Dr. Richard L. Byyny, chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder since 1997, today announced that he has accepted a position as executive director of a new health policy center at the University of Colorado Hospital at Fitzsimons in Aurora, effective March 1.
He will continue in his current post until an interim chancellor is named.
In addition to his academic and administrative career, Byyny is a physician specializing in internal medicine. In his new position at the hospital, he will provide leadership for analyzing and formulating policies on hospital care and health care delivery.
"Dr. Byyny's background in health care and policy, as well as his long career here at University of Colorado Hospital, made him the perfect candidate to head this new center," said Dennis Brimhall, president and CEO of University of Colorado Hospital. "We are thrilled that he agreed to take on this new challenge."
Byyny said, "This is an exciting opportunity for me to combine my experience in health care and education in order to help improve the quality of people's lives in Colorado and throughout the country.
"I will be addressing the many unanswered questions about quality, safety, outcomes, satisfaction, access and cost in health care," Byyny said. "That is a great challenge and one that I will pursue with great vigor and enthusiasm."
Byyny said that his eight years as chancellor have been "an extraordinary opportunity to work with countless people deeply committed to the future of the university. It has been a unique privilege and honor to serve the Boulder campus as chancellor and to work with dynamic leaders like President Hoffman toward achieving the university's goals."
CU President Elizabeth Hoffman said, "As chancellor, Dick Byyny has had a tremendous impact on the high quality of learning and discovery that occurs on the Boulder campus. His focus on quality can be seen in the caliber of people and programs throughout the campus, the relationships he has built with our communities, and in the overall academic reputation of the university.
"I'm especially pleased that Dick will continue to be part of the university family as he pursues a field for which he has great passion. I look forward to his continuing to achieve great things on behalf of the university."
Hoffman said she will consult with various constituencies before naming an interim chancellor in the near future.
Byyny was named interim chancellor in January 1997 and was selected to the permanent position in May of that year, serving as the ninth chancellor in CU-Boulder's history. He has been with the University of Colorado since 1977, serving in leadership posts for the CU system and the CU Health Sciences Center.
Byyny said he is particularly proud of accomplishments in strategic planning, administrative reorganization, budget management, faculty support, undergraduate education, fund-raising and facilities development during his tenure as chancellor.
Under Byyny's leadership, the campus has grown in size and reputation. In 2001, CU-Boulder celebrated both its 125th anniversary and the awarding of two more Nobel Prizes to campus faculty. During his eight-year tenure, federal research grants to campus faculty climbed from $174 million to more than $260 million annually. The number of endowed faculty chairs has grown from six to 26 in the past eight years.
As chancellor, Byyny developed a strategic plan for the campus, called Quality for Colorado, designed to enhance campus quality and reputation. Approved in 2003, the plan identified academic priorities and outlined corresponding investment strategies.
Undergraduate education has been a high priority under Byyny, with significant improvements in residential academic programs, the Norlin Scholars and Undergraduate Academy for high-achieving students, undergraduate research programs and enhanced academic advising.
Byyny also has worked to improve faculty recruitment and retention, increasing faculty compensation despite budgetary challenges. Over the past three years, Byyny and his administrative team managed a $30 million reduction in state tax support of the campus's base funding.
The face of the Boulder campus has changed considerably under Byyny's leadership, with a number of facilities built or renovated during his tenure. Within the past year, he worked with the student government to gain approval for a building fee that will allow for completion of a $150 million investment in five major academic capital projects.
In response to serious issues within the Athletics Department, Byyny developed new recruiting guidelines, implemented an Athletics Action Plan that enhances oversight and improves accountability, and moved to integrate athletics more fully into campus life.
Also this year, Byyny appointed a task force to review and recommend improvements in the campus sexual assault protocols. In April, he announced new alcohol initiatives designed to supplement campus efforts to reduce high-risk alcohol use by students.
Byyny received his bachelor of arts degree in history in 1960 and his medical degree in 1964, both from the University of Southern California. He and his wife, Jo, have two daughters and one son.
COMMENTS REGARDING CHANCELLOR BYYNY'S ANNOUNCEMENT
Dennis Brimhall, president and CEO of University of Colorado Hospital:
"For some time, University of Colorado Hospital has been heavily involved in initiatives related to improving quality and patient safety. We've been doing this in a variety of areas funded both internally and from outside grants. The new center will help us to formalize these initiatives and to compete for future grants. Our goal is to become a model for the best in patient care and provide the benefit of our knowledge and research to patients and healthcare providers across the country."
"Dr. Byyny's background in health care and policy, as well as his long career here at University Hospital, made him the perfect candidate to head this new center. We are thrilled that he agreed to take on this new challenge."
Jerry Rutledge, chair, CU Board of Regents:
"We thank Dr. Byyny for his years of dedicated service to the university and wish him all the best in his new role."
Dr. James Shore, chancellor, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center:
"I have worked with Dick Byyny in many different capacities over the years. He has had an exemplary career as a physician and an academician and has been a trusted and valuable friend and colleague. We are pleased that he is returning to his healthcare roots and we look forward to working with him in the future in his new position."
Barbara Bintliff, chair, Boulder Faculty Assembly:
"I'm very sorry the Boulder campus is losing the outstanding leadership of Chancellor Byyny. The campus has grown and prospered under his guidance over the past eight years. He has been a strong and compassionate chancellor and an effective advocate for the faculty."
Daniel Sher, dean, College of Music:
"Dick Byyny provided 8 years of effective leadership for CU- Boulder. His tenure will best be remembered for his successful advocacy for Quality for Colorado, a most remarkable initiative that made possible investments in essential and quality programs, and for providing the campus with stability and continuity through his development of an outstanding team at central administrative levels. We will miss Dick and his wife Jo, but wish them well as he enters this new phase of his accomplished career."
Tanya Patzer, chair, Boulder Staff Council:
"Boulder Staff Council would like to thank Chancellor Byyny for his unwavering support for staff over the years. We wish him success and the very best in his new position."
FACT SHEET ON HEALTH POLICY CENTER
University of Colorado Hospital
(Contact: Sarah Ellis, (303) 724-1527)
The University of Colorado Hospital is establishing a Health Policy Center to provide a conduit for research and information sharing for the best practices in patient safety and quality of care. Through innovative and creative research, analysis and the most advanced technologies, the center will evaluate hospital care to improve healthcare delivery, policy and education for healthcare professionals.
Effective March 1, the Health Policy Center will be under the direction of Dr. Richard Byyny, former chief of the division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and will be located at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center's Fitzsimons campus.
In recent years, the healthcare community has developed a significant focus on the importance of healthcare quality, patient safety, outcomes and reporting. New standards are constantly being developed, based on available research.
University of Colorado Hospital has been a leader in several of these initiatives, including:
* Patient access to electronic medical records - Grants in 2001 from the Commonwealth Fund and CaP CURE to study the effects on healthcare of giving patients access to their medical records.
* Magnet Prize - In 2004, University of Colorado Hospital was recognized by American Nurses Credentialing Center for its extraordinary innovations in evidence-based practice. University of Colorado Hospital is known nationally and internationally for its work in this field.
* Health information sharing - A combination of government and non-profit organization grants given over five years and in collaboration with other local institutions to support the development of a regional health information organization. University of Colorado Hospital participates in one of several demonstration projects around the country that may serve as the basis for a national health information infrastructure. The grant will create a learning laboratory of data-sharing between healthcare organizations that may eventually be extended throughout Denver and the region.
The center will work collaboratively with experts at local, regional and national organizations, including UCDHSC, local foundations, the Joint Commission on Hospital Accreditation, University Health Systems Consortium and many others. It will work to identify new strategies and methods to investigate, analyze and address important issues in quality, safety and outcomes in the hospital environment, emphasizing interdisciplinary exploration and evaluation.
By seeking to understand the complex interactions and variables that influence the quality and delivery of patient care in the hospital setting, the center will propose and disseminate practices that improve hospital care.
University of Colorado Hospital is the Rocky Mountain region's leading academic tertiary care and referral center, and has been recognized as one of America's best hospitals, according to U.S.News & World Report. Located in Denver and Aurora, Colo., the hospital is part of the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, in the University of Colorado system. For more information, visit the Web site at .
BIO-SKETCH OF CHANCELLOR RICHARD L. BYYNY
Dr. Richard L. Byyny was appointed chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder on May 9, 1997, after serving as interim chancellor since Jan. 9, 1997. He has been with the University of Colorado since 1977. Before his appointment as interim chancellor, he served as vice president for academic affairs and research, and dean of the CU system Graduate School since September 1995. He was executive vice chancellor at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center from February 1994 to September 1995.
Dr. Byyny came to the Health Sciences Center in 1977 as head of internal medicine, after serving in the same capacity at the University of Chicago. During his time at the CU Health Sciences Center, he also had served as medical director of ambulatory care and vice chair of the department of medicine.
In 1992-93, Dr. Byyny completed an American council on Education fellowship at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville where he served as executive assistant to the president.
A first-generation college graduate, Dr. Byyny received his bachelor of arts degree in history in 1960 and his medical degree in 1964, both from the University of Southern California. He and his wife, Jo, have two daughters and one son.
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT BOULDER
SELECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS UNDER CHANCELLOR BYYNY'S LEADERSHIP
- Developed a positive relationship, through an effective system of shared governance, with faculty, staff and student leaders.
- Managed a $30 million reduction in state tax support of base funding over the last three years, emphasizing regular and open communication with the campus community, preservation of quality in the academic enterprise, "narrow and deep" reductions in spending, continued investments in strategic areas and maintaining momentum through key programs.
- Developed the "Quality for Colorado" strategic plan to enhance the campus's quality and reputation and to increase support for financial aid, improve undergraduate education and increase faculty salaries. Gained approval for the first year of Quality for Colorado funding resulting in a $5 million increase in tuition revenue.
- Developed a process to focus academic priorities and corresponding investment strategies on core learning (the Writing Program, libraries, undergraduate research, student advising, and classroom technology); areas of academic distinction (environmental sciences, space and atmospheric sciences, natural sciences, the American West, engineering and interdisciplinary centers and institutes); and emerging areas of excellence (information sciences/ATLAS, chemical and molecular biotechnology, micro-nano technology and neurosciences).
- Stimulated significant improvements to the undergraduate experience, including adding an eighth residential academic program, developing the Norlin Scholars and Undergraduate Academy for the highest-achieving students, adding Maymester, implementing the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, and improving academic advising.
- Made significant advances in faculty recruitment and retention by increasing compensation, adding new tenure-track faculty positions, adding special opportunity positions, implementing the Instructors Bill of Rights, and providing housing assistance.
- Increased funding for the Pre-collegiate Program; began outreach programs in two Denver public schools with high minority enrollment; expanded successful programs, such as the Multicultural Engineering Program and the Minority Arts and Sciences Program; added new programs, such as Summer Engineering through Excellence and Diversity; and coordinated academic programs, financial aid and mentoring/leadership programs through the CU-LEAD Alliance.
- Led the campus in achieving the 10-year North Central Association accreditation.
- Gained CCHE approval of 10-year facilities master plan.
- Completed construction of the Benson Earth Sciences Building, Eaton Humanities Building, Imig Music addition and the Discovery Learning Center in engineering. Renovated Ekeley Chemistry Building, Porter Bioscience Building, Old Geology Building, University Memorial Center and campus residential halls.
- Worked with student government to gain approval for a building fee that will allow for completion of a $150 million investment in five major academic capital projects, including the new Law School building, the ATLAS initiative, addition and renovation of the Business School, a visual arts complex and renovation of the campus information technology infrastructure.
- Developed a plan, negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Boulder, and built additional student residences at Bear Creek Apartments in Williams Village.
- Negotiated an agreement for use of land in Grandview Terrace and initiated redevelopment plans.
- Completed a land-use assessment plan for CU-Boulder South and worked with the City of Boulder and other governmental agencies on flood issues associated with CU-Boulder South.
- Responded to serious issues within the Athletics Department, proposed new recruiting guidelines, and developed and implemented an action plan for improved oversight and reorganization.
- Appointed task force to review and recommend improvements in the campus sexual assault protocols.
- Announced new alcohol initiatives designed to supplement on-going campus efforts to reduce high-risk alcohol use by students.
- Increased the number of endowed faculty chairs from six to 26.
- Developed a national strategy and program to build campus reputation, engage alumni and recruit talented students.
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT BOULDER
CAMPUS PROFILE
- The University of Colorado at Boulder was founded in 1876 and celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2001.
- CU-Boulder is a nationally ranked public university and a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), the only AAU member in the Rocky Mountain region
- The Boulder campus has nine colleges and schools offering more than 3,400 courses in over 150 fields of study.
- CU-Boulder faculty received about $260 million in sponsored research awards in 2003-04.
- CU-Boulder was ranked one of the top public universities in the world (11th place) in 2004 by The Economist magazine.
- Nearly 50 faculty are members of prestigious national academies.
- Three faculty have won Nobel Prizes.
- Seven faculty have received MacArthur Fellowships, known as the "genius grant."
- Twenty-two faculty members have been designated CU Distinguished Professors.
- Nobel laureate Carl Wieman was named the 2004 U.S. Professor of the Year.
- In fall 2004, CU-Boulder welcomed more than 29,000 degree-seeking students, representing all 50 states and 43 foreign countries.
- Colorado residents make up 68 percent of overall enrollment.
- Among all undergraduates, 14.3 percent are students of color.