Dr. Azziz is a recognized leader in higher education, having served on the Board of Trustees, of the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools – Commission on Colleges; as Senior Fellow, American Association of State Colleges & Universities; and as first Visiting Scholar, then Senior Fellow, the Pullias Center for Higher Education, University of Southern California. Among other areas, Dr. Azziz has focused on the development of operational efficiencies, such as shared administrative services and leadership incentive programs; the use of data and enhanced metrics to drive sound decision-making, strategic and tactical planning, and action monitoring; the development of in-house leadership and faculty talent; innovative approaches to improving student success; enhancing a climate of diversity & inclusivity on campus; change management; and mergers & consolidations in higher education.
Select career highlights as a higher education executive and leader include serving as:
- International Advisory Board, King Abdulaziz University
- Executive within the State University of New York (SUNY) administration
- Founding president of Georgia Regents University (GRU, now Augusta University), leading the consolidation of two institutions to create the university, a $460M enterprise and one of Georgia’s four public research universities, 2013-15. During his tenure he was able to:
- Successfully manage a 30% reduction in state formula funding, despite significant unfunded mandates.
- Increase new freshman progression (completing ≥15 credit-hrs/semester) from 3.5% to 56%; and increased 6-year graduation rates from 22.2% to 30.2%, FY12-14.
- Increase total institutional research to >$106 million by FY14, the highest in institutional history.
- Revitalize philanthropy, garnering the highest annual support and total endowment (~$240M) in institutional history, the single largest gift (>$66 million) to a public institution in state history, and initiating the institution’s first capital campaign, achieving >50% of goal by year 3 of silent phase.
- President of Georgia Health Sciences University, during which, among other initiatives, undertook the creation of the only public academic health center in Georgia, 2010-13.
- Assistant Dean for Clinical & Translational Sciences (CTS), School of Medicine, UCLA, 2008-10.
Dr. Azziz has had over 20 years experience leading healthcare enterprises, most of these part closely aligned with academic organizations. He is a member of the American Association for Physician Leadership and the American College of Healthcare Executives. Among other areas, Dr. Azziz has focused on the development of in-house leadership and faculty talent; innovative approaches to improving physician engagement and quality metrics; enhancing patient & family centered care; the leveraging of unique partnerships & affiliations; and change management.
Select career highlights as health system executive include serving as:
- Chief Officer of Academic Health and Hospital Affairs, State University of New York (SUNY) System Administration, 2016-19
- Founding CEO of the Georgia Regents Health System (GRHS), a $690M enterprise, 2010-15.
- Grew revenues by 23% from FY10 to FY14.
- Increased quality measures significantly throughout.
- Increased contribution margin to the university.
- Oversaw the creation of a unique 15-year $350M exclusive affiliation with Royal Philips and a 14-year $400 million partnership (‘Jaguar Collaborative’) with Cerner.
- Chair, Boards of Directors of GRHS, the Georgia Regents Medical Center, 2010-15; and the Roosevelt Warm Springs Rehabilitation & Specialty Hospitals, 2014-15.
- Member of Georgia’s Health Insurance Exchange Advisory Committee, Governor’s Office, 2011-12.
- Co-Director, Women & Children’s service line, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 2003-10.
- Co-managing >$200 million in annual net revenues, reducing total annual net losses in Ob/Gyn from -$18 loss to +$2 million; and implementing strategies ensuring the highest quality of care for the largest provider of OB services in Southern California and the largest provider of GYN services in Los Angeles.
Dr. Azziz has served as a both an active scientist, developing a continuing internationally recognized program in androgen excess research, and a dedicated research administrator in a number of capacities. Among other areas, Dr. Azziz has focused on the development of young and underrepresented research faculty; accelerating the commercialization of in-house discovery; leadership and faculty development; and the development of synergistic public-private partnerships.
Select career highlights include serving as:
- Chair, Board of Directors, Georgia Regents University (GRU, now Augusta University) Research Institute, Inc., 2010-15
- Assist. Dean for Clinical & Translational Sciences (CTS), and Deputy Director, UCLA CTS Institute, UCLA School of Medicine, UCLA, 2008-10
- Acting Director, General Clinical Research Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (CSMC), 2008-09
- Program & Course Director, Young Investigators Academic Development Course, CSMC, 2005-10
- Director, Center for Androgen-Related Disorders, CSMC, 2003-10
- Founder and Senior Exec. Director the Androgen Excess & PCOS Society, 2002-19
- Member of the oversight committee for the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine; member of multiple NIH committees; and member, then chair, of the FDA Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee.
- Medical/scientific consultant/advisor for study design and product development for several pharmaceuticals and devices, 1990-Present
Dr. Azziz has been a long-term leader in academic medicine, involved in postgraduate and graduate medical training, and the management of healthcare entities intimately part of the academic health center. Among other areas, Dr. Azziz has focused on the development of graduate and postgraduate medical training; improved use of simulation for surgical training; the engagement of private physicians for undergraduate and graduate medical training; and leadership and faculty development talent.
Select career highlights as a leader and executive in academic medicine include serving as:
- President, Georgia Health Sciences University (previously called the Medical College of Georgia), the state’s only public health sciences university, and among other initiatives, leading the creation of the only public academic health center in Georgia, now including Georgia Regents Health System, 2010-13.
- Chief Officer of Academic Health and Hospital Affairs, State University of New York (SUNY) System Administration, 2016-19
- Representative, Council of Academic Societies, 2009-12; and member, Medical Leadership Council, 2010-15, American Association of Medical Colleges.
- Dean for Clinical & Translational Sciences (CTS), School of Medicine, UCLA, readying the university to obtain one of the last available institutional CTS Awards from the NIH, 2008-10.
- Assistant Dean for CTS, School of Medicine, UCLA, readying the university to obtain one of the last available institutional CTS Awards from the NIH, 2008-10.
- Professor, Depts. of Ob/Gyn and Medicine; Vice-Chair, Dept. of Ob/Gyn; Co-Director, Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility Fellowship Training Program, UCLA, 2002-10
- Chair, Dept. of Ob/Gyn at Cedars Sinai Medical Center (CSMC), leading the department to Top-20 nationally and helping ensure CSMC became a Top-15 hospital in NIH funding, 2002-10.
- Program Director, Ob/Gyn Residency Training, Dept. of Ob/Gyn, CSMC, 2002-07.
- Founding Program Director, REI Fellowship Training, Dept. of Ob/Gyn, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), 1992-02.
