Connecting with James Liao, MD

The Department of Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson is the largest department in the Health Sciences, with 11 divisions. For James K. Liao, MD, who took over as chair of the department in January 2023, the collaborative nature of the faculty and staff was just one of the reasons he was inspired to take the role.

Health Sciences Connect recently caught up with Liao for a look at his goals for the department, how he came to a career in medicine and the importance of family.

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What unique challenges come with leading such an important department within Health Sciences?

The Department of Medicine is the center of education and training, patient care and research within the College of Medicine – Tucson. Our faculty engage in impactful research and clinical programs as well as in the training of future leaders of medicine. The unique challenges of the department are to provide outstanding clinical and research training, cultivate innovative clinical and research programs that improve our understanding and treatment of human disease, and develop new clinical pathways or programs that facilitate health care delivery and improve patients’ lives.

What was the biggest change you implemented when you began?

The biggest change that I implemented was resetting the culture and expectations of an institution, which is the most important aspect of any leadership change. It is often said that the slowest part of turning a ship is when it is turning, which requires slowing down or stopping what has been going on, and then changing directions. Some of the most significant changes that I have made and implemented include:

• Creating an environment and culture that fosters collegiality and excellence with training and opportunities for future leadership. The culture and expectations of an institution are the foundation of innovation and excellence, and our faculty is the most important asset of the institution.
• Engaging stakeholders, such as enlisting faculty participation in the planning and execution of present and future programs.
• Developing a translational or clinical research center that interfaces with all faculty and divisions/departments, both basic and clinical.
• Enhancing faculty recruitment, development and retention and providing leadership opportunities, especially among women and underrepresented minorities. Research and patient care are most innovative and impactful when many different perspectives, opinions, and approaches are brought to bear in both research and clinical arenas.
• Improving the environment for teaching and mentoring of trainees by providing time and effort for these activities.
• Forging close partnerships with development and marketing offices with a commitment to do outreach and fundraising activities. We do this by being able to articulate a vision and provide compelling reasons for any philanthropist to provide support.
• Improving morale, job satisfaction and work-life balance for faculty through various faculty development initiatives (i.e., faculty recognition awards).

So far, so good.

What are your goals for the Department of Medicine over the next five years?

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I have four goals. The first is to implement strategic initiatives to increase clinical productivity and address health care inequities. The primary goal is to improve patient access, health, safety and outcomes. I would like to expand high-reliability care/integrated care pathways, and in consultation with Banner leadership, division chiefs and clinical center directors, develop multidisciplinary, patient-centric collaborative groups. The expectation is to increase patient access, decrease health disparities through delivering the best preventive and medical therapy to all patients and improve patient outcomes.

The second goal is to promote an inclusive environment by expanding diversity among department faculty and leadership. The goal is to create a department where people feel supported, valued and respected as individuals with diverse beliefs and perspectives. As part of the college strategic plan, I aim to increase the number of women and underrepresented minorities by 10% over the first 12-18 months. I also aim to have at least 50% of section chiefs and vice chairs be women or underrepresented minorities. 

Third, I plan to develop innovative, collaborative, multi- and cross-disciplinary basic, translational and clinical research programs that advance knowledge and improve patient care.

And finally, I aim to improve morale, job satisfaction and work-life balance by developing programs that recognize and reward faculty and staff performance and commit financial resources for teaching. I would like to develop and implement a new faculty compensation plan in conjunction with Banner. I would like to create more opportunities for engagements between administrators, faculty, nurses and staff in the planning and execution of present and future programs. I would establish short- and long-term goals and provide incentives for exceeding expectations. I would advocate and support work-life balance through flexibility of schedules, childcare, maternity leave, etc.

How do you think artificial intelligence will change medicine, if at all?

AI will definitely change medicine and the way health care is delivered as education and information technology continue to evolve from classrooms and laboratories to mobile apps. In that respect, we need to consider revamping how we educate our trainees with more emphasis on critical thinking and asking the right questions rather than rote memory. However, at the same time, we need to preserve the special doctor-patient relationship and sense of teamwork when more and more of these learning activities are taking place remotely and AI is assuming a greater role in patient interactions. As such, I do not believe that AI will replace physicians but physicians who use AI will replace those that do not.

What was one thing you wished you knew when you were in medical school that you know now?

Given the financial challenges facing academic medical centers, I wish I had more prior knowledge and exposure to the business side of medicine while in medical school. This is critical for the success of academic medical institutions. As such, more and more physicians today, especially the ones in administrative leadership roles, are acquiring MBA degrees to face these financial challenges.

Were you always interested in a career in medicine? 

No. Growing up, my primary interest was mathematics and physics. My father was a nuclear/mechanical engineer at Bechtel Corporation and my brother studied electrical engineering at the University of Southern California. In high school, I participated in math and physics Olympiads, and I was planning to study physics at the California Institute of Technology. Unfortunately, both of my parents were diagnosed with cancer, which prompted both my brother and me to change our career paths to medicine.

What was your childhood like? 

I grew up in a very close-knit family. My father and mother were hardworking immigrants from Taiwan. They spoke Japanese to each other and spoke English to me and my older brother. My brother has lived and worked in Tucson as a physician for nearly 30 years. Both of my parents loved music and never missed any of our musical performances. I am a trained classical pianist. My father liked to challenge us with puzzles and abstract concepts while my mother enjoyed supporting our school’s extracurricular activities. My brother and I had not lived near each other for more than 40 years since we graduated from medical school in San Francisco. Being close to my only brother was one of the main reasons for my moving to Tucson.