University of South Florida

CBCS Dean Accepts Prestigious HHS Appointment

TAMPA, Fla. (Oct. 22, 2009) – A prestigious appointment for University of South Florida College of Behavioral & Community Sciences Dean Junius Gonzales, MD, places the seasoned expert at the leading edge of the nation’s changing health care system.  Dr. Gonzales, who also serves as executive director of the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, has accepted a three-year appointment by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to serve on the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) National Advisory Council.

A 21-member panel of private-sector experts representing health care plans, providers, purchasers, consumers and researchers comprises the council.  They are being called upon to contribute varied perspectives on the health care system and provide recommendations to the AHRQ director and the HHS secretary on priorities for a national health services research agenda planning.  

HHS is the principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans by providing effective services.  AHRQ is the health services research arm of HHS.  In fiscal year 2007, AHRQ created the Comparative Effectiveness Portfolio to provide health care decision-makers —including patients, clinicians, purchasers, and policymakers — with up-to-date, evidence-based information about their treatment options to make informed health care decisions.

The White House transition team recently utilized Dr. Gonzales’ expertise while formulating priorities and policies for HHS.  He brings a unique combination of medical training — including psychiatric residencies at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School — and management expertise gained while working for top-tier public and private health organizations.  He has dedicated the past 18 years to developing, overseeing and nurturing cutting-edge research, training and evaluation projects.  He recognizes the vital connection between research, practice, education and policy to create lasting, widespread improvement.

Under the direction and leadership of Dr. Gonzales, the newly created BCS secured $39 million in external funding in FY 2008-09, second only to the College of Medicine at USF.  Dr. Gonzales is currently the principal investigator on a $1.24 million research grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  to reduce healthcare disparities among Latinos with co-occurring depression and chronic medical conditions.  He is also PI on a $285,000 NIH grant to develop a three-year integrated, interdisciplinary research conference series.