Syracuse University has announced the appointment of Dr. James R. Jacobs as director of Health Services. Jacobs will begin as director on August 13.
"We are extremely pleased that Dr. Jacobs has joined Syracuse University as the director of Health Services. His clinical skills as a physician with a high standard of care are excellent, and his experience demonstrates a commitment to and passion for college health care and wellness," says Barry L. Wells, senior vice president and dean of student affairs. "Dr. Jacobs is an exceedingly bright, hard-working individual who is well-liked and well-regarded by students and peers. We extend our warmest wishes and look forward to him leading Health Services toward a vision of local primary care excellence and national prominence as a model college health care organization."
Jacobs comes to SU with over 16 years of experience in the medical profession, most recently as the medical director for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte's Brocker Health Center and as an emergency physician at Mid-Atlantic Emergency Medical Associates.
His professional experience began as a member of the faculty at Duke University, where for eight years he did research in the Department of Anesthesiology and taught in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. He later attended medical school and then did a residency in emergency medicine. Jacobs holds a B.E.S. and Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, respectively. He earned his M.D. from the Duke University School of Medicine.
"I am exceedingly pleased to join the Division of Student Affairs at Syracuse University. It is with great anticipation and excitement that I look forward to working with my new colleagues in Health Services, with constituencies across the campus and with the students who attend this magnificent University," says Jacobs.
As director of Health Services, Jacobs will partner with Health Services staff, colleagues in the Division of Student Affairs and other members of the University community to identify and implement strategies and practices to create a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to wellness on campus.
He will oversee a multidisciplinary team of 47 clinical and administrative staff; manage a medical quality assurance and organizational assessment program; supervise a health education and promotion program; coordinate with government agencies and local health care facilities; manage the Health Services operating budget; and carry a small case load of patients.
