ATLANTA, Jan. 17, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) today announced four recent appointments to the senior leadership team. The four new appointments include:
- Paul Autry, chief of staff of the dean's office and vice president of strategic planning for the institution
- F. John Case, Ed. D., senior vice president for operations and chief financial officer
- Santhia Curtis, chief legal officer and secretary to the board of trustees
- Desiree Ramirez, chief compliance officer
"it is my pleasure to announce the addition of these highly-skilled and accomplished professionals to key roles on our team," said President John E. Maupin, Jr. D.D.S. "The collective experience of these individuals, coupled with our existing team, is exactly what is required to advance our mission and remain competitive in this dynamic healthcare environment."
Paula R. Autry recently joined MSM as chief of staff and vice president of strategic planning for the office of the dean and executive vice president. Autry is an accomplished senior health care executive with 25 years of experience in developing and leading operational and strategic improvements in non-profit, academic, and faith-based healthcare organizations. Under the direction of the Dean and Executive Vice President Valerie Montgomery Rice, M.D., Mrs. Autry will oversee the strategic agenda institution-wide and work with other senior administrative leaders to develop action plans; initiate, lead, monitor and evaluate projects; and ensure implementation of initiatives.
Dr. John Case in the role as senior vice president for operations and chief financial officer chief is responsible for the strategic leadership of the finance and administrative support functions at MSM. Dr. Case has more than 25 years of experience in higher education, consulting, non-profit and for-profit organizations. He joins MSM from Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), LLP in Raleigh, N.C., where he was the practice leader and strategist for the Higher Education and Academic Medical Center Practice since 2011.
Santhia Curtis was recently appointed to chief legal officer and secretary to the board of trustees for MSM. She joined MSM in January 2012 in the role of chief of staff for the office of the president. In this new role, Curtis will provide counsel to and direct the legal affairs of the institution. Curtis, a Georgia native, is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law. She has more than 22 years legal experience, having worked in both private and in-house practice settings. Most recently, Curtis served as deputy general counsel of the Atlanta Independent School System.
Desiree Ramirez will now lead all MSM compliance as chief compliance officer, with more than 20 years of healthcare administration experience in leadership roles in compliance, finance and performance improvement. She joined MSM in 2011 as the chief compliance officer responsible for just clinical compliance, HIPAA privacy, audit and other related functions. Prior to joining MSM, she worked as a regulatory compliance manager for the Mayo Clinic, working for all three campuses in Florida, Minnesota and Arizona for 10 years.
About Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM)
Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) was founded in 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia, as a two-year medical education program at Morehouse College, with clinical training affiliations with several established medical schools for awarding the M.D. degree. In 1981, MSM became an independently chartered institution and the first medical school created at a Historically Black College and University in the 20th century. MSM is among the nation's leading educators of primary care physicians and was recently recognized as the top institution among U.S. medical schools for our social mission. Our faculty and alumni are noted for excellence in teaching, research and public policy, as well as exceptional patient care.
Morehouse School of Medicine is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award doctorate and master's degrees.