LECOM Grad Mark Kauffman, DO, to Succeed Associate Dean Robert George, DO
Bradenton, Fla. (Jan. 2, 2018) — Silvia Ferretti, D.O., Provost, Senior Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) announced a change in leadership at the college’s campus in Bradenton, Florida.
Mark Kauffman, D.O., MS Med Ed, will be assuming the position of Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at LECOM Bradenton currently held by Robert George, D.O., who is retiring after 14 years with the College. Dr. Kauffman is currently Associate Dean of Students, Enrollment Management and Graduate Studies at LECOM.
“It is appropriate that the founding dean of LECOM Bradenton, Dr. George, mentored and helped select his successor, a LECOM graduate from the early years of the Erie campus,” Dr Ferretti said. Dr. George will become Dean Emeritus with duties that include teaching, recruiting and fundraising.
Dr. Kauffman, received his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree from LECOM in Erie, Pennsylvania, with the Class of 2000 and began practicing Family Medicine after completing his residency at Millcreek Community Hospital, an affiliate of LECOM Health, in Erie.
In 2007, he returned to LECOM full time, developing the History and Physical Examination curriculum, becoming Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and then
Assistant Dean of LECOM’s School of Graduate Studies.
Having earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies from
St. Francis College, Loretto, PA, he served as a member of the pediatric transplant team at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. His experience as a physician assistant who became a physician led Dr. Kauffman to develop the Accelerated Physician Assistant Pathway at LECOM, the only accelerated medical school program in the U.S. that allows certified physician assistants to obtain a DO degree in three years.
“I first joined the LECOM family in 1996 as a College of Medicine student. I am frequently asked what it is that has kept me here so long. The innovation that LECOM shows comes from careful assessment of the needs of the community and how to prepare our students to meet those needs,” Dr. Kauffman said.
“Focus on the holistic success of our students: mind, body and spirit is the hallmark of my leadership vision,” he said. “I am grateful to have the opportunity to share it.”
Dr. Kauffmann also led the development of the Masters in Health Services Administration, which prepares administrative leaders for the changing world of healthcare. He is the author of several medical textbooks including History and Physical Examination: A Common Sense Approach, its companion workbook, and the COMLEX Level 2-PE Review Guide.