Michael Rosenblatt, dean of Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM), yesterday morning announced his decision to step down effective Dec. 20. He will take up the newly created position of chief medical officer at pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., Inc.
Rosenblatt's decision marks the end of his six years at the helm of TUSM, a longer than usual tenure for deans of medical schools.
TUSM Vice Dean for Academic and Clinical Affairs Harris Berman, who will serve as the interim dean until a replacement has been found, said that the job opportunity at Merck came as a surprise and represented a great opportunity for Rosenblatt.
"Dr. Rosenblatt was offered an amazing position in one of the largest health care companies in the world -- an offer he couldn't down," Berman said.
Rosenblatt said that Merck approached him and that he had not been looking for a new position. He will join Merck as executive vice president and chief medical officer.
The latter is a new position created as part of the merger between Merck and pharmaceutical corporation Schering-Plough to "complement [their] joint talent," according to an Aug. 31 management announcement forwarded to the Daily by Merck.
In this new role, Rosenblatt "will be Merck's primary voice to the global medical community and will speak to critical issues such as patient safety," according to yesterday morning's press release from Merck announcing the hire.
Rosenblatt said that now is a particularly exciting time to be taking on this new position given the potential upcoming changes in the health care industry. The move marks a return to Merck for Rosenblatt, as he had previously served as senior vice president for research at Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories.
Over the course of his tenure at Tufts, Rosenblatt has accomplished much in advancing the medical school, according to Provost and Senior Vice President Jamshed Bharucha.
"Dean Rosenblatt has recruited outstanding faculty, established a close-working relationship with our hospital affiliates, improved facilities for faculty and students on the Boston campus, and advanced diversity at the medical school," Bharucha said in an e-mail to the Daily.
In a message to his colleagues announcing his resignation, Rosenblatt said that he was proud of all that the medical school and its leadership team have accomplished over the last six years. He cited in particular improved research and teaching facilities, a strengthened partnership with Tufts Medical Center and TUSM's selection by the National Institutes of Health as recipient of a grant to establish a Clinical Translational Sciences Institute to pursue clinical pharmacology research.
Merck approached Rosenblatt for the new position because of his extensive and diverse experience in health care, according to its press release. "Dr. Rosenblatt's achievements in academia, clinical medicine and private industry are exceptional," Merck Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Richard Clark said in the release.
The provost will announce in the spring a process for finding Rosenblatt's replacement. Berman, who has previously served as chief executive officer of the Tufts Health Plan, said he was confident about his ability to fill in as interim dean until the process has been completed.
"I've been here for six years," Berman said. "As vice dean, I frequently stood in for the dean. I feel like I understand the job and the people. I'm very confident it will be a smooth transition."
This announcement comes on the heels of last week's announcements of the departures of two other major university staff members of.
Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Robert Sternberg announced on Dec. 8 that he would not be continuing in his position following the end of his term in June. Last Thursday, Executive Director of the Office of Institutional Diversity Lisa Coleman resigned to take a position at Harvard University.
Bharucha said that Tufts is well equipped to navigate through this transitional period. "The university is in a strong position," he said. "We have excellent leadership teams in place to manage these transitions smoothly."
He added that the university's current modified hiring freeze will not impact the quality of the applicants selected to fill these vacancies. "Tufts is continuing to hire staff and faculty strategically," he said. "All three positions are important to the university and will be filled. We will recruit the best candidates for the job."
Rosenblatt said that despite his excitement for this new opportunity, he was sad to leave the school and especially the leadership team that he has worked with. "I've been very happy at Tufts," he said. "It's a wonderful place with wonderful students and faculty and really special community … I've built a great team here and I've worked with so many wonderful people."
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Alexandra Bogus contributed reporting to this article.
