Dear colleagues,
As we head into the summer months, our work supporting Michigan State University’s operational excellence continues moving forward.
Promoting health and well-being are at the core of Michigan State’s values, and we have long recognized their centrality to all our aspirations toward academic, professional and life success. So, I am writing to you today about a realignment in our offices charged with safeguarding the health of our campus.
University Health and Wellbeing will add the responsibilities of the university physician as part of our dedication to fostering a healthier, more supportive campus environment. This will eliminate the need for a separate university physician office. Key areas of focus will continue to be:
- Generating and distributing policies and information on emerging health‐related topics to the university community;
- Collaborating with local and state public health officials to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies;
- Sending seasonal health updates and vaccination reminders and overseeing the immunization student self-report process;
- Supporting education abroad through risk and security assessment and medical withdrawal requests;
- Providing health and medical consultation for campus administrators;
- Collaborating with the Emergency Management Advisory Committee to enhance preparedness and respond to campus emergencies.
MSU established University Health and Wellbeing in 2022, uniting health and well-being units across campus. This integration positioned MSU as one of the few universities in the country to offer truly holistic care for students, faculty and staff. While there will no longer be a university physician position, key UHW leaders will assume expanded responsibilities to ensure continued coverage and support are maintained:
- Alexis Travis, Ph.D., assistant vice president and assistant provost, University Health and Wellbeing
- Tim Spedoske, M.D., University Health and Wellbeing medical director
- Julia Popenoe, M.D., assistant medical director, University Health and Wellbeing Campus Health Services
We extend our gratitude to University Physician Michael Brown for his dedication and leadership in advancing campus health. His commitment has helped lay the foundation for this next chapter, and we are grateful for his service to the university community. Dr. Brown will continue to serve as chair of emergency medicine in the College of Human Medicine.
Sincerely,
Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D.
President
Professor, Department of Kinesiology