JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Dr. LouAnn Woodward grew up on a dirt road in Carroll County and started her career as an emergency room doctor. But come June, she’ll become the first woman to run the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
The College Board, meeting in closed session Wednesday, named the 51-year-old Woodward as vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. She’s been the second-in-command for the last five years to Dr. James Keeton. The 74-year-old plans to retire from the leadership post June 30.
“I believe that this institution can do wonderful things for Mississippi that no other institution can do,” Woodward said in an interview with The Associated Press. “We’re an economic driver; we are a major force in medical education; we take care of patients. And the opportunities we have to make Mississippi stronger and better are very special.”
Ole Miss Chancellor Dan Jones, himself a former UMMC chief, said he chose Woodward after a national search. The second finalist was Dr. Stephen J. Spann, a family medicine physician who is chief medical officer for the Johns Hopkins University-affiliated hospital in the United Arab Emirates.
Jones said Woodward was not only helped by her long familiarity with UMMC, but also her “significant national experience” in medical education.
“She understands the health care needs of Mississippians,” said outgoing Higher Education Commissioner Hank Bounds. “She clearly has a deep understanding of medical education and quality care. I’m thrilled that she’s going to be in this position.”
The new chief said it’s been several years since she took a regular shift in the UMMC emergency room, but said working there helped her develop the skills to be an administrator.
“It’s actually been fabulous training for a position like this,” Woodward said. “It is an environment where you are accustomed to making decisions quickly, very often in a stressful situation, and almost always without complete information.”
Woodward will take the helm of a sprawling enterprise that runs hospitals in Jackson, Lexington and Grenada, has more than 9,800 employees, nearly 3,000 students and an annual budget of $1.6 billion. UMMC faces both opportunities and challenges in what’s often ranked as the unhealthiest state in the nation.
It’s currently building a new medical school building with the aim of increasing the number of physicians it trains, as well as a new research building meant to expand recent success in attracting federal and private research grants. But UMMC also struggles to balance its budget in a state with a large uninsured population that has refused the offer of federal aid to expand its Medicaid program. Other large hospitals compete with UMMC for patients with private insurance.
“In general, we’d like to see more people covered and more people with access to care,” Woodward said, although she said she’s open to other options besides Medicaid expansion. Sometimes, she said the barrier to care is as simple as someone who needs a ride to a hospital.
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