University of Washington Policy Directory

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*Formerly part of the University Handbook
Presidential Orders


Executive Order


No. 6


The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), UW Medicine and Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine, University of Washington


1. The CEO, UW Medicine and Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington (CEO, UW Medicine) is responsible for the UW Medicine health system and for resource management of the University of Washington's School of Medicine and the University's owned and managed medical centers and their associated clinics and affiliated programs. The CEO, UW Medicine is also Dean of the University of Washington School of Medicine and has responsibility for the development and maintenance of academic programs in medical education, research, and training. Advice and assistance concerning medical education and medical care delivery are provided to the President, Provost, and other vice presidents, and to deans, directors, faculty, and staff of the other health sciences schools. In addition, the CEO, UW Medicine jointly administers, with the cognate University-wide officer, UW Medicine development, legislative and community relations, risk management, and news and information services.
2. The CEO, UW Medicine cooperates with the Health Sciences deans in the development of interdisciplinary approaches to the training of health professionals, administrators, and educators, and encourages the development of collaborative high-quality patient services at reasonable cost at the University's medical centers. Responsibilities for the School of Medicine and the medical centers include: the submission of operating and capital budgets, allocation of assigned space, and long-range planning for medical programs; advising the President and other University officials on all medical-related activities of the University of Washington; directing and coordinating, through subordinate managers, the planning and delivery of medical services in the University's medical centers and their associated clinics; and assuring facility and program accreditation, licensing, regulatory compliance, and quality improvement.
3. The School of Medicine vice deans and department chairs, the Chief Health System Officer (CHSO), UW Medicine and Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington (CHSO, UW Medicine); the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), UW Medicine and Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington (CFO, UW Medicine); the Chief Business Office (CBO), UW Medicine and Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington (CBO, UW Medicine); the Chief Advancement Officer and Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington (CAO, UW Medicine); the Chief Medical Officer, UW Medicine and Vice President for Medical Affairs (CMO, UW Medicine); and the CEO, Valley Medical Center (VMC) report directly to the CEO, UW Medicine. The Executive Directors of the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC), Harborview Medical Center (HMC) and Northwest Hospital and Medical Center (NWH) report to the CEO, UW Medicine through the CHSO, UW Medicine. The CEO, UW Medicine is responsible for negotiating, executing (with University approval when appropriate), and maintaining extramural affiliation agreements involving medical affairs (e.g., NWH&MC) and medical center management contracts (e.g., HMC). The CEO, UW Medicine has oversight responsibility for the planning and delivery of medical services by University of Washington Physicians, Children's University Medical Group (with Seattle Children's), UW Medicine Neighborhood Clinics, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (with Seattle Children's and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center), and the University's owned, managed, and controlled medical centers and their associated clinics. These responsibilities include determining the University's role in the delivery of medical services throughout the region. Assistance is provided by the Executive Directors of UWMC, HMC, NWH, and the CEO of VMC, and the respective medical centers' boards. The UW Medicine Board is accountable to the President and Board of Regents through the CEO, UW Medicine.
4. The CEO, UW Medicine is responsible for coordinating, within the guidelines set by the Office of the President, capital construction programs to provide facilities for the School of Medicine and the medical centers. Capital budget requests for UW Medicine are based on proposals made by the CEO, UW Medicine and medical center administrators, and approved by their respective boards. The CEO responsibilities include the assignment and reassignment of space assigned by the Office of the President to medical programs. Space allocations and modifications to space assigned to the School of Medicine or the medical centers are handled directly by the medical school or medical center administration.
5. The CEO, UW Medicine serves as Dean of the School of Medicine and in that capacity reports directly to the Provost for matters related to School of Medicine operating budgets, capital budgets, academic appointments and academic programs. The CEO, UW Medicine acts as an advisor to the President on all matters relating to the School of Medicine and the University's medical centers and their associated clinics.
6. The CEO, UW Medicine is a member of the Board of Health Sciences Deans, which includes as members the deans of the Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, and Social Work. The Board of Health Sciences Deans advises the Provost and the President on the activities and programs of health sciences.
7. The full title of the Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs is Chief Executive Officer (CEO), UW Medicine and Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine, University of Washington.
June 1, 1972; February 21, 1978; October 1, 1982; May 21, 1990; February 24, 1994; September 24, 1996; March 27, 2009; May 4, 2010; RC, November 28, 2017.

For additional delegations of authority, see:

  • Board of Regents Governance, Bylaws, Article V, "Officers of the University"
  • Board of Regents Governance, Standing Orders, Chapter 1, "Delegation of Authority"
  • Board of Regents Governance, Standing Orders, Chapter 6, "Authority for Washington Administrative Code Rule Making"
  • Executive Order No. 1, "The Office of the President"
  • Executive Order No. 4, "The Provost"
  • Executive Order No. 7, "The Vice President for Minority Affairs"
  • Executive Order No. 11, "The Vice President for External Affairs"
  • Executive Order No. 12, "The Deans"
  • Executive Order No. 14, "Chancellor, UW Bothell and UW Tacoma"
  • Executive Order No. 18, "The University Ombud"
  • Executive Order No. 62, "The Vice President for University Advancement"
  • Administrative Orders: Delegations of Authority