MEDICAL CENTER Med Center Appoints Gaintner as Interim Vice President By Amanda McGrath Hoya Staff Writer

University President John J. DeGioia recently announced the appointment of J. Richard Gaintner as interim executive vice president for Health Sciences of the university Medical Center. Gaintner, appointed on March 8, will assume his responsibilities as EVP beginning April 1.

The duties of the EVP include overseeing all administrative, academic and research programs of the Medical Center. He will also head the Medical Center’s newly created Executive Committee.

“Dr. Gaintner brings to Georgetown more than 30 years of leadership experience in dealing with the complexities of academic medicine and the coordination of its educational, research and clinical missions,” DeGioia said in a press release. “We anticipate that his efforts will greatly increase our momentum in securing a strong future for Georgetown’s Medical Center, and will help realize the potential that exists in the Georgetown-MedStar partnership.”

In a letter sent to the university community concerning the appointment, DeGioia said Gaintner’s first priorities would be facilitating interaction between MedStar and the Medical Center, strengthening fundraising and research initiatives and helping to smooth the implementation of the new Medical Center administrative structure.

Gaintner will serve as interim EVP until a permanent replacement is chosen. “With Dr. Gaintner in place, we will be able to accelerate our progress both in the search for a permanent executive vice president for Health Sciences and in the implementation of the new governance structure,” DeGioia said.

Gaintner replaces Sam Wiesel as EVP. Wiesel will become the edical center’s Senior Vice President and dean of Clinical Affairs, a new position developed by the Framework for Medical Center Governance, a document created to establish a new means of administration between the university, the Medical Center and edStar Health Systems. The appointment that sparked a petition from members of the Medical center faculty to DeGioia addressing concerns about the viability of the post itself and questioning Wiesel’s ability to effectively fill the role.

MedStar Health is the medical center’s non-profit health-care management partner and is mainly responsible for its clinical enterprises. MedStar joined in partnership with the edical Center two years ago following four years of considerable financial losses by the Medical Center. Under the terms of the agreement, the university sold a controlling interest in the hospital and the clinical enterprises of the Medical Center.