in the fall.