New chief of staff to focus on efficiency, productivity

June 28, 2012 | News, UToday
By Meghan Cunningham



Dr. Kristopher Brickman will bring his more than 25 years experience in emergency medicine and trauma care to the Chief of Staff Office as he focuses on improving efficiency and productivity at The University of Toledo Medical Center.

Brickman

Brickman, who will begin his appointment as the University’s 24th chief of staff July 1, has led the UTMC Department of Emergency Medicine since he was appointed its medical director at the former Medical College of Ohio Hospital in 1991.

He also serves as associate professor and chair of emergency medicine, director of the Office of Global Health and president of UT Physicians.

“I look forward to engaging the medical staff and hospital to assess our processes and to find ways to be more productive and efficient,” Brickman said. “There are a great number of opportunities for collaboration not only between departments, but between individual physicians as well. I’d like to make a concerted effort to promote collaboration.”

Brickman also said improved communication will be a focus of his two-year term. Better communication between health-care providers is essential, but most important is communication with patients and their families, he said.

He commended the improvements UTMC has made in recent years to become more focused on patients and to improve customer service at the hospital, and said he would like to build on that momentum.

“It’s important to continue our efforts to make this an institution people want to come to,” he said.

Brickman received his medical degree from the Wright State University School of Medicine and a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Ohio State University.

While at Ohio State, he was a member of the OSU wrestling team and has continued his sports interests, serving as an assistant wrestling coach at St. John’s High School and team physician and medical adviser for all of its sports programs. In 2006, he received the Ohio Outstanding Team Physician Award from the Ohio State Medical Board.

Brickman has participated in 10 Medical Missions to Haiti as a volunteer physician, and also supports a variety of community programs such as Make-A-Wish Foundation and United Way.