UW News

October 10, 2002

Walker named medical director of UW Medical Center

Dr. Edward A. Walker, professor and vice chair of the UW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, has been named medical director of University of Washington Medical Center, announced Dr. Paul G. Ramsey, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine. Dr. Walker will also serve as an associate dean of the School of Medicine.

Walker, 51, has been associate medical director for psychiatric services at UW Medical Center since 1999 and a member of the faculty since 1987. He will assume his new position Nov. 1.

“Ed Walker brings considerable talent, experience and enthusiasm to a position that provides key leadership for one of the two principal teaching hospitals of the University of Washington Academic Medical Center,” said Ramsey. “He is an excellent physician, teacher, researcher and manager who knows how to bring out the best in others.”

Walker succeeds Dr. Eric Larson, who resigned after 13 years to become director of the Center for Health Studies at Group Health Cooperative. Larson will remain on the School of Medicine clinical faculty and retain his general internal medicine practice at UW Medical Center.

“I am honored and appreciative of this opportunity to serve as medical director of one of the top hospitals in the United States,” said Walker. “I’m enthusiastic about working with the outstanding faculty, nurses and staff here to make UW Medical Center the best that it can be.”

Walker received his medical degree from the UW in 1983, and completed his UW residency in psychiatry in 1987. He is currently enrolled in the Executive Master of Health Administration Program.

As a researcher, Walker has focused on how traumatic experiences throughout life affect medical care utilization and the quality of the relationship between patients and their doctors and nurses. As a faculty member in the School of Medicine, he has been chair of the first-year behavioral science course for the past 10 years, partnering in the development of Internet-based teaching materials for medical students.

Earlier this year, Walker co-chaired and co-hosted the UW School of Medicine’s Mini-Medical School, an innovative program that gave members of the public an opportunity to have experiences similar to medical school.

As a clinician, Walker has served as the psychiatric consultant in the Family Medicine Clinic for 15 years and as chief of the psychiatry consultation service at UW Medical Center.

The 450-bed UW Medical Center is widely regarded as one of the nation’s top hospitals. UWMC was ranked 11th among nearly 2,000 hospitals in the nation this year by U.S. News & World Report. UWMC is the only hospital in the country to receive the prestigious Magnet nursing excellence designation three times, and many of its medical staff are listed among the “Best Doctors in America.”

In addition, UW Medical Center is the leading provider of highly specialized care of patients and consulting services to physicians in the five-state region known as WWAMI–Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho–served by the UW School of Medicine.

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