Role Of Medical Director Research Articles

Elizabeth Bagshaw: Pioneer of Canadian Women's Health.

Dr. Elizabeth Bagshaw, an esteemed figure among Canada's female physicians, devoted over seven decades to advancing obstetrics and reproductive health. She defied conventional norms by pursuing medical education and graduating from the Ontario Medical College for Women in 1905. Throughout her illustrious career, Bagshaw demonstrated exceptional perseverance, navigating familial obligations following her father's untimely passing during her academic pursuits. Establishing her practice in Hamilton, Ontario, Bagshaw delivered over 3,000 neonates, frequently offering pro bono care to immigrant populations. Notably in 1932, Bagshaw assumed the role of Medical Director of Canada's first birth control clinic, challenging restrictive legislation and paving the way for the legalization of contraception in 1969. Bagshaw's efforts provided women with vital reproductive health services and information, significantly impacting public attitudes and legislation. Beyond her medical practice, Bagshaw also played a pivotal role in mitigating public health crises, including the Spanish flu, and ventured into politics with a city council campaign in 1934, supported by The Women's Civic Club. Her extensive contributions earned her numerous accolades, including posthumous induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in 2007. Bagshaw's enduring legacy is reflected in the Elizabeth Bagshaw Clinic, which continues to offer reproductive and abortion care in a confidential and supportive setting. Bagshaw's pioneering work significantly advances health equity and women's reproductive rights, leaving a lasting impact on healthcare worldwide. Her life and achievements underscore her role as a tireless advocate for women's health and a transformative influence in medical history.

A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of the Emerging Role of Access Medical Director in U.S. Health Systems

The access medical director role in the ambulatory setting is emerging in health systems. Characteristics of the role include collaborative, patient-centered, systems thinker, and technical proficiency in data and qualitative skills; however, training opportunities are limited. This study aimed to create an evidence-and expertise-informed framework to identify elements of the emerging clinician leadership role in ambulatory access in U.S. health systems and to identify the prevalence of clinician leaders assigned to the leadership role in ambulatory access in U.S. health systems.

Taking on the Medical Director Role: Risk Management Considerations

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Government & LegalFull AccessTaking on the Medical Director Role: Risk Management ConsiderationsGloria Umali, R.N., M.S., C.P.H.R.M.Gloria UmaliSearch for more papers by this author, R.N., M.S., C.P.H.R.M.Published Online:25 Feb 2023https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.03.3.18AbstractBeing a medical director as well as a treating psychiatrist may be an exciting career move, but it raises a number of liability issues that you need to think through before accepting the position.iStock/SinenkiyIt is not uncommon to hear of psychiatrists taking on a medical directorship role while providing direct care to their own patients. Psychiatrists have many reasons for assuming this role; however, the passion to serve, loyalty to and a strong connection with an organization, and financial freedom are often cited as the main motivators.While being a medical director is undoubtedly rewarding, there are aspects of the role that psychiatrists need to consider from a medical malpractice standpoint. It is imperative that psychiatrists understand the legal, regulatory, and professional liability coverage issues associated with being a medical director. Although the role of a treating psychiatrist and the role of a medical director both fundamentally require clinical training and competency, each role may differ. Psychiatrists performing a dual role may believe that the coverage from the existing professional liability insurance policy automatically extends to their role as a medical director without realizing that certain arrangements compound their liability exposures and therefore leave an unintended gap in coverage.Furthermore, what it means to be a medical director and how to acceptably stay within the agreed-upon scope of responsibilities can be confusing and tricky to navigate. To decrease the risk of practicing outside of scope, psychiatrists need to understand the usual responsibilities of a medical director and take the time to thoroughly review the scope of responsibilities outlined in their specific contract. A medical director’s typical responsibilities include administrative duties such as management of medical staff matters, development of organizational policies, oversight of clinical operations and compliance with regulatory requirements, and quality improvement activities. Depending on the arrangement, it may not be easy to discern that a medical director might also be held accountable for everything that happens in the facility.If you are thinking about taking on a medical directorship role, here are some points for your consideration:Ensure you have insurance coverage for the dual role as a medical director and treating psychiatrist.Identify duties and responsibilities not covered under your basic professional liability coverage agreement to delineate the coverage necessary for the medical directorship role.Do not assume that your medical professional liability insurance policy covers your actions as a medical director. Notify your medical malpractice carrier if considering a medical directorship position to review possible changes in the current coverage.Confirm that the duties and responsibilities outlined in the contract are within your scope of practice and expertise.Delegate and oversee only those medical tasks and clinical operations that are consistent with your scope of practice and specialty.Verify that your contractual arrangements do not violate state or federal laws.Conduct proper due diligence by performing research on the facility’s quality rating, care standards, and performance before accepting the position.Ensure resources are available to adequately fulfill and execute your assigned duties and responsibilities. Being a medical director is both an honor and a privilege. It gives psychiatrists the perfect opportunity to satisfy the passion for serving their patients while fulfilling civil community responsibilities. However, performing the dual role as a psychiatrist and a medical director requires due diligence to avoid needless risk and liability exposures. ■This information is provided as a risk management resource for Allied World policyholders and should not be construed as legal or clinical advice. This material may not be reproduced or distributed without the express, written permission of Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, Ltd, a Fairfax company (“Allied World”). Risk management services are provided by or arranged through AWAC Services Company, a member company of Allied World. © 2023 Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.Gloria Umali, R.N., M.S., C.P.H.R.M., is assistant vice president of the Risk Management Group of AWAC Services Company, a member company of Allied World. Risk Management services are provided as an exclusive benefit to insureds of the APA-endorsed American Professional Agency Inc. liability insurance program. ISSUES NewArchived

Nurse practitioner/physician collaborative models of care: a scoping review protocol

BackgroundBefore the COVID-19 pandemic, many long-term care (LTC) homes experienced difficulties in providing residents with access to primary care, typically delivered by community-based family physicians or nurse practitioners (NPs). During the pandemic, legislative changes in Ontario, Canada enabled NPs to act in the role of Medical Directors thereby empowering NPs to work to their full scope of practice. Emerging from this new context, it remains unclear how NPs and physicians will best work together as primary care providers. NP/physician collaborative models appear key to achieving optimal resident outcomes. This scoping review aims to map available evidence on existing collaborative models of care between NPs and physicians within LTC homes.MethodsThe review will be guided by the research question, “What are the structures, processes and outcomes of collaborative models of care involving NPs and Physicians in LTC homes?” This scoping review will be conducted according to the methods framework for scoping reviews outlined by Arksey and O’Malley and refined by Levac et al., Colquhoun et al., and Daudt et al., as well as the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Statement. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase + Embase Classic, APA PsycInfo, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, AMED, CINAHL, Ageline, and Scopus), grey literature, and reference lists of included articles will be searched. English language studies that describe NP and physician collaborative models within the LTC setting will be included.DiscussionThis scoping review will consolidate what is known about existing NP/physician collaborative models of care in LTC homes. Results will be used to inform the development of a collaborative practice framework for long-term care clinical leadership.

The Role of the Medical Director in Ontario Long-Term Care Homes: Impact of COVID-19.

ObjectivesThe pandemic has uncovered a broad lack of understanding of the role of the Medical Director in Canadian Long-Term Care (LTC) Homes. Our objectives were to identify the current demographics and practices of LTC Medical Directors, discover how the pandemic affected their practice habits, and inform the content of the Ontario Long-Term Care Clinicians Medical Director Course, to ensure that Medical Directors have the requisite knowledge of the responsibilities of their role.DesignEmail survey.Setting and ParticipantsMedical directors in Ontario long-term care homes.MethodsResponses to open-ended, close-ended, multiple-choice, and free-text questions.ResultsA total of 156 medical directors (approximately 24%) completed the survey. Ninety-four percent were family physicians. Approximately 40% of participants had been a medical director for fewer than 5 years, whereas more than 11% have been in the role for greater than 30 years. More than 60% spend fewer than 2 hours per week in their administrative role, with fewer than 23% completing formal evaluations of the attending clinicians. Greater than 75% are either satisfied or extremely satisfied in their medical director role, citing excellent engagement and collaboration with team members. Feelings of dissatisfaction were associated with pandemic stress, increased hours and responsibility, inadequate remuneration, lack of ability to make decisions and lack of acknowledgement that physicians add value to the interdisciplinary team.Conclusion and ImplicationsIt is clear that medical directors are in a unique position to impact the care of residents within LTC. It is imperative to engage medical directors as integral members of the LTC health care team. This can be achieved by acknowledging their medical expertise for improving outcomes, providing them with the authority for decision making, compensating them appropriately, and clearly defining the role. By making these changes, we can ensure that there is a higher likelihood to sustain effective medical leadership in LTC.

Plastic Surgeons as Medical Directors: A Natural Transition into Medical Leadership.

With the growing complexity of the U.S. health care system, highly motivated medical directors with strong leadership skills are vital to the success of health care facilities. Presently, there are no articles assessing a plastic surgeon's qualifications for the role of medical director. In addition, there is a paucity of literature comparing the responsibilities of medical directors across various types of health care institutions. Herein, we outline why plastic surgeons have the unique skillset to succeed in this role and highlight the differences between medical director positions across the vast landscape of health care. While the intricacies of this position vary greatly across different landscapes of the health care industry, successful medical directors lead by following a set of universal principles predisposing them for success. Plastic surgeons innately exhibit a subset of particular traits deeming them suitable candidates for the medical director position. While transitioning from the role of a surgeon to that of a medical director does require some show of adaptation, plastic surgeons are ultimately highly likely to find intrinsic benefit from serving as a medical director.

Checking the Pulse: A Global Survey on the Evolving Roles of the Insurance Medical Director.

-The traditional role of the insurance medical director is evolving. RGA surveyed insurance medical directors to provide an overview of their roles, skill sets, future trends, and their increasing and changing contributions to the insurance industry in recent years and throughout the current pandemic. -RGA conducted a first-of-a-kind global survey of medical directors in the insurance industry. The online survey took place from April to June 2021 and had seven key sections: medical experience and qualifications, roles and responsibilities, underwriting and claims capabilities, adapting to change, disease and product trends in insurance, challenges, and future opportunities. Globally, 124 insurance medical directors from 84 companies participated in the survey. -Respondents are an experienced group of medical directors, with 88% active in the medical profession for 10 years or more. Eighty-seven respondents (70%) dedicate the majority of their time to providing technical medical expertise. Forty-eight percent of medical directors were involved in medical issue briefings prior to the pandemic, and that number increased to 63% during the pandemic. Three of every five respondents (60%) reported a shift in underwriting to an emphasis on more competitive decisions, e-underwriting, and data analytics, while for claims practices, 35% reported a shift to more decisions being challenged and increasing complexity of claims and products. In addition, 31% of insurance medical directors are involved in product development on a regular basis. Only 50% of respondents reported a high or moderate level of investment from employers for training and development with their companies. Forty-three percent of survey respondents are interested in a change of role, especially those with less than 15 years of experience in the insurance industry. Medical directors see data and analytics (50%) as the largest area of development for future growth. Eighty-eight percent of participants surveyed believe that the future role of the medical director in the life and health insurance industry is promising. -The future of the medical director role will require more strategic responsibilities, greater product development expertise, and stronger data and analytics skills to support insurer needs. It will be important for insurance medical directors to engage in conversations with their employers to discuss their current and emerging roles.

Perspectives of internal medicine residency clinics: A national survey of US medical directors.

Ambulatory training is an integral component of internal medicine residency programs, yet details regarding operational processes in resident continuity clinics remain limited. We surveyed a convenience sample of medical directors of residency practices between 2015 and 2019 (n = 222) to describe and share operational and scheduling processes in internal medicine resident continuity clinics in the US. Among residency practices, support for the medical director role ranged substantially, but was most commonly reported at 11%-20% full-time-equivalent support. By the end of the survey period, the majority of programs (65.1%) reported obtaining patient-centered medical home (PCMH) certification (level 1-3). For new patient appointments, 34.9% of programs reported a 1-7 day wait and 25.8% reported an 8-14 day wait. Wait times for new appointments were generally shorter for PCMH certified practices (P = 0.029). No-show rates were most commonly 26%-50% for new patients and 11%-25% for established patients. Most programs reported that interns see 3-4 patients per ½-day and senior residents see 5-6 patients per ½-day. Most interns and residents maintain a panel size of 51-120 patients. Creating high-performing residency clinics requires a focus on core building blocks and operational processes. Based on the survey results and consensus opinion, we provide five summary recommendations related to (1) support for the medical director leadership role, (2) patient-centered and coordinated models of care, (3) support for patient scheduling, (4) recommended visit lengths, and (5) ancillary support, such as social work.

Medical Directors in Plastic Surgery: How Do We Quantify Their Efforts?

The complex nature of the United States’ health care system has largely transformed the manner in which health care providers are evaluated and reimbursed for their efforts. In the operating room, the efforts of plastic surgeons are quantified by either the amount charged or by the relative value units earned from a surgical procedure.1 While such metrics are well established for measuring surgeons’ clinical efforts, there is no consensus regarding the quantification of effort exhibited by plastic surgeons serving as medical directors, despite their importance. Medical directors serve in many sectors of health care. Consequently, methods for quantifying their efforts should be tailored toward their role (Table 1). Directors tasked with overseeing clinical activities are responsible for maintaining and improving the treatment infrastructure in which high-quality health care is provided. Metrics such as patient satisfaction, efficiency of clinical workflow, and results of safety audits may be used to reflect directors’ efforts.2 While each of these variables is easily quantifiable, their use should not be the sole method for measuring a director’s efforts, as heterogeneity in directors’ autonomy across institutions may limit their ability to improve certain aspects of clinical practice.3 Table 1. - Proposed Measures of Medical Directors’ Efforts across Varying Sectors of Health Care Role Proposed Measurement(s) Benefits Limitations Clinical Oversight 1. Patient satisfaction; 2. Clinical efficiency; 3. Safety auditing Metrics correlate with a director’s efforts to ensure quality health care is provided safely and efficiently Significant disparities in decision-making autonomy across institutions Research & Innovation 1. Research output; 2. Funding from grants Accurately quantifies an institution’s contributions to academia Poorly correlated with a director’s efforts Industry 1. Company valuation; 2. Revenue and profit margins Quantifies the financial impact of the director Market dynamics out of directors control can influence these metrics; failure to account for long-term strategies The primary responsibility of medical directors practicing in industry is to ensure the profitability of the company they work for by analyzing the market, identifying opportunities, and advising the procurement and liquidation of valued and paltry assets, respectively.4 One manner of evaluating directors’ efforts in this setting is by observing how strategies developed by directors influence the valuation or growth of the company; however, this form of measurement is not without limitations. Company valuation is not directly representative of a director’s efforts, as it is heavily influenced by fluctuations in the dynamic health care industry. In addition, some strategies developed by the director may be focused on long-term success and may take months or years to influence the valuation of the company. Within academia, many medical directors are responsible for cultivating an environment in which research and innovation are conducted by facilitating the procurement of institutional grants through advocacy and networking.5 In contrast to directors serving in clinical settings and industry, quantifying the efforts of directors’ contributions in academia is more challenging. Metrics such as research output and funding acquired from institutional grants are heavily reliant on the surgeons conducting the research; thus, it can be difficult to delineate the director’s impact in the process. Despite this, sustained levels of high research output and funding from grants deserve recognition when evaluating a director. Plastic surgeons who undertake the role of medical director allot a significant amount of time to fulfill their director-related duties in addition to their extensive clinical responsibilities. Moreover, many directors, with the exception of those working in industry, serve without monetary compensation and are driven to serve secondary to their intrinsic desire to influence the field of medicine. The methods for quantifying the efforts of medical directors that were outlined in this article have utility; however, their limitations warrant further investigation to establish how directors should be rewarded for their contributions. DISCLOSURE The authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this article.

Dialysate Sodium—One Size Unlikely to Fit All

The role of medical director of a hemodialysis unit has become increasingly complex. Among the many roles it encompasses, the delivery of safe and effective dialysis treatments requires constant review, synthesis, and interpretation of the medical literature. Despite decades of experience with hemodialysis, the evidence base for dialysate prescription is relatively limited, with the choice of dialysate sodium being a prime example. The ask of this exercise was to imagine ourselves as the medical director of a new hemodialysis unit and to consider factors influencing the choice of dialysate sodium. While fiscal considerations are indeed important, one hopes that these align with the delivery of clinical care to improve patient well-being. Therefore, my approach was to focus on exploring the clinical responsibilities of a medical director in the choice of dialysate sodium. As such, after reviewing the evidence to date, my ‘default’ dialysate sodium prescription would be 140 mmol/L, but I would retain the option of individualizing treatment for certain patients until further evidence becomes available.

The Promise of Nursing Home Medical Direction: A Work in Progress

The Promise of Nursing Home Medical Direction: A Work in Progress

The role of professional elites in healthcare governance: Exploring the work of the medical director

Medical leaders occupy a prominent position in healthcare policy in many countries, both in terms of the governance of quality and safety within healthcare organisations, and in broader system-wide governance. There is evidence that having doctors on hospital boards is associated with higher quality services. What is not known is how they have this effect. Analysing data collected from observations, interviews and documents from 15 healthcare providers in England (2014–2019), we elaborate the role of medical directors in healthcare governance as ‘translation work’, ‘diplomatic work’, and ‘repair work’. Our study highlights the often enduring emotional effects of repeated structural changes to clinical services. It also contributes to theories of professional restratification, showing the work of medical directors as regional ‘political elites’, and as ‘corporate elites’ in publicly-funded healthcare systems.

Déjà Vu - A New Coronavirus Challenge.

Déjà Vu - A New Coronavirus Challenge.

Ten minutes with Dr Iain Wallace, Medical Director, NHS Louisa Jordan Hospital, Scottish Events Campus (SEC), Glasgow

![Graphic][1] ### Biography Iain Wallace studied Immunology and Medicine at the University of Glasgow and later gained an MBA from Strathclyde Graduate Business School. He practised as a GP principal...

A Nurse Practitioner Leadership Model for a Sexual Health Clinic in Canada:: Staff Feedback about Implementation and Operations

Staff changes in the management model of our sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic led us to transition the role of medical director into a clinic director, who is a nurse practitioner. In this new model, the clinic director oversees all aspect of clinical operations, including the medical directives and physician management. To evaluate the impact of this change, we undertook a 6-month evaluation of this model, including surveys with our nurses, physicians, and administrative staff. We found that the new model was well-accepted. Points of learning were that staff initially found communication more difficult, and that the physician group felt under-represented. We adjusted our model through clearer communication strategies and by establishing a designated physician lead. These results highlight that STI clinics can operate successfully using nursing leadership models. Indeed, our clinic continues to run with this model 3 years later.

Hospice Medical Director Update and Exam Prep (P02)

•Employ the clinical, regulatory, leadership, and administrative skills and ethical knowledge required in the role of hospice medical director.•Describe the hospice medical director's role on the interdisciplinary care team and within the hospice organization.•Analyze regulatory issues affecting the hospice medical director and find strategies to fulfill these requirements. Join peers and national experts to explore and further develop the skills needed to successfully navigate today's hospice environment. This intensive review will serve as part of your preparation for the Hospice Medical Director Certification Board exam and is based on the exam blueprint (www.hmdcb.org). The workshop also serves as a great orientation for those new to the hospice field or as a critical update for all hospice practitioners and managers.

How Psychiatry Led Me to Management and Ethics

Back to table of contents Previous article Why I Aspired to Be a PsychiatristFull AccessHow Psychiatry Led Me to Management and EthicsJim Sabin,M.D.Jim Sabin,Search for more papers by this authorM.D.Published Online:30 Mar 2018https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2018.4a21AbstractJim Sabin, M.D., is a professor in the departments of Psychiatry and Population Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He directs the ethics program at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and is vice chair of the AMA’s Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs. He will be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society this month.It was easy for me to choose psychiatry when I graduated from medical school in 1964. Medical students saw psychiatry as a way to help individuals, improve the world, and learn about the mind and soul. Fifteen to 20 percent of my graduating class followed that path.Psychoanalysis was at its heyday during my residency, but I wanted to work with a wider range of patients, so I opted for community psychiatry and population health. In 1980, after 10 years of combining private practice, teaching, and part-time work at the not-for-profit Harvard Community Health Plan HMO, I was summoned to the HMO medical director’s office. I’d never met him and wondered if I’d done something wrong.To my surprise, he asked if I’d be interested in being medical director of a new facility we were opening, a general management role that involved overseeing all the medical specialties but also the administrative infrastructure and even the parking garage. I was happily engaged with developing outpatient programs for patients with chronic mental illness, and my first answer was “No, thank you.” But when I asked myself the question “What are the generic characteristics of what you like so much about the work you are doing?,” I realized that they coincided with what the medical director role called for. Outpatient care for patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, substance disorders, and more required (1) dealing with complex problems that (2) required a multidisciplinary approach and (3) working with teams, while (4) being able to tolerate less-than-perfect results. I changed my mind and took the medical director role. Directing a medical center that served a community appealed to my commitment to population health. I found that the human skills I’d developed in psychiatry—especially from group and family therapy—could be adapted to the human leadership requirements of the medical director job. After seven years I still believed in the work I was doing as medical director, but I wanted to go back to patient care and teaching. The HMO had started a small teaching unit. I joined it half time with the other half of my time going to clinical practice.Since college days I’d been interested in philosophy and ethics. I thought an HMO-based teaching unit should address the ethics of caring for patients under a budget—in other words, managed care. In the course of “networking” in the ethics community, I met Norman Daniels, a distinguished philosopher. Norman knew how to apply for grants, and we got support for an international study of the ethics of setting limits, which we wrote up in many articles and a book, Setting Limits Fairly: Learning to Share Resources for Health. In 1999, I was asked to take responsibility for the ethics program at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, a New England not-for-profit health plan. 1999 was my 60th birthday, and I’d decided I wanted to concentrate on ethics and health policy as long as health and opportunity allowed, so I took on the ethics program role and stopped taking new patient referrals to create the needed time.Since then I’ve developed policy cases for more than 100 meetings of the Ethics Advisory Group of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. Participants include health plan staff, employers, physicians who practice in the network, consumers, and policy experts. I’m often told “you do a great job facilitating the discussions.” At first, I thought this was simply polite fluff because the role felt very easy, but I eventually realized that I was using listening and facilitating skills I’d developed over decades in psychiatric practice.The incoming president of the AMA gets to nominate one member for the AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs. In 2012, Jeremy Lazarus, M.D., who shares my passion for ethics, nominated me. I’m now in the sixth year of my seven-year term. Working with physicians from every specialty and region on behalf of the ethics of medicine has been a highlight of my career. It’s what I learned practicing and teaching psychiatry that made this varied career possible! ■“Confronting Trade-Offs in Health Care: Harvard Pilgrim Health Care’s Organizational Ethics Program” can be accessed here. ISSUES NewArchived

New Survey Process Features Retooled Regulations, F-Tags

New Survey Process Features Retooled Regulations, F-Tags

Business of dialysis and the role of the medical director.

Since the inception of the Medicare End Stage Renal Disease Program in 1972, the medical director has been an important leader in the dialysis unit. The initial duties of the medical director were focused on quality and safety but were gradually expanded over the decades to include the development and oversight of protocols to manage metabolic bone disease and anemia. As the total cost of ESRD care has escalated, there have been progressive attempts to control costs through additional bundling and the creation of alternative payment schemes. While we await the financial and clinical outcomes of these initiatives, the medical director's role continues to expand in scope and now includes an enhanced role for not only clinical outcomes but financial outcomes as well.

New leadership at the British Heart Foundation.

Researcher and cardiologist Prof. Nilesh Samani succeeded Prof. Peter Weissberg as Medical Director of the British Heart Foundation in October. Mark Nicholls spoke to Prof. Samani about his vision for the future and Prof. Weissberg about the successes under his 12-year tenure ![Graphic][1] For Prof. Nilesh Samani, stepping into the role of Medical Director of the British Heart Foundation (BHF) is the continuation of a long-standing link with the cardiovascular research charity that reaches back to his days as a junior researcher. Currently BHF Professor of Cardiology at the University of Leicester, Head of the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at the University, Director of the National Institute for Health Research, Biomedical Research Unit and a consultant cardiologist at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, he co-led the discovery of over 50 genes associated with coronary heart disease and was co-Principal Investigator of the BHF Family Heart Study which made a substantial contribution to this effort. ![Graphic][2] Having received BHF funding early in his career, for the past 13 years he has also held a BHF chair at the University of Leicester. Knighted in 2015 for services to medicine and medical research, he describes it as ‘an enormous privilege to serve the Foundation as Medical Director’ and remains acutely aware of ‘the central role the BHF plays in supporting cardiovascular research in the UK’. The BHF announced its new research strategy in October 2015, committing to spending over half a billion pounds on research over 5 years but while the framework and direction have been set, Prof. Samani believes there remain further opportunities. From taking up the post in October, he is keen to continue to make strong links with other funders in the UK, building on the existing collaboration with the Stroke Association and Medical Research Council, and foreseeing closer liaison with the … [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif [2]: /embed/inline-graphic-2.gif