Profile: Michael Sander, MD, BCOS

Biography

Dr. Michael Sander, a native of Weslaco, is a Chief Physician Executive, Chair of Surgical Specialty & MSK, and an Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the UTRGV School of Medicine.

Dr. Sander graduated with his bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at Austin. He went on to receive his medical degree with honors from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. For his orthopedic surgery residency, Dr. Sander attended the University of Iowa Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation. He then completed his orthopedic sports fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Dr. Sander is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and is board-certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery.

Dr. Sander currently serves as a board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon at UT Health RGV. He provides advanced treatment to patients with a variety of orthopedic conditions, and he specializes in helping patients regain mobility and functionality with the goal of long-term success.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Physician Executive of UT Health RGV

• Leads and directs the collaboration with management, medical staff, and other constituents to improve clinical operations, ensure quality and safety, build strategy, and grow patient volume across UT Health RGV.
• Provides physician leadership in development of health system programs, including UT Health RGV Specialty Care center (cancer/surgery center).
• Understands the issues and challenges facing the clinical, education and research elements of UTRGV SOM, assures clinical environment supports all missions, with a full understanding of and ability to respond effectively to elements that drive competitive advantage.
• Champions lean thinking, approaches, and methods of process improvement, and ongoing monitoring to continue improvement.
• Integrates clinical administrative leadership plans into existing channels to identify, develop, and mentor future leaders across the enterprise.

Chair of Surgical Specialty & MSK

• Shall be directly accountable to the Dean.
• Shall be responsible for the administration of his/her Department/Center/Institute.
• Shall hold regular meetings of the Department/Center/Institute faculty to present pertinent information and to discuss issues that may include, among others, Department/Center/Institute or SOM policies, educational, research and service programs, long-range objectives, and current problems. Chairpersons of larger Departments and Directors of larger Centers/Institutes that have been divided into Sections/Programs may elect to have regular meetings with the SectionsChiefs/Program Directors rather than with the entire faculty, with the expectation that the Chiefs will meet with their section/program faculty to present and discuss matters from the Section Chiefs'/Program Directors' meetings at regular intervals.
• Shall recruit and recommend to the Dean the appointment of faculty and other personnel.
• Shall be responsible for his/her Department's/Center's/Institute’s role in carrying out the programs that are the responsibility of SOM faculty.
• Shall be responsible for the implementation of all UTRGV and SOM policies and regulations applicable to the Department/Center/Institute.
• Shall prepare the Department/Center/Institute budget to be submitted to the Dean annually including recommendations for compensation of both faculty and non-faculty personnel.
• Shall be responsible for the budgetary control of his/her Department/Center/Institute and for the allocation of space within his/her Department/Center/Institute.
• Shall recommend faculty appointments, promotions, and tenure to the Dean and pertinent UTRGV SOM committee for review and processing.
• Shall organize the Department/Center/Institute in a way that best serves the needs of the Department/Center/Institute and SOM and provide for appropriate interaction with Department/Center/Institute faculty and between its faculty and leadership.
• Shall be responsible for the career development and mentoring of faculty members in his/her department.

Interim Chair of Surgery

• Shall be directly accountable to the Dean.
• Shall be responsible for the administration of his/her Department/Center/Institute.
• Shall hold regular meetings of the Department/Center/Institute faculty to present pertinent information and to discuss issues that may include, among others, Department/Center/Institute or SOM policies, educational, research and service programs, long-range objectives, and current problems. Chairpersons of larger Departments and Directors of larger Centers/Institutes that have been divided into Sections/Programs may elect to have regular meetings with the SectionsChiefs/Program Directors rather than with the entire faculty, with the expectation that the Chiefs will meet with their section/program faculty to present and discuss matters from the Section Chiefs'/Program Directors' meetings at regular intervals.
• Shall recruit and recommend to the Dean the appointment of faculty and other personnel.
• Shall be responsible for his/her Department's/Center's/Institute’s role in carrying out the programs that are the responsibility of SOM faculty.
• Shall be responsible for the implementation of all UTRGV and SOM policies and regulations applicable to the Department/Center/Institute.
• Shall prepare the Department/Center/Institute budget to be submitted to the Dean annually including recommendations for compensation of both faculty and non-faculty personnel.
• Shall be responsible for the budgetary control of his/her Department/Center/Institute and for the allocation of space within his/her Department/Center/Institute.
• Shall recommend faculty appointments, promotions, and tenure to the Dean and pertinent UTRGV SOM committee for review and processing.
• Shall organize the Department/Center/Institute in a way that best serves the needs of the Department/Center/Institute and SOM and provide for appropriate interaction with Department/Center/Institute faculty and between its faculty and leadership.
• Shall be responsible for the career development and mentoring of faculty members in his/her department.