Badrinath R. Konety, MBBS, MBA, has been appointed the next dean of Rush Medical College, Rush University announced today. Konety, who also will serve as the senior vice president for clinical affairs Rush University System for Health, will assume his new roles on July 1.
Konety currently serves as associate dean for innovation at University of Minnesota Medical School. He also held the roles of chief executive officer of the University of Minnesota Physicians and chief clinical officer for M Health Fairview.
“Dr. Konety is an accomplished leader, clinician, researcher and scholar,” said Dr. Sherine Gabriel, Rush University president and chief academic officer of Rush University System for Health. “He is drawn to Rush by the opportunity to lead ongoing health care transformation through innovative research and education and by the organization’s commitment to high-quality clinical care. His track record as a teacher, clinician and role model is consistent with his commitment to graduate and undergraduate medical education, as well as inter-professional and community engagement.”
The director of the Institute for Prostate and Urologic Cancer at U of M Medical School, Konety also served as the chair of urology for a decade. He currently holds the Dougherty Family Chair in Uro-Oncology at U of M, and served as the chair of the Oncology Service Line Steering Committee; associate director for clinical affairs and clinical research, Masonic Cancer Center; and chair of the finance committee for University of Minnesota Physicians.
“Dr. Konety is an experienced physician-scholar and leader whose ideals fit beautifully with the culture of Rush University and Rush University System for Health,” said Carole Browe Segal, chair of the Rush University Board of Governors and co-chair of the dean search committee.
“His vision is very effectively aligned with Rush’s mission, vision and values,” said Dr. Vijaya Reddy, chair of the dean search committee and the Harriet Blair Borland Professor and chairperson of Rush’s Department of Pathology. “Dr. Konety will work to create an environment that is conducive to collaboration and innovation in the Medical College.”
Konety graduated from M.S. Ramaiah Medical College of Bangalore University in India before coming to the United States for a research fellowship in the Department of Urology at the Veterans Administration Medical Center/University of California San Francisco. He then completed his surgical and urology residencies and an American Foundation for Urologic Diseases Research Scholar fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh, where Konety also received his Master of Business Administration. He completed his urologic oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
Konety is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the American Urologic Association and American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons. He is the immediate past president of the Societe Internationale d’Urologie and the Society of Academic Urology. He has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles. He is on the editorial board of several journals and is a member of multiple guideline panels.
A widely recognized expert on prostate and bladder cancer, Konety has given presentations on a wide range of urologic oncology topics nationally and internationally and has been listed been listed among the Best Doctors in America since 2009. He has been awarded a number of grants from the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Dr. Konety’s experience with building and growing clinical programs, service line design, and innovation in the delivery of health care is extraordinarily exciting to have joining us at Rush,” said Dr. Omar Lateef, chief executive officer of Rush University Medical Center. “We believe he will be an excellent fit with Rush’s strategies and goals for the future.”
“The Rush reputation for excellence in clinical care, research and education is widely recognized,” Konety said. “It is truly humbling to be selected to serve in this critical role. I am eager to join the Rush University family and help to advance the mission of Rush University System for Health.”
Konety will succeed Dr. Dino Rumoro, who has served as acting dean since May 2019 while Rush conducted its search for a replacement for Dr. Ranga Krishnan, who became CEO of Rush University System for Health the same month.