Replaces Dr. Phil Smith, who held the post for 13 years
Mark Rupp, M.D., has been appointed chief of the division of infectious diseases in the University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Internal Medicine.
The appointment, which is effective July 1, was announced today by Lynell Klassen, M.D., professor and chairman of the internal medicine department.
Dr. Rupp joined UNMC in 1992. He came from the Medical College of Virginia, where he completed his internal medicine residency and infectious diseases fellowship and served on the faculty. He received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and also served as a postdoctoral fellow in microbiology and immunology there.
“Dr. Rupp has distinguished himself as a superb clinician and researcher,” Dr. Klassen said. “We’re confident that his national reputation will lead to the development of enhanced clinical and research programs in infectious diseases.”
His primary research interests are in health care-acquired infections and in understanding the mechanisms leading to staph infections. He has received numerous grant awards, holds three U.S. patents, and has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and chapters in more than 30 textbooks.
In 2009, Dr. Rupp served as national president of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. Since 1998, he has served as medical director of The Nebraska Medical Center Department of Health Care Epidemiology – Infection Control. He also initiated the hospital’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Program and is past medical director of the Clinical Trials Office.
“I’m honored to assume leadership responsibilities in the ID section,” Dr. Rupp said. “I look forward to the new challenges, and I anticipate great success for the section by building on the strong foundation established by Dr. (Phil) Smith.”
Dr. Rupp assumes the directorship from Dr. Smith, who has led the division for the past 13 years.
While chief, Dr. Smith greatly expanded the ID division. His accomplishments included:
· recruiting 14 faculty members and doubling the size of the division;
· increasing clinical volume 10-fold and adding the specialty of orthopedic ID;
· making ID one of the most productive research divisions in internal medicine in terms of extramural grants and scientific publications per faculty member;
· expanding interaction with the UNMC College of Public Health; and
· developing the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit, one of only three such units in the United States.
“Dr. Smith did an incredible job. His accomplishments speak for themselves,” said Dr. Klassen, who noted that Dr. Smith will remain an active, full-time member of the department and hopes to spend more time studying the public health consequences of infectious diseases, biopreparedness and infection control.
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