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Henrich Named Sole Finalist for President of UT Health Science Center at San Antonio

AUSTIN – The Board of Regents of The University of Texas System named William L. Henrich, M.D., as the sole finalist for the presidency of the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.

The Board today (May 14) voted unanimously during a meeting in which candidates were interviewed for the position. Candidates for the position recently met with several constituent groups at the health science center in San Antonio as part of a series of campus visits.

Under state law, university governing boards must name finalists for a presidency at least 21 days before making an appointment. The board is tentatively scheduled to finalize the selection at its next meeting in June.

Henrich has been serving as the institution’s interim president since February. Previously, he served as vice president for medical affairs and dean of the health science center's School of Medicine since March 2006. He also holds the John P. Howe, III, M.D. Distinguished Chair in Health Policy. 

"Dr. Henrich is a distinguished leader capable of building upon the forward momentum and phenomenal progress of the Health Science Center. He has an excellent background in administration, research and teaching and has demonstrated an ability to successfully lead large medical departments within complex organizations,” said Regents’ Vice Chairman Colleen McHugh. 

“The Board is confident that Dr. Henrich has the business acumen to further advance excellence at the Health Science Center while further establishing it as a critical economic engine for the San Antonio and South Texas regions. The selection of a finalist for the presidency of the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio has been undertaken by the Board with a full awareness that the appointment of a new president for any of our 15 institutions is one of the most important decisions that we as a Board will make," Regents’ Chairman James R. Huffines said.

If named president, Dr. Henrich will succeed Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D., who was officially named chancellor of the UT System in February. 

"The selection of a new president is always a momentous event for the Board of Regents and the entire UT family," Chancellor Cigarroa said. "As you may understand, I have a special personal and professional interest in finding the best possible candidate to guide the institution that was my home for many years. I believe that the selection of Dr. Henrich by the Board as the sole finalist is an outstanding choice – and the right person who has the abilities to further enhance the reputation of the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio as a first-class comprehensive academic health center."

Prior to joining the health science center, Henrich was chair of medicine and held an endowed professorship at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. He also was physician-in-chief at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Henrich held many positions at UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, including professor of internal medicine, associate chief of staff for research and development at the VA Medical Center in Dallas and attending physician at Zale Lipshy University Hospital. He is the author of more than 200 scientific publications. Henrich received his undergraduate degree at Columbia College and his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. He completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Oregon Medical School and a fellowship in nephrology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

“On behalf of the UT System, I would like to express our appreciation to the esteemed members of the search committee for their time, energy and hard work in identifying outstanding candidates,” said Kenneth I. Shine, M.D., executive vice chancellor for health affairs and chair of the presidential search advisory committee. “The advisory committee had the privilege of reviewing several nominations and applications for this very important leadership position, and I would like to express my thanks to all those individuals who participated in this process.”

About The University of Texas Health Science Center - San Antonio

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is the leading research institution in South Texas and one of the major health sciences universities in the world. With an operating budget of $668 million, the Health Science Center is the chief catalyst for the $16.3 billion biosciences and health care sector in San Antonio’s economy. The Health Science Center has had an estimated $35 billion impact on the region since inception and has expanded to six campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. More than 23,000 graduates (physicians, dentists, nurses, scientists and other health professionals) serve in their fields, including many in Texas. Health Science Center faculty are international leaders in cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, aging, stroke prevention, kidney disease, orthopaedics, research imaging, transplant surgery, psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, pain management, genetics, nursing, dentistry and many other fields. For more information, visit www.uthscsa.edu

About The University of Texas System

The University of Texas System is one of the nation’s largest higher education systems, with nine academic campuses and six health institutions. The UT System has an annual operating budget of $11.5 billion (FY 2009) including $2.5 billion in sponsored programs funded by federal, state, local and private sources. Student enrollment exceeded 194,000 in the 2007 academic year. The UT System confers more than one-third of the state's undergraduate degrees and educates nearly three-fourths of the state's healthcare professionals annually. With more than 81,000 employees, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.

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