Subject:

Communications and Marketing Department Restructuring

In our continuing commitment to streamline operations and achieve greater synergies by integrating resources, I want to share some changes that will be taking place over the next few months in Health Sciences.

As the entire Health Sciences, especially the clinical enterprise, expands and focuses on culture change to advance to the next tier of performance and recognition, it’s more critical than ever to have strategic and consistent communications to our many internal and external audiences.

In order to strengthen our ability to convey the accomplishments of UCSD Health Sciences through media relations, outreach and constituent communications, marketing, and advertising, we will be consolidating our communications, marketing, and public affairs units in a unified Marketing and Communications Office. This office will be under the leadership of the new Chief Health Sciences Marketing and Communications Officer, reporting jointly to the Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer Health Sciences and the Associate Vice Chancellor University Communications and Public Affairs. This recruitment is now beginning.

As this reorganization takes place, Leslie Franz will be moving from her current role as Executive Director of Health Sciences Communications and Public Affairs, into a new role as Chief Health Sciences Affairs Officer in the Vice Chancellor’s office. In this role she will work closely with senior leadership to assist with enterprise-wide issues, and will also help to support the outreach and communication efforts that involve the Health Sciences senior team. Leslie will report jointly to the Vice Chancellor, Health Sciences and the Chief Executive Officer, UCSD Medical Center. Leslie will continue in her current role until the recruitment of the Chief Health Sciences Marketing and Communications Officer is complete.

This change will result in more effective utilization of our marketing and communications resources to promote our enterprise, and achieve greater results in our messaging, communications, and outreach efforts.

This is one more step in our continuing efforts to hone the UCSD Health Sciences leadership team into a fully integrated Health Sciences-wide unit.

David A. Brenner Vice Chancellor - Health Sciences Dean School of Medicine