Muller selected as chair-elect to Association of American Medical Colleges

Ralph Muller, President and Chief Executive Officer of the University of Chicago Hospitals & Health System, has been selected as chair-elect of the Association of American Medical Colleges.

He will succeed William Peck, M.D., executive dean of Washington University School of Medicine as chair in November 1999.

The AAMC is the primary organization representing the institutions that provide support for all complex patient care, medical education and biomedical research.

“It’s an honor to be chosen,” said Muller, “and a considerable responsibility, especially in the current, rapidly shifting health-care arena.”

Muller, 53, is only the third chair since that office was created in 1968 who is not a physician or scientist.

Muller plans to maintain the AAMC’s traditional leadership role as an advocate for increased research funding and improvements in medical education and also work to help build a new coalition to improve access to medical care.

“Health care was a crucial issue in the 1992 election when we had 37 million Americans without adequate coverage,” said Muller.

“Now we have 45 million. I’d like to see even greater interest and accountability in the 2000 campaign.”

Muller has served as President and CEO of the University of Chicago Hospitals since 1985 and has helped to build it into a $670 million health-care system.

He has long been active in AAMC and related organizations, serving last year as chair of the AAMC’s Council of Teaching Hospitals and Health Systems.

He has held leadership roles at the University Health System Consortium and is Chairman of the Board of the National Opinion Research Center in Chicago.