March 29, 2023 — Michele Lossius, M.D. ’03, chief of the division of pediatric hospital medicine and the chief quality officer for UF Health Shands hospitals and clinical programs, has been selected as a member of the 2023 cohort for the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine, or ELAM, program.

Hosted by the Drexel University College of Medicine, the program selects about 60 female fellows per year with an eye toward those who show the most promise for leadership posts at academic medical centers. Lossius is the 16th UF College of Medicine faculty member to be selected for the yearlong, part-time fellowship dedicated to developing the professional and personal skills required to lead in today’s complex health care environment, with special attention to the unique challenges facing women in leadership.

Learn more about Lossius and an upcoming project she will develop as part of the ELAM program in the Q&A below.

You attended UF for your undergraduate and medical degrees and completed your residency in pediatrics at UF Health Shands Hospital before joining the College of Medicine faculty. Can you take us through your journey in medicine?

Lossius: I started as a cuddler in the NICU at UF Health Shands Hospital before I went to medical school. What has kept me here over the course of my career is the people I’ve been able to collaborate with over the years within pediatrics and across departments, as well as the opportunities within the organization. It’s always been an intentional decision to stay because I love my UF family.

What does it mean to you to be selected as an ELAM fellow?

Lossius: I’m overjoyed to be able to participate and renew relationships with others I’ve worked with before and meet new collaborators as part of this program. The fact that there have been so many UF ELAM fellows before me also speaks to the caliber of our faculty here, and our institution’s desire to support and promote us in our academic careers.

What do your duties as chief quality officer entail?

Lossius: I became chief quality officer for UF Health Shands Hospitals and clinical programs in January 2019, and prior to that, I served in a similar role at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital. What I had anticipated in the role originally evolved, of course, due to the pandemic. That pivot resulted in opportunities for our hospital to reinforce to the public our commitment to the patient experience, length of stay, readmissions and addressing acute day-to-day issues that arise.

ELAM fellows are required to develop an institutional action project meant to foster the fellow’s leadership skills while also addressing an organizational goal or need. Can you share some of the details of your upcoming project?

Lossius: I am leading the development of the Quality Academy, which is a project under the value pillar of the dean’s strategic plan. Through this program, an infrastructure will be put in place to provide opportunities for UF Health employees They will be offered continuing quality and patient safety education to foster evidence-based, outcomes-driven practices and high-value, equitable patient-centered and population-based care.