November 5, 2001
Contact: Jennifer Day, (313) 577-1429, jday@med.wayne.edu

Gray to Lead Graduate Medical Education Programs for WSU, DMC

Herman Gray, Jr., MD, has been dually appointed associate dean for graduate medical education at the Wayne State University (WSU) School of Medicine and vice president of graduate medical education (GME) at the Detroit Medical Center (DMC). In this role, he will have oversight for all medical training programs including 1,000 residents and fellows at WSU and the DMC. Concurrently, he has been appointed chief of staff for Children’s Hospital of Michigan.

“The three-pronged function of Dr. Gray’s job illustrates the integration that must occur in medical education,” said Dr. John Crissman, dean of the WSU School of Medicine. “Outstanding physician training is the result of an unwavering commitment to education from all three entities in which the physician works: the medical school, the hospital and the medical center. It is only with the total cooperation of WSU and the DMC hospitals that we have been able to build shining graduate medical education programs that set the bar for excellence.”

Dr. Gray rejoins the WSU/DMC campus from Blue Care Network where he served as vice president and medical director of clinical affairs since 1999. While there, he had clinical oversight for quality and medical management of the Blue Care Network health maintenance organization.

“Experiencing another arena of health care has helped me better understand the competitive environment in which we operate. My roles as practicing pediatrician, faculty member, community advocate and administrator all provide new insight into the business of health care delivery. My experience at Blue Care Network will certainly enhance my understanding of the tools and training programs physicians need in order to provide the highest quality care,” Dr. Gray said.

“Training young physicians is one of the most important responsibilities senior physicians have,” said Dr. Robert Frank, associate dean for academic and student programs at the WSU School of Medicine. “Herman Gray is committed to this critical mission of graduate medical education and he will lead our efforts at the medical school and medical center. Through his service and leadership, he will continue to add value to the educational experience of our physicians, thereby improving the quality of care for countless patients in our community.”

Prior to Blue Care Network, Dr. Gray spent a good deal of his career at WSU, the DMC and Children’s Hospital of Michigan. From 1997 to 1999, he worked for Detroit Medical Center Coordinated Health Care, serving first as the medical director and later as acting CEO and president. He also was vice chairman for education and pediatric residency program director at Children’s Hospital of Michigan/WSU (1994-98) and interim vice chair for clinical affairs in the Department of Pediatrics at Children’s/WSU (1995-98).

A long-time advocate for improved community health and access to care, Dr. Gray has worked for the Michigan Department of Public Health, the Michigan SIDS Center, Project Uptown and the Pediatric AIDS Prevention and Control Program. He has been honored several times for his humanitarian efforts related to pediatric health care, particularly children with special needs, and he serves on the boards of such institutions as the Detroit Institute for Children, Children’s Choice of Michigan, and the Plymouth Educational Center, a Michigan Charter School.

After graduating from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1976, Dr. Gray trained at Children’s Hospital of Michigan for four years and served as chief pediatric resident. He was appointed to the WSU faculty in 1980 and is currently a clinical associate professor of pediatrics.