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Dear Team Members,

Today, I am excited to announce that following an extensive national search, UVA Health University Medical Center has selected Dr. Monica Lawrence, as our new Designated Institutional Official (DIO) and Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education (GME), effective April 8. In this role, Dr. Lawrence will supervise all GME programs, overseeing approximately 850 residents, fellows, and trainees across our organization.

A consummate professional with years of experience caring for patients, Dr. Lawrence joined UVA Health in July 2013, and has been actively involved in GME since that time. Beginning in 2015, Dr. Lawrence directed our allergy and immunology elective for internal medicine residents, all while continuing her work with internal medicine, pediatrics, and dermatology residents in clinic. She assumed the role of Associate Program Director of the Allergy/Immunology Fellowship Program in 2015 and became the Program Director in 2018. Dr. Lawrence also has been actively involved with GME at an institutional level, serving as an active member of the Graduate Medical Education Committee and Policy Subcommittee, as well as multiple special review and appeal committees. Most recently, she served as the interim associate DIO, following Dr. Susan Kirk’s retirement in July 1, 2023.

On the national level, Dr. Lawrence has served as a member of the Allergy/Immunology In-training Examination committee since 2021, and was elected by her peers to the American Academy of Asthma Allergy and Immunology Program Directors Assembly Executive Committee, of which she currently serves as Chair. Clinically, she established the UVA Health Adult and Pediatric Primary Immunodeficiency Clinics, as well as the Jeffrey Modell Diagnostic and Research Center for Primary Immunodeficiencies, and was elected to serve as a Councilor for the Clinical Immunology Society from 2023-26.

Dr. Lawrence completed her medical degree and residency in Internal Medicine at Washington University/Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, MO, followed by fellowship training in Allergy and Immunology at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

As we welcome Dr. Lawrence into this role, I want to extend my sincere appreciation to Diane Farineau, MS, Ranithra Chelliah, and Sarah Oh, PhD, who collectively contributed so much support to our residents, fellows, program directors, and all our other GME efforts as we’ve searched for our new director. I also want to extend my deep gratitude to Dr. Brad Kesser, for serving as our interim DIO during our search, and for leading GME during this time of transition.

Please join me in thanking these team members for their service, as well as welcoming Dr. Lawrence to this new and exciting role.

Sincerely,

Reid Adams, MD
Chief Medical Officer, University Medical Center