Michael Ober, MD, is moving on from his role as Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs for the Department of Medicine.
Later this summer, Dr. Ober will take an exciting leadership role at IU Health West as Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, where he will have the opportunity to lead and develop the implementation of systems, plans, processes and personnel on a large scale.
Dr. Ober has served as Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs for 14 years. During that time, he has made a remarkable impact on the clinical operations of the Department of Medicine, overseeing as many as 16 service lines and assisting in the transition of multiple practice groups to Indiana University Health Physicians. Additionally, in recent years, he has focused his responsibilities on wellness, leading and collaborating on multiple initiatives and programs to improve the well-being of our clinicians.
Dr. Ober’s service to the department predates his time as Vice Chair. He has been a member of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep & Occupational Medicine for 24 years, where he has held numerous leadership roles, and additionally served on the department’s clinical affairs leadership team as Medical Director of Ambulatory Clinics from 2002 to 2012.
As the department’s Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs, Dr. Ober has been a wonderful presence in the Chair’s office, greatly appreciated and well-respected by his colleagues for his great talent, leadership and warm collegiality.
"Mike Ober is an outstanding talent and has served our department incredibly well as the Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs and Wellness,"said David Aronoff, MD, Chair of the Department of Medicine. "We will miss him dearly over here in Emerson Hall."
Kerry Makielski, who is Vice Chair for Clinical and Academic Administration, described him as "an amazing leader, colleague, and friend."
Sylk Sotto, EdD, MBA, MPS, recalled how Dr. Ober welcomed her when she joined the department, and has been a great partner in serving the clinical mission and wellness efforts.
"We’ve been through transitions together and innumerable conversations. I will miss a friend and wish him all the best on the world," said Sotto, who is Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs and Professional Development and Vice-chair for Diversity, Health Equity, and Inclusion.
Finally, Tara Casey, our Associate Vice Chair for Clinical Operations, summed it up well:
“Dr. Ober has been a great partner in leading the clinical operations of the Department of Medicine through difficult times such as the recent COVID surges,” she said. “He will bring much experience and leadership to his community hospital, IU Health West. I am thrilled that we will continue to work together to improve care for IU Health patients.”
The department will communicate more details regarding the timing of this transition when they are available. "In the meantime, we wish to express our deep gratitude for Dr. Ober, and congratulate him on this tremendous step forward in his career," Aronoff said.
