This message was sent from Upi Singh, MD, Chair & DEO of the Department of Internal Medicine earlier today.

The Department of Internal Medicine is pleased to announce that Justin Smock, MD, clinical professor of internal medicine, will become interim director for the Division of General Internal Medicine (GIM), effective September 1. Dr. Smock assumes the role from Kevin Glenn, MD, who has announced his intention to undertake a phased retirement.

We are deeply grateful to Dr. Glenn for stepping into the Interim DD role two and a half years ago. Until now, GIM was the largest division in our department with a massive clinical footprint in University of Iowa Health Care, in addition to its broad and critical research and education activities. Managing this division takes a nimble and creative problem-solver and Kevin’s good humor and diplomacy made him effective during his tenure. He has all of our gratitude for his significant efforts and leadership.

We have recently announced that the Division of Hospital Medicine will become a separate division to be led by Jeydith Gutierrez, MD. We are now pleased to announce leadership for the Division of General Internal Medicine, which will include our primary care and palliative care programs as well as the GIM research teams.

Dr. Smock is a notable and natural successor to Dr. Glenn. He has deep roots in UI Health Care that stretch back to medical school through internal medicine residency and even a year as Chief Resident here. The co-passions for leadership and for education that he showed as Chief served him well after he joined our faculty as a hospitalist. He deepened his understanding and advocacy for the use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) and became medical director of 6RC, quickly followed by appointments as associate program director for the same residency program that trained him as well as residency site director at the Iowa City VA Health System. In the years since he has trained countless residents and served as a mentor for many, including helping build and guide what has become an award-winning and ground-breaking distinction track in POCUS for our residents.

Dr. Smock’s innovative thinking and comfort with creating new systems will serve him well as the next interim division director for GIM. As we establish the new Division of Hospital Medicine and its separation from GIM, it will be important that GIM’s leader understands and respects traditional models while still having the ability to identify and capitalize on novel opportunity.

We will launch a national search for a permanent director at a later time. In the meantime, Dr. Smock has our thanks for his years of service to the institution and for his new work leading and continuing to grow the GIM division during this period of transition. Please join me in thanking Dr. Justin Smock for his dedication to the department and congratulating him on his new role in the division.