Feb. 17, 2025

 

 

Dear School of Medicine leaders: 

 

After more than 30 years of service, Heather Hamby will retire from the School of Medicine. She has served as executive associate dean and chief business officer for the past 12 years and has held other key leadership roles within the Woodruff Health Sciences Center and Emory Healthcare. During her tenure at Emory, she has worked in hematology and medical oncology, strategic planning, and Emory Transplant Center, and she served as chief business officer for The Emory Clinic and executive administrator for the Departments of Surgery and Medicine.

 

Heather’s contributions to our mission are numerous and far-reaching. She led the multi-year Emory School of Medicine and Emory Healthcare strategic financial funds flow alignment design and implementation, including the creation of SOUP and SALAD. She facilitated negotiations and implementation of strategic affiliation agreements with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Grady Health System. Additionally, she led the faculty and physician compensation initiatives, Emory’s parental leave policy, and improved the financial position of the School of Medicine while supporting significant investment in our research and education missions. 

 

I am pleased to share that Farah Chapes, CPA, has been named our new executive associate dean and chief business officer, effective May 1, 2025. Many of you know Farah; she has served as the SOM chief operating officer for 9 years and moved into the role of senior associate dean in 2021. She currently leads the work of human resources, communications, space and facilities, information technology and research administration, and partners closely with finance, philanthropy and strategic initiatives. Farah’s breadth of strategic and operational experience across our three missions will be critically important as we chart a path forward in the current landscape of academic medicine.

 

Please join me in thanking Heather for her dedicated service and congratulating and welcoming Farah into her new role. Heather and Farah will work together to ensure a seamless transition over the next few months. The School of Medicine has benefitted greatly from Heather’s exemplary leadership and commitment to our tripartite mission, and personally, I am grateful to Heather for her support since I joined Emory. Heather’s last day will be May 2, 2025. She will then transition to the role of executive vice dean for administration for Duke School of Medicine.

 

My best,

Sandra

 

Sandra L. Wong, MD, MS
Dean, Emory School of Medicine
Chief Academic Officer, Emory Healthcare