A committee will conduct a comprehensive review of Christopher Kratochvil, MD, who is serving as the interim vice chancellor of external relations for UNMC, for the purpose of potentially recommending changing Dr. Kratochvil’s role from interim to permanent.
UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, has asked the review committee for its evaluation of Dr. Kratochvil’s efforts as he has served in the interim role since the retirement of Bob Bartee at the end of 2022.
The committee is made up of six members. The group will meet with and organize interviews with key internal stakeholders, solicit external, regional and national letters of reference and compile feedback for the chancellor and senior vice chancellor.
Committee members include:
- Anne Barnes, UNMC vice chancellor for business, business development and finance (chair)
- Michael Ash, MD, UNMC vice chancellor for information and technology
- Ken Bayles, PhD, UNMC vice chancellor for research
- Kristen Hassebrook, University of Nebraska chief lobbyist and associate vice president for government relations
- Dele Davies, MD, UNMC senior vice chancellor for academic affairs
- Anne Bowen Fischer, senior assistant to the UNMC chancellor
Dr. Kratochvil has been at UNMC since 1999 and has held several leadership positions, being named associate vice chancellor for clinical research in 2010 and becoming the first vice president for research for Nebraska Medicine in 2014. He served as the executive director for clinical research at the Global Center for Health Security from 2019-2022 after helping establish that organization following the 2014 Ebola outbreak.
Dr. Kratochvil’s research experience includes collaborations with the National Strategic Research Institute, chairing the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and serving as a co-principal investigator of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) National Center for Health Security and Biopreparedness. This work allowed him to develop extensive experience in government relations and strategic communications on both the state and federal level well before his transition to the interim vice chancellor for external relations role in 2022.
Dr. Kratochvil’s leadership roles during his nearly quarter-century-long UNMC career also have left him with a depth of experience in alumni and community relations, which he has leveraged during his time in the interim vice chancellor of external communications role, as well.
Listening sessions will be held with committee members and stakeholders during the week of Oct. 23 for the UNMC community to offer input into the recommendation. A public evaluation link will be available for the UNMC community and stakeholders to supply feedback from Oct. 19 to Nov. 1.