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Jan. 1, 2025, marks a major transition in the leadership of continuing medical education at the University of Virginia. Karen Rheuban, MD, stepped down from her role leading the Office of Continuing Medical Education as part of a planned, two-year, phased retirement.

Dr. Rheuban has been a cornerstone of the UVA continuing education program since 1990, overseeing its significant expansion and ensuring continuous Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) reaccreditation with commendation. Under her leadership, UVA Health’s CE programs achieved joint accreditation in 2020, serving nine categories of health professionals and receiving reaccreditation since.  Dr. Rheuban will continue to direct the Center for Telehealth and serve on the UVA Health Government Relations team.

Senior Associate Dean for Education Meg Keeley, MD, is pleased to announce that Drew Harris, MD, has accepted the position of Assistant Dean of Continuing Medical Education. Dr. Harris, a pulmonologist with a keen interest in rural health and building community-academic partnerships, has served on the CE Advisory Committee and as an educational program course director.

Director of CME Melodye Farrar shares, “Dr. Rheuban has been an amazing leader for our continuing education program, and will be greatly missed. We are fortunate that Dr. Harris has stepped up to fill the very large shoes that she leaves behind.”

Dr. Harris brings a wealth of experience that will be invaluable in his new role. He has built a longstanding relationship with a federally-qualified health center in far southwest Virginia, leading the largest black lung clinic in the country. This partnership focuses on multidisciplinary clinical care, education, research, and advocacy. Additionally, Dr. Harris has served as medical director of the student and faculty clinic at UVA Wise for several years.

As an associate program director in the internal medicine residency program at UVA, Dr. Harris has developed novel educational experiences for residents, including the Health Equity Advocacy and Leadership (HEAL) track, which focuses on building community partnerships and caring for disadvantaged populations. He also has co-hosted the annual Central Appalachian Coal Miner Summit, bringing together a diverse group of professionals and community members for a unique learning experience. Furthermore, Dr. Harris has mentored trainees in educational projects, such as the Project-Echo lecture series aimed at improving pulmonary healthcare in rural communities.

“Please join us in thanking Dr. Rheuban for her incredible contributions and in welcoming Dr. Harris to his new role. We look forward to the continued growth and success of our continuing education programs under his leadership,” states Dr. Keeley.