Howell Chosen as Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Effective September 1, Elizabeth Howell, MD, MPP, will take on the position of chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Perelman School of Medicine. She succeeds Deborah Driscoll, MD, who in 2019 became vice dean for Professional Services in the Perelman School of Medicine and SVP of the Clinical Practices of the University of Pennsylvania, after serving as chair of OB-GYN for 14 years.
Howell joins Penn Medicine from Mount Sinai, where she was professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science at the Icahn School of Medicine and director of the Blavatnik Family Women’s Health Research Institute at Mount Sinai.
Howell’s academic focus includes the study of racial and ethnic inequities in maternal and child health, postpartum depression, and maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. During her time at Mount Sinai, Howell has played an instrumental role in the department’s large body of research.
“Dr. Howell’s research has played a crucial role in mapping strategies to reduce health care disparities,” said J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, dean of the Perelman School of Medicine and EVP of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System. “She brings multifaceted talents as a leader, a researcher, and a mentor to her new post at the helm of our department of OB/GYN, a group whose work is foundational to ensuring the health of women and families across the lifespan.”
Duckett Named SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer of UPHS
Dwaine B. Duckett has been named the Health System’s senior vice president and chief HR officer. Previously, he was VP for Human Resources for the University of California.
At the University of California, Duckett provided strategic leadership for high-impact programs including employee relations, labor relations, compensation and benefits. He oversaw multiple programs that impacted work and life for more than 200,000 people in diverse roles across more than 10 campuses and medical centers that are part of the UC system. He created and aligned new system wide talent management and executive compensation strategies, and designed the system’s first comprehensive HR strategy to support the University’s objectives.
Duckett’s experience with employee benefits management includes initiatives to streamline operations and contain costs associated with employee pensions and health insurance while maintaining quality care.