Leading Academic Medicine and Public Health at the University of Iowa with Dr. Denise J. Jamieson

Summary

Podcast Summary: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Episode: Leading Academic Medicine and Public Health at the University of Iowa with Dr. Denise J. Jamieson
Guest: Dr. Denise J. Jamieson, Vice President of Medical Affairs & Dean, University of Iowa
Date: December 20, 2025
Host: Scott Becker

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Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, host Scott Becker sits down with Dr. Denise J. Jamieson, an accomplished physician leader and current Vice President of Medical Affairs and Dean of the University of Iowa's medical school. The conversation explores Dr. Jamieson's unique journey in public health and academic medicine, her leadership at the University of Iowa, current healthcare trends—especially those affecting the Midwest—and her advice for emerging leaders in medicine.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dr. Jamieson's Background & Career Trajectory

• Public Health Roots: Dr. Jamieson is an obstetrician-gynecologist who began her post-residency career at the CDC through the Epidemic Intelligence Service. She intended a short stay but ended up spending two decades there, deeply involved in issues ranging from HIV in women to major global outbreaks (pandemic influenza, Ebola, Zika).
  • Quote: “I started out in HIV, looking at mother to child transmission and the effects of HIV on women... then I worked on some emergency responses and got really interested in emerging infectious diseases.” (00:52)
• Transition to Academia: After retiring from the Public Health Service in 2017, Jamieson moved to Emory, first as a division director and later department chair, before joining the University of Iowa less than two and a half years ago.
• First Impressions of Iowa: Despite initial hesitations due to the climate, Dr. Jamieson quickly fell in love with Iowa City and its academic environment.
  • Memorable moment: "I called my partner and said... no way, no go, can't come here. Very dark, very cold... [But the next day], met with faculty, residents, and students, and I was sold." (02:38)

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2. Mission of the University of Iowa

• Serving the State: The University of Iowa Health Care system focuses on serving all 3.2 million Iowans through:
  • Cutting-edge research
  • Educating and training healthcare providers (with half of all Iowa physicians having some affiliation with Iowa's programs)
  • Direct and networked clinical care, supporting many hospitals across the state
  • Quote: “It was clear to me from the start that University of Iowa Healthcare had a really clear mission and that is to serve 3.2 million Iowans.” (04:17)

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3. Academic Medicine & Healthcare Trends

• Financial and Policy Pressures: Acknowledgment of challenges such as financial headwinds and changing federal policies, but Iowa enters the landscape from a position of relative stability.
• Workforce Shortages: A top priority is addressing the shortage of physicians, especially in specialties and rural areas:
  • Iowa ranks 44th among states for physicians per capita, even lower for some specialties like OB/GYN.
  • Quote: “We are really doing a lot to try to double down on our education and training missions... both train and educate physicians, but then also keep them in the state.” (07:33)
  • Initiatives include increasing the percentage of in-state medical students, expanding residency spots, and advocating for loan forgiveness.
• Operational Efficiency & System Growth: Focus on maximizing operational efficiency and scaling the healthcare system to improve access and coordination of care.
  • Notable expansion: “When I started... we were a one hospital system. Since then, we acquired a community hospital... we opened a new orthopedic facility... [and] acquired a cancer system in Des Moines.” (08:59)

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4. Cultural Exceptionalism at Iowa

• Jamieson reflects on the unique culture and camaraderie in Iowa City and the University of Iowa community, sharing a lighthearted anecdote about “Go Hawks” as a greeting among affiliates.
  • Memorable moment: “The only correct response to Go Hawks is go Hawks.” (06:23)

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5. Advice for Emerging Leaders

• Mentorship and Coaching: Strong endorsement for building a network of mentors and professional coaches, regardless of career stage.
  • Quote: “I really believe in mentorship and coaching. I think everybody should have a mentor or more than one... I have mentors, I have a coach, and I think it’s critically important.” (10:00)
• Work-Life Balance: Advocates for hard work paired with strategic self-care and efficient time management.
  • Quote: “Healthcare is one of the fields, such as elite sports, that requires hard work to succeed... You have to also take care of yourself and be smart about your efficiency.” (11:00)
• Be Open to Nonlinear Paths: Dr. Jamieson's own career, from clinical medicine to public health, then academic leadership, highlights the value of flexibility and following impact rather than a traditional route.
• Find Joy in the Work: Passion is critical—work should bring satisfaction and, as Dr. Jamieson says, “When it stops being fun, then you need to make a change.” (12:28)

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Notable Quotes and Timestamps

• “I fell in love with [the CDC], ended up spending 20 years and retiring in 2017.” — Dr. Denise Jamieson (00:47)
• "No way, no go, can't come here. Very dark, very cold... [but] it is such a fantastic place." — Dr. Denise Jamieson (02:34)
• “University of Iowa Healthcare had a really clear mission and that is to serve 3.2 million Iowans.” — Dr. Denise Jamieson (04:17)
• “We are really doing a lot to try to double down on our education and training missions…train and educate physicians, but then also keep them in the state.” — Dr. Denise Jamieson (07:33)
• “I really believe in mentorship and coaching... I have mentors, I have a coach, and I think it’s critically important.” — Dr. Denise Jamieson (10:00)
• “When it stops being fun, then you need to make a change.” — Dr. Denise Jamieson (12:28)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:34–02:10: Dr. Jamieson’s background and transition to Iowa
• 02:17–03:51: First impressions of Iowa City; cultural fit
• 04:09–05:16: The University of Iowa’s mission and statewide role
• 05:55–06:44: The Hawkeye spirit and community
• 06:45–08:27: Trends in healthcare, physician shortages, and workforce initiatives
• 08:57–09:53: Strategic aims and system growth at Iowa Health Care
• 10:00–12:33: Advice for future leaders: mentorship, balance, non-linear careers

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Summary Table

| Segment | Theme | Key Points | Notable Quote(s) & Timestamp | |-----------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| | 00:34–02:10 | Background & CDC Experience | Infectious diseases, vaccines, transition to academia| “I started out in HIV…” (00:52) | | 02:17–03:51 | First trip to Iowa | Initial reluctance; eventual connection | “No go, can’t come here…” (02:38) | | 04:09–05:16 | University Mission | Serving all Iowans, research, training, clinical care| “Serve 3.2 million Iowans.” (04:17)| | 06:45–08:27 | Healthcare & Workforce Trends | Shortages, recruitment, expanding spots | “Double down on training missions.” (07:33)| | 08:57–09:53 | Growth & System Expansion | Acquisitions, improving access | “Evolving into a system of care.” (08:57)| | 10:00–12:33 | Leadership Advice | Mentorship, coaching, joy in work | “Mentorship and coaching…” (10:00) |

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Conclusion

This episode shines a spotlight on Dr. Denise J. Jamieson's remarkable journey from CDC to academic leadership and her passionate stewardship of University of Iowa Health Care. Key themes include embracing change, fostering community and mentorship, and the drive to serve Iowa's healthcare needs through education, innovation, and system growth. Her candid stories and practical advice offer inspiration to healthcare professionals and leaders at every stage.

Transcript

[A]

This is Scott Becker with the Becker's Healthcare Podcast. I'm thrilled today to be joined by a brilliant physician leader. We're joined today by Dr. Denise Jamison. Dr. Jamison spent about 20 years at the CDC. She's also spent time at Emory. Now she helps to head up the University of Iowa. She's the Vice President of Medical affairs and also the Dean of the medical school. And just a brilliant leader. Dr. Jamison, Denise, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and then we'll talk about the mission of the University of Iowa and a lot more.

[B]

Sure. So I am an obstetrician, gynecologist by training. I trained at the University of California, San Francisco and following residency I went to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a commissioned officer in the U.S. public Health Service. I was in a two year fellowship called the Epidemic Intelligence Service, or EIS program. And I expected to stay just two years, but I fell in love with the place and I ended up spending 20 years and retiring in 2017. And during that time I got to do all sorts of fun things. I started out in hiv, looking at mother to child transmission and the effects of HIV on women. And then I worked on some emergency responses and got really interested in emerging infectious diseases. So worked on pandemic influenza and Ebola and Zika right before I retired in 2017. I also got really interested in vaccine preventable illnesses and the role of vaccines in pregnancy. Following my retirement from the Public Health Service, I went into academics at Emory and served first as a division director and then as the chair of the ob GYN department there. And I left there to come to University of Iowa a little less than two and a half years ago. So really enjoying my time in the.

[A]

Midwest and take a moment on that first trip to Iowa and the weather and so forth as you got to the University of Iowa.

[B]

Sure. So I was very happily sitting in my Atlanta office at Emory and got a call out of the blue letting me know that there was going to be a job posted in Iowa. And the person on the other end of the line said, you know, Iowa, do you ever think about moving to Iowa? And I thought, Iowa? No, never. No experience in Iowa. And so I ended up taking a trip to learn more. And it was February and it was very cold. And I landed at the Cedar Rapids Airport, which is a very small airport airport that I've now come to love. But it was late in the evening. I didn't have a winter coat with me. It was dark, it was cold. I got a Ride from there to my hotel in downtown Iowa City. And when I went up to my hotel room, I called my partner and said, she said, how is Iowa City? And what do you think? And I said, no way, no go, can't come here. Very dark, very cold. It's not a good match for me. And then, funny enough, woke up the next morning, the sun came up. It was beautiful, beautiful, sunny, crisp, cold day. And met with faculty, met with residents, met with students, and I was sold. It is such a fantastic place in the Midwest. And as I was only academic medical center, it is an absolutely lovely place to work and so feel so lucky that I landed here.

[A]

So thank you. And University of Iowa is really a beacon for the entire Midwest and particularly state of Iowa. Talk a little bit about the mission that University of Iowa fulfills in that entire state and beyond. Quite frankly, can you talk to us a little bit about the mission?

[B]

Sure. So I've always chosen, made career moves and chosen positions based on impact. I really like mission driven organizations. And it was clear to me from the start that University of Iowa Healthcare had a really clear mission and that is to serve 3.2 million Iowans. And we do that through the traditional academic missions. We conduct cutting edge research that benefits Iowans and others. We educate and train physicians, physician leaders and other healthcare providers to serve in Iowa and other places. Interestingly, half of all physicians, physicians in the state received at least some education or training at the University of Iowa. So we're very proud of that. And we both provide clinical care, direct clinical care on our campuses. We also support other health systems and other hospitals to provide care. And we take that piece of our mission also very seriously.

[A]

Thank you. And one of the things, if you're in the Midwest and I'm located in Chicago, you end up having a ton of University of Iowa ties. The CEO of Becker's Healthcare is the University of Iowa graduate. My sister's a University of Iowa graduate. Our fantastic producer who's on the phone with us today, Chanel Bunger, is a University of Iowa graduate. And we are just huge fans that people don't realize what a gem University of Iowa is. If you're not a Midwesterner, or maybe you do, but we sure do talk a little bit about what trends you're watching in health care today, academic medicine, in healthcare today, what are the big trends that you're watching most closely.

[B]

So first of all, thank you for acknowledging what a special place this is. I love. There was a restaurant review when I first started here and they called Iowa City, the cosmopolitan corner of the Midwest. No offense to Chicago, but it is a really special place. And one of the. I wear my Hawkeye gear just about everywhere I go. And it's so much fun to be places and have people come up to you and yell go Hawks. When you're walking around. And in fact, the first time it happened, I was in an airport and somebody yelled, go Hawks. And I looked around, I had no idea what I was supposed to do. And so a faculty member later filled me in. They said, denise, the only correct response to Go Hawks is go Hawks. So I follow that closely now and really enjoy.

[A]

Hilarious.

[B]

Yeah, really enjoy being in a place where there's so much spirit and camaraderie. So in terms of trends that I'm watching, I mean, clearly everyone in healthcare knows there are financial pressures. There are federal policy changes that we're watching closely. You know, thankfully, we're coming into this situation from a stable financial position. But we need to continue to think strategically about how we use our resources to prepare for these financial headwinds. So we are focusing on operational efficiencies, recruitment and retention. Increasing access is one of our major issues, and how to invest in our healthcare system and make wise choices. We are also very concerned about physician workforce trends we have, depending on how you look at it, probably we are number 44 in states in terms of physicians per capita and even lower than that for certain areas like obgyn. We are really doing a lot to try to double down on our education and training missions and to both train and educate physicians, but then also keep them in the state. For example, last year, 70% of our medical students were from Iowa, and we're planning to get up to 80% next year. We're trying to expand residency training spots, and we are working with state legislators to find ways to expand the physician workload through things like loan forgiveness.

[A]

Thank you. And social importance. And I love hearing that because to me, that seems like the biggest, scariest thing we have going forward in healthcare is just the shortages of physicians, nurses, techs in the specialties as much as anything else. Even though so much attention is paid to primary care, I think the specialties, we have real, real holes as well. So I love hearing that. Dr. Jamieson, take a second. What you're most focused on and excited about heading into 2026.

[B]

So we are really excited about evolving into a system of care. So when I started here just under two and a half years ago, we were a one hospital system. Since then, we acquired a community hospital that declared bankruptcy and we opened a large state of the art new orthopedic facility, both inpatient and outpatient. We also acquired a large outpatient cancer system in the western part of the state or central part of the state in Des Moines. As we've expanded from one central hub into a system, this helps us improve access to care and we also are thinking about how to provide care in a more coordinated way.

[A]

Thank you. Take a moment on what advice you would give to emerging leaders.

[B]

First of all, I really believe in mentorship and coaching. I think everybody should have a mentor or more than one mentor regardless at the stage of their career. And I believe in coaching, professional coaching. So I have mentors, I have a coach, and I think it's critically important. And in fact I don't. I met one of my most beloved mentors, a man named Bert Peterson who was an OB gyn. I met him when he was at the cdc. He then went on to the University of North Carolina and I met him when I was a master's student and he was so kind and gracious. When I was doing an internship at the CDC to meet with me, he basically changed my career trajectory. He convinced me that it was possible to be an OB GYN and be in public health. I still ask him, including with this current position, I ask his advice every time I make a major decision in my career. So I believe in mentorship and coaching. I also believe in finding work life balance. Sometimes people think that that means that you don't have to work hard. I think that healthcare is one of the fields, such as elite sports, that requires hard work to succeed. You have to work hard and you have to also take care of yourself and be smart about your efficiency. Be smart about scheduling. How you manage your calendar and your time is critically important since time is one of your most valuable assets. Then I also tell people, be open to nonlinear paths. Me going from a clinical Residency to a 20 year career in the public health service and public health and then transitioning into full time academics and a chair position and now a dean position. That is not a linear pathway. And very few of my colleagues, long standing colleagues from the CDC, took a similar path. But I always make decisions based on impact and I also think that you have to love what you do. When I was retiring from the cdc, people asked me what hobbies I was going to take up and I said, well, my hobby is Emory and I would say that my hobby is now Iowa. I love what I do, I love the people and and when it stops being fun, then you need to make a change.

[A]

I think that's brilliant. Dr. Jamison, I love the career that you've had. I love your leadership. I want to thank you for joining us today on the Beckers Healthcare podcast. Thank you so much for joining us today.

[B]

Thank you. I really appreciate it.