David Raiford, M.D.
Raiford named chief compliance officer for VMC
David Raiford, M.D., assistant vice chancellor for Health Affairs and senior associate dean for Faculty Affairs at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, has been named associate vice chancellor for Health Affairs and Chief Compliance Officer for Vanderbilt Medical Center.
In this expanded role, Raiford will oversee an integrated structure for management of issues relating to conflicts of interest, compliance and standards of professionalism.
He will serve the as primary Medical Center representative in the University for these important activities.
“I'm very grateful to David for his tremendous leadership and service to the institution,” said Jeff Balser, M.D., Ph.D., vice chancellor for Health Affairs.
“His leadership in our collaborative effort to design and implement a conflict of interest policy for the Medical Center was exemplary. As Vanderbilt continues to develop its reputation as one of the most forward-thinking academic institutions in the nation, he will serve as an excellent guide for our medical staff, faculty and students during this time of change.”
Raiford takes this role at a time of increasing scrutiny of the bio-pharmaceutical and medical industry's involvement with education, patient care and research.
VMC's new conflict of interest policy that goes into effect July 1 is one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching in the nation (see related story above).
At the same time, there is a call for academic institutions that instruct future health providers to tie education and clinical practice to the quality of health care in their institution and the nation as a whole. It is a challenging change of paradigm, but one that Vanderbilt has embraced as the new administration moves forward.
“I feel fortunate to be designated to lead the Medical Center's efforts to enhance Vanderbilt's growing reputation as a national leader in these areas,” Raiford said. “We intend to exploit Vanderbilt's traditions of inclusive collegiality to master these challenges in ways that are faithful to our wonderful missions as an academic health center. The evolving landscape in the areas of conflicts of interest and compliance has created opportunities for us to partner with colleagues and thought leaders across Vanderbilt's campus and nationally to innovate and lead.”
A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Raiford came to Vanderbilt in 1991 to help found and lead an interdisciplinary program in liver diseases. He is board certified in internal medicine, gastroenterology and transplant hepatology. Among other distinctions, he has served in a variety of leadership roles with the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the American College of Gastroenterology.
Raiford will continue to serve as senior associate dean for Faculty Affairs, with ongoing responsibility for academic appointments and promotions, faculty professional development and other matters involving or affecting faculty members in the School of Medicine.