UMMC 2 YOU - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Vice Chancellor
- Associate Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs
- Associate Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs Biography
Dr. Alan Jones was appointed associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs in March 2021. Jones works with executive leaders to provide strategic operational leadership for UMMC's clinical mission area. Jones works with administrative, physician and clinical leaders to provide oversight of health care delivery across the organization. Jones is charged with overseeing the delivery of patient-centered, high-quality care; achieving efficiency and standardizing clinical and business practices; and realizing targeted growth and strong financial performance.
A magna cum laude graduate of Millsaps College, where he received his B.S. in molecular biology in 1994, he earned his M.D. summa cum laude at UMMC in 1999. He had residency training in emergency medicine from 1999-02, was chief resident in emergency medicine from 2001-02, and had a clinical trials research fellowship from 2002-03 at Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Jones joined the Carolinas Medical Center faculty in 2003 as an assistant professor of emergency medicine and an assistant director of research. In 2007, he was promoted to associate professor of emergency medicine and, in 2010, became research director. Jones joined the Medical Center faculty in 2011 as professor of emergency medicine and vice chair and research director of the department. He ascended to chair the department in 2013. He also serves as the Medical Center's clinical response leader for the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Recipient of a 2020 SEC Faculty Achievement Award in recognition of an outstanding record in research and scholarship among faculty from Southeastern Conference-member universities, and recipient of the 2020 American College of Emergency Physicians' Award for Outstanding Contribution to Research, Jones is a Fellow of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine and of the American College of Emergency Physicians. He is a member of numerous professional societies; serves as associate editor of the Annals of Emergency Medicine and the Journal of Academic Emergency Medicine; and is on the editorial board of several professional journals. Jones served as the national president of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine for the 2013-14 academic year.
Jones has had a number of hospital, academic administration and academic education appointments at the Medical Center. He serves as chief operations physician, vice chair of the Council of Clinical Chairs, interim chief telehealth officer, chair of the Compliance Committee and director of the Clinical Trials Track, Master of Science Degree in Clinical Investigation, School of Graduate Studies in the Health Professions.
Job Titles:
- Associate General Counsel
Job Titles:
- Chief of Staff
- Chief of Staff, Office of the Vice Chancellor Biography
- Chief of Staff, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs
Dr. Brian Rutledge assumed his current role as chief of staff in 2012, after serving a decade at the Medical Center in increasingly responsible roles. Rutledge is the chief liaison between the vice chancellor and the UMMC executive staff as well as with other internal and external constituents. In addition to his daily advisory and operational roles, he oversees the Medical Center's marketing, development, public affairs and economic development functions.
Rutledge holds a PhD in clinical health sciences from UMMC and bachelor's and master's degrees from Mississippi College, the latter in health services administration. In 2013, he was honored as the MC Health Services Administration distinguished alumnus of the year.
Prior to assuming his current position, Rutledge served as the School of Medicine's director of accreditation and assessment and was instrumental in preparing the school for its successful reaccreditation in 2012. He has also served as an administrator in the Department of Internal Medicine and manager of emergency services in the Department of Emergency Medicine, a role that saw him work to implement Mississippi's first emergency telemedicine system.
Rutledge served as the congressional health policy fellow for U.S. Senator Thad Cochran in 2013-14. He holds faculty appointments in the UMMC Department of Health Sciences and UMMC Department of Health Administration, and has served as adjunct faculty at Hinds Community College. He enjoys competitive trivia games, driving for Meals on Wheels, and is a certified private pilot.
Job Titles:
- Project Manager, Office of Clinical Trials
Job Titles:
- Associate General Counsel
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer, University and Community Hospitals
- Chief Executive Officer, University and Community Hospitals Biography
- Role of CEO of University
Dodie McElmurray assumed the role of CEO of University and Community Hospitals January 8, 2024. In addition to retaining her role as the top executive for community hospitals, she is responsible for managing the budget, operations, strategy and staff of University Hospital facilities.
Before coming to the Medical Center, McElmurray served as chief operating officer at West Jefferson Medical Center and was former administrator of clinical support services at UMMC.
McElmurray received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Delta State University in 1997, then gained experience as a staff nurse at Continue Care Home Health in Indianola and at North Sunflower County Hospital in Ruleville before becoming a unit manager at Ruleville Healthcare. She served as director of nursing at the Walter B. Crook Nursing Facility in Ruleville and Beverly Healthcare in Searcy, Arkansas.
She initially joined UMMC in 2003 as an assistant director of nursing and received her Master of Science in Nursing and Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, Arizona. She served as UMMC's clinical director of neurosciences and orthopaedics, then as administrator of clinical support services from 2006-14.
She left the Medical Center to lead Greenwood Leflore Hospital as its chief operating officer before going to West Jefferson from 2017-19. McElmurray is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and serves on its Board of Governors. She also served as an ACHE regent for Mississippi from 2014-17, and was president-elect and president of Mississippi Healthcare Executives, an ACHE chapter, from 2013-14.
Job Titles:
- Distinguished Research Lecture Home
- History
Arthur C. Guyton was born in Oxford, Miss., on Sept. 8, 1919, to the late Dr. and Mrs. Billy S. Guyton. His father - an eye, ear, nose and throat specialist - was also dean of the two-year medical school on the Oxford campus. His mother, Kate, had taught mathematics and physics as a missionary in China.
He graduated from University High School with the highest academic average in his class and entered Ole Miss in 1936, completed his undergraduate work in three years, and again graduated at the top of his class.
As a medical student at Harvard, he attracted the attention of a biochemistry professor with his idea of a way to measure and differentiate ions in solutions. The professor turned over a small lab to the promising young scientists who spent his spare time thereafter pursuing experiments which caught his imagination.
In the middle of his senior year in medical school, he and his future wife Ruth Weigle began a serious courtship which culminated in marriage on June 12, 1943. Ruth, whose father was dean of Yale University Divinity School, was a recent graduate of Wellesley College and taught at Pine Manor Junior College in Wellesley.
He began a surgical internship at Massachusetts General Hospital shortly after his marriage. His training was interrupted by a call to serve in the U.S. Navy at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda and later at Camp Detrick, Md., where his work earned him an Army Commendation Citation.
After World War II ended, he returned to Massachusetts General to complete his residency. Less than a year later, he was stricken with polio which would leave his right leg and shoulder paralyzed.
During a nine-month recovery at Warm Springs, Ga., he designed a special leg brace, a hoist for moving patients from bed to chair to bathtub, and a motorized wheelchair controlled by an electric "joy stick." For these devices he received a presidential citation.
In 1947, the Guytons moved back to Oxford where he taught pharmacology in the two-year medical school. In 1948, he was named chairman of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics.
His now famous and widely used textbook, "Textbook of Medical Physiology," had its beginnings in Oxford. He decided that the text the students were using was unsatisfactory, and he began reading in diverse areas of physiology. In summarizing his reading, he wrote handouts for each section of the course and realized he had the core of a complete textbook.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research
- Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Biography
Caroline Compretta was appointed assistant vice chancellor for research on March 1, 2023. In addition to this role, she serves as associate professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine with additional appointments in Population Health Sciences, Pediatrics, and Advanced Biomedical Education. She is also core faculty in the UMMC Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities. Her research focuses on building effective and sustainable research programs to improve health in populations at risk for chronic disease.
A Hattiesburg native, Compretta graduated from Millsaps College before earning an MA and PhD in anthropology from the University of Kentucky and completing a post-doctoral research fellowship in medical anthropology from UMMC. She previously worked in the non-profit sector with underserved communities, and she remains engaged in these efforts through her research and as a volunteer.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer, Children 's of Mississippi Biography
- Mississippi 's Chief Executive Officer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Academic Officers Team
- Dean of the School of Health Related Professions Biography
Dr. John C. "Jay" Garner is the fifth dean of the School of Health Related Professions.
Garner earned his PhD in Biomechanics and his Master of Science in Exercise Science/Lipid Metabolism from Auburn University. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from Delta State University, while completing an All-American baseball career. His area of research is the biomechanics of human movement in work and sports settings, specifically focusing on footwear and posture mechanics. He has a strong reputation for scholarship with his research works recognized through invitations to serve as an editorial board member for several journals, session chair for both regional and international conferences, textbook reviewer, invited author for a biomechanics textbook, and expert consultant for several trade magazines. He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with Distinction (CSCS*D) and has worked with numerous collegiate, Olympic and professional athletes in movement analysis.
Dr. Garner spent the previous seven years at Troy University, first as chair of the Department of Kinesiology & Health Promotion and then as Dean of the College of Health & Human Services. During his time at Troy, he became one of five people selected as a Troy University Chancellor's Fellow by the Institute of Leadership Development.
Previously, he worked for the University of Mississippi in Oxford for nine years, within the Department of Health, Exercise Science and Recreation Management, where he served various roles, including Director of the Applied Biomechanics Laboratory, Graduate Program Director, as well as Department Chair. Among his numerous distinctions at Ole Miss, he was named a Fellow of the Academic Leadership Development Program of the Southeastern Conference.
Job Titles:
- Chief Administrative Officer
Jonathan Wilson was appointed chief administrative officer in 2014. He coordinates the Medical Center's administrative services including the Mississippi Center for Emergency Services; the Office of Planning, Design and Construction; the Campus Police Department; the Office of Physical Facilities; and various other institutional operations.
Over the last decade, Wilson has distinguished himself through his leadership and development of UMMC's emergency response capabilities. He serves on several local, state and national work groups associated with the planning and implementation of emergency and disaster health care services. This work included the response and recovery efforts associated with incidents such as Hurricane Katrina, H1N1 flu and Ebola Virus Disease as well as developing emergency plans for future emerging threats.
Wilson earned a doctor of philosophy degree at the University of Mississippi School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences. His research interests are civilian disaster health-care response systems, pre-hospital care and aeromedical transport.
He is an active member of the Mississippi Nurses Association, the American Nurses Association, the Emergency Nurses Association, the Air and Surface Transport Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau, Nu Beta Chapter and the Ole Miss Alumni Association.
Wilson enjoys travel with his wife, Cristy, spending quality time with family and friends, and supporting Ole Miss athletics.
Job Titles:
- Chief Nursing Executive
- Chief Nursing Executive at the University of Mississippi Medical Center
- Chief Nursing Executive Biography
Dr. Kristina "Kris" Cherry assumed her role as chief nursing executive at the University of Mississippi Medical Center on Jan. 3, 2022. She oversees more than 3,000 UMMC nurses representing about half of all hospital staff positions.
She came to UMMC from Tennova Healthcare-Cleveland, a two-campus hospital system in Cleveland, Tennessee, where she served as chief nursing officer.
Cherry provides leadership for the defined standard of nursing excellence and enhances the organizational vision and mission of the health system. She develops, recommends and implements solutions to meet organizational goals and standards.
She also works with other nurse leaders to improve quality of care and patient satisfaction and to identify innovative and strategic ways to improve financial performance.
Cherry has more than 30 years of nursing experience, including 15 years in nurse executive level positions in community, academic and for-profit medical centers. She has been successful in the development of leaders and service lines, enhancing physician and associate engagement, improving clinical and operational performance and creating a culture of excellence.
She is known for her passion for a patient-centric approach to care, staff wellness, inclusion and development.
Before her service in Cleveland, Tennessee, Cherry was a nursing administrator at St. Frances Hospital in Bartlett, Tennessee, where she was the chief nursing officer; Houston (Texas) Methodist Medical Center, as associate chief nursing officer; and CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital in Alexandria, Louisiana, as chief nursing officer.
She has earned multiple honors, among them top nurse leadership awards and accolades for procuring research grants. She has served as an active member or officer of several community boards and professional organizations, including the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, the American Nurses Association and the American Organization of Nursing Leadership.
She has contributed to nursing research through publications in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Quality and Patient Safety and Journal of Nursing Education and Practice.
Cherry received her Master of Nursing degree from Emory University and Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is a nationally certified nurse executive-advanced, a family nurse practitioner and an alumnus certified critical care nurse.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Vice Chancellor
- Associate Vice Chancellor for Research
- Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Biography
Gene "Lee" Bidwell was appointed associate vice chancellor for research on July 1, 2023. In this role, he supports oversight of the Medical Center's research mission and is responsible for enhancing basic, clinical and population research. He also serves as professor and chief of the Neurology Basic Science Research Division and interim associate director of basic science research for the Cancer Center and Research Institute.
His funded research projects focus on developing new treatments for stroke, diseases of the eye, chronic kidney disease and pregnancy disorders without risking harm to the developing fetus.
An inventor on 11 patents, Bidwell has published nearly 60 research papers, and has received over $10 million in extramural research funding, for which he has been awarded platinum (2023), gold (2017), silver (2014) and bronze (2009) medals during UMMC's annual Excellence in Research Awards ceremonies.
Dr. Bidwell has been at UMMC since 2002. Since earning a PhD in biochemistry and completing a postdoctoral fellowship in biochemistry, he has held roles at every level, providing him a broad perspective of the research conducted at the Medical Center while fostering a deep appreciation for the research mission and a desire to see it grow.
A leader in science research, he currently chairs the American Physiological Society Central Nervous System Steering Committee and the UMMC Neurology Translational Research Committee.
A native of Greenwood, Bidwell lives in Brandon with wife Josie, associate professor of preventive medicine, and their two sons.
Dr. Lisa Didion assumed the role of chief medical officer Jan. 1, 2023. In this role, she has oversight of accreditation, clinical risk management, infection prevention, quality and safety, and performance improvement, as well as the data management and reporting for all of those areas.
She is currently a professor in the Department of Pediatrics and is board certified in general pediatrics and pediatric hospital medicine.
Her career trajectory includes the administrative roles of associate CMO for Children's of Mississippi and for the Office of the Chief Medical Officer; the Office of Patient Experience's first medical director; and the first medical director of care coordination. Dr. Didion oversees a steering committee for the Office of Operational Excellence, which works to expand successful practices in patient quality, safety, outcomes and experience to include operational and financial improvement work.
Dr. Didion received undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Iowa. She completed her pediatric residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, serving as chief resident, and was an assistant professor at the Medical College of Georgia from 2009-2011 before coming to UMMC as an assistant professor of pediatrics. She is currently a professor of pediatrics.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Academic Officers Team
- Member of the School of Medicine Curriculum Committee
- Vice Dean for Medical Education / Professor of Emergency Medicine
- Vice Dean for Medical Education, School of Medicine Biography
Dr. Loretta Jackson-Williams grew up in Indianola, Miss., where she attended Gentry High School. Both of her parents worked in the Sunflower County School system, her father as a principal and her mother as a resource teacher.
In 1987 she graduated from Tougaloo College with a degree in chemistry. While in college, she intermittently worked as a substitute teacher in her local public school system. In 1994 she completed her studies at Boston University School of Medicine in Boston, Mass., with a doctorate in biochemistry and a medical degree. During the summer of 1991, she worked with the Summer Science Program at Tougaloo College as the chemistry lab instructor and mentor for the attendees.
From Boston she traveled to California and completed her residency in emergency medicine at Highland Hospital in the Alameda County Medical Center of Oakland, Calif., in 1998. As a resident she served as the research chief. She remained as a junior attending at Highland Hospital after completion of residency and was responsible for the educational program for rotating residents in the Emergency Department. Jackson-Williams joined the faculty of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 1999, with a focus on student education in the department. She served as the clerkship director from 1999-2008 and the assistant program director from 2001-03. During this time she developed a sustained educational program for students and residents.
Jackson-Williams has been a member of the School of Medicine Curriculum Committee since 2000 and has served as its chair since 2008. During that same year she joined the administrative team of the School of Medicine as assistant dean for academic affairs. In 2009 she was named associate dean for academic affairs. In 2015 her responsibilities were expanded when she was named Vice Dean for Medical Education. She is committed to delivering an exceptional educational program to produce competent, capable and compassionate physicians.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine Biography / Executive Cabinet
Job Titles:
- Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
- Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Biography
Dr. Natalie W. Gaughf assumed her role as assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs on April 1, 2022. In this position, she is working alongside Dr. Scott Rodgers, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and chief academic officer, in supporting the academic mission for the Medical Center's six health professions schools.
Gaughf, who joined the Medical Center faculty in 2003, has served in a variety of other leadership and faculty roles, including professor of family medicine, professor of population health science, associate dean for student affairs for the School of Population Health, acting executive director of the Myrlie Evers-Williams Institute for the Elimination of Health Disparities, and director of the Office of Academic Support.
She has also served as the John D. Bower School of Population Health's interim dean.
In 2002, she earned a PhD in counseling psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi and completed her residency in clinical psychology at the VA Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System in Biloxi. She completed a health psychology postdoctoral fellowship in primary care at UMMC.
In the School of Dentistry at UMMC, she held faculty or leadership positions in the Department of Care Planning and Restorative Sciences; the ACT Center for Tobacco Treatment, Education and Research; the Department of Pediatric and Public Health Dentistry; and Faculty Research Development.
In the School of Medicine, she held faculty appointments in the Department of Family Medicine and the Department of Otolaryngology & Communicative Sciences.
Gaughf's service on committees, advisory boards and task forces at UMMC is extensive, as is her list of peer-reviewed publications, poster presentations, and professional presentations. She is the co-author of two book chapters.
Gaughf has been licensed as a psychologist since 2005.Her honors include receiving the President's Award for Dedication and Commitment to the Organization and being recognized as a fellow by the Mississippi Psychological Association. She served on the Mississippi Board of Psychology from 2016 to 2022. Since January 2023, she has served on the American Psychological Association's Council of Representatives.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs
- Assistant Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs Biography
- Professor
Dr. Sara Gleason, professor and interim chair of psychiatry and human behavior, will assume the role of assistant vice chancellor for clinical affairs on July 1, 2023. She will be a key partner between administrative and physician leadership to drive change in areas of strategic importance, particularly in the efficiency of the clinical mission.
A 2004 graduate of the School of Medicine, Gleason completed psychiatry residency at UMMC in 2008. After working as a staff psychiatrist at Mississippi State Hospital and at G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery Veterans Affairs Medical Center, she returned to UMMC in 2016 as director of consultation-liaison psychiatry. Departmental leadership positions have included deputy vice chair of clinical affairs, vice chair for faculty development, and executive vice chair. Gleason serves as director of community engagement for UMMC's Center for Innovation and Discovery in Addictions and as a consultant at Methodist Rehabilitation Center and for the Asylum Hill Research Consortium. She is a core faculty member of UMMC's Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities. In 2021 she was appointed to the Mississippi Board of Mental Health as the psychiatrist representative.
Gleason earned her undergraduate degree in public and international affairs from Princeton University in 1989 and JD from the University of Michigan Law School in 1992. In 2019 she completed the executive MBA program at the Else School of Management at Millsaps College.
Job Titles:
- Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Biography
Job Titles:
- Member of the Academic Officers Team
- Dean of the School of Dentistry Biography
Job Titles:
- Member of the Academic Officers Team
- Dean of the School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences Biography
Job Titles:
- Member of the Academic Officers Team
- Dean of the School of Population Health Biography
Job Titles:
- Member of the Academic Officers Team
- Dean of the School of Nursing Biography
Job Titles:
- Research Information Manager, Office of Clinical Trials
Job Titles:
- Claims Investigation Manager
Job Titles:
- Chief Human Resources Officer
Frank Lenior is chief human resources officer and has 25 years of experience in the field in both health care and academia.
His career has included positions at St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson, as vice president of human resources and support services, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System in Baton Rouge, as vice president and regional chief people officer, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center in Nashville, as human resources manager of affiliated entities; Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, as director of human resources; Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, also as director of human resources; and Mercy Health System in St. Louis, as executive director and vice president of human resources.
He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Mississippi.
Job Titles:
- Associate General Counsel
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- UMMC 's Chief Financial Officer
Jennifer Sinclair, UMMC's chief financial officer, was appointed April 24, 2023. She has oversight of the Medical Center's finances and budget.
Sinclair has more than 23 years of experience as a health care executive, most recently serving as vice president of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi. Prior to that, she was vice president and regional chief financial officer at Bon Secours Mercy Health in Toledo, Ohio, and executive vice president of operations and senior vice president of finance at St. Dominic Jackson Memorial Hospital. She started her career with Ernst & Young in Jackson and Memphis.
Sinclair earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and a Master of Business Administration degree from Mississippi State University. In addition to being a CPA, Sinclair is a Certified Healthcare Financial Professional.
Job Titles:
- Chief Information Officer
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of Communications and Marketing
Leading strategic communications of the University of Mississippi Medical Center is Marc Rolph, who has served as executive director of communications and marketing since 2019.
In his current role, Rolph oversees internal and external communications and marketing initiatives for the state's only academic medical center. He is heavily involved in projects serving each of the institution's three primary mission areas of health sciences education, biomedical research and patient care. He manages a full complement of creative professionals across multiple disciplines including public and media relations, web strategy, digital and social media, and to carry out institutional, school-based and departmental communications and marketing efforts. Rolph works closely with Medical Center leadership to plan and implement strategic executive-level communications and serves as the institution's spokesperson.
Following college, Rolph had news/sports videographer positions in Jackson, Mississippi and Knoxville, Tennessee. Rolph then spent 10 years managing video productions for Mississippi State University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications (broadcasting). While a senior video producer at the University Television Center, Rolph transitioned to a shared position with MSU University Relations, where he became involved with the strategic development and implementation of institutional communications. With this change, he began to pivot away from video production toward broader communications and marketing activities.
Following his service at MSU, Rolph was the marketing coordinator for Millsaps College in Jackson, adding marketing experience to his professional portfolio. In 2012, he joined the Office of Public Affairs at UMMC, giving him the opportunity to add academic medicine to his expanding communication and marketing resume.
Throughout his career, Rolph has maintained an active role in regional and national trade associations related to his respective occupational duties. He has represented communications fields - including corporate and news broadcasting, higher education and academic medicine - at national conferences and smaller meetings.
Rolph is married to Dr. Stephanie Rolph, an associate professor of history and director of experiential learning and strategic initiatives at Millsaps College. They have two children, Campbell and Scarlett, and live in Gluckstadt.
Job Titles:
- Project Manager, Office of Clinical Trials
Job Titles:
- Manager - Legal Office Operations
Job Titles:
- Project Manager, Office of Clinical Trials
Job Titles:
- Chief Legal Officer
- General Counsel
- General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer Biography