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Edwards named senior associate dean for education

Linda R. Edwards, M.D., has been named senior associate dean for educational affairs at the University of Florida College of Medicine–Jacksonville, effective July 5, 2013. In addition, Edwards will serve as the Designated Institutional Official responsible for the oversight of graduate medical education (GME) at the college.

Edwards, a UF associate professor of medicine, will also continue to serve as chief of the division of general internal medicine, associate chair of the department of medicine and co-medical director of the Jacksonville Health and Transition Services (JaxHATS) program.

“This appointment is truly an honor – the Office of Educational Affairs has had a number of great leaders over the years, many of whom have been role models and mentors for me,” Edwards said.

In her new role in the Office of Education Affairs, Edwards will oversee all educational, fiscal and administrative aspects of graduate medical education on UF’s Jacksonville campus. Working closely with Educational Affairs staff and the GME Committee, she will be responsible for ensuring medical residency and fellowship programs are compliant with state and federal requirements. She will also be responsible for the support and development of residency program directors, and the well-being and development of residents. She will work closely with faculty, staff, students and leaders to enhance learning at all educational levels for all student groups within the college.

“The University of Florida is most fortunate that Dr. Edwards, with a wealth of experience spanning three decades and key leadership in every aspect of our mission, is eager to now oversee all our educational activities,” said Daniel R. Wilson, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the College of Medicine–Jacksonville and UF’s vice president for health affairs. “Dr. Edwards’ intelligence, diplomacy and optimism assures yet another success story in a career replete with great achievement and tremendous loyalty.”

Edwards, who joined the college faculty in 1985, has dedicated a great deal of her career to medical education, having served as program director or associate program director for the Jacksonville-campus Internal Medicine Residency Program for 11 years and as associate director of graduate medical education for the college. She was appointed to the Residency Review Committee for Internal Medicine of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education in 1993 and served on the committee for five years. Over the past several years, she has been awarded the Exemplary Teacher Award from the UF College of Medicine, as well as the Louis S. Russo Award for Outstanding Professionalism in Medicine. In 2005, she was awarded the Internist of the Year Award from the Florida Chapter of the American College of Physicians.

According to Edwards, postgraduate programs have diverse challenges that require seamless interaction with numerous stakeholders.

“Changes in health care delivery, funding protocols, quality assessment and safety must be accompanied by responsive changes in our post graduate programs,” Edwards said. “Our overarching goal is to ensure that future doctors are trained well, not only in medical knowledge and skills, but also in an environment of safety and quality with an unwavering focus on our patients.”

In addition to her background in medical education, Edwards brings substantial leadership experience. Holding the roles of division chief since 1998 and associate department chair since 2008, she also has served on the board of directors for UF Health Jacksonville/Shands Jacksonville since 2011 and on several UF administrative committees, including Claims and Loss Prevention and the Executive Committee of the Self Insurance Program. Other roles have included president of the campus Faculty Council for the 2009/2010 academic year and chief of staff for University Medical Center from 1995 to 1999.

Clinically, Edwards’ interests include care for victims of domestic violence and pediatric-to-adult transitional care for youth with special health needs. She has served as co-medical director of the JaxHATS program with David L. Wood, M.D., M.P.H., since the program’s inception in 2005. In addition, in 2008, she served on a National Institutes of Health Consensus Panel that reviewed the use of hydoxyurea in the treatment of adult patients with sickle cell disease.

As senior associate dean, Edwards replaces Constance K. Haan, M.D., M.S., who had served in that role since 2007.

Edwards received her medical degree from East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., and completed an internal medicine residency at Jacksonville Health Education Programs at then-University Medical Center (now UF Health Jacksonville).

She said the UF College of Medicine–Jacksonville has been extremely successful over the last several years with sustained accomplishments from well-established GME programs as well as the development and accreditation of new specialty and subspecialty training programs.

“I am honored to have been chosen to lead the OEA to even greater success,” Edwards said. “I eagerly look forward to working in concert with senior leadership to take the graduate medical education programs on this campus to the next level of growth and excellence.”

Featured Faculty

Linda R. Edwards, MD

Linda R. Edwards, MD

Associate Professor
Dean, College of Medicine - Jacksonville