I’m deeply honored to have been appointed senior vice president for Medicine and Dean of the Heersink School of Medicine. I am grateful for the trust and confidence the search committee, Dr. Watts, and the Board of Trustees have placed in me to lead this remarkable institution. I am also excited to have a great partner in Dawn Bulgarella as UAB Medicine embarks on this leadership transition. I want to thank my friends and colleagues for the many messages of encouragement and support I have received – please know that I am reading them all, even if I cannot respond to each one. I look forward to sharing more with you about me, my background, and my vision for the future of our institution in the coming weeks.