OHSU Appoints New Vice President for Finance

   Portland, Ore.

Kathi Foisie, M.P.A., is Oregon Health & Science University's new vice president for finance. Foisie reports to OHSU President Peter Kohler, M.D., and will work closely with OHSU's Board of Directors. Foisie will focus on identifying innovative means to generate new revenue to ensure the continued growth of the institution.

"Kathi Foisie was presented to me two years ago as one of the most talented CFOs at any academic health center in the country," said Kohler. "She emerged from a search process that included many talented individuals as the top candidate. We are extremely fortunate to have someone with both the financial expertise and experience in Oregon for this important position."

OHSU, along with every other academic medical center and research university nationwide, faces funding challenges on many fronts, Foisie said. Although funding from traditional sources such as patient care, research grants and student tuition is essential to the institution's continued success, it is imperative that OHSU identify new opportunities to support its academic, research, patient care and community service missions, she explained. Foisie aims to accomplish this task by tapping the talent and expertise of her OHSU colleagues as well as business and community leaders throughout Oregon.

"I place a high value on collaboration, bringing people together around the common goal of providing high-quality service," she said. "Trust is very important to me. If I put my word behind something, you can be sure I'll follow through.

"For me, it's not just about balancing the budget. At the end of the day, it's important to feel good about your accomplishments and your workplace, to know you've made a difference. I want to make a contribution that benefits students, faculty and staff as well as patients and their families. At OHSU there is also the opportunity to make progress on statewide health issues."

Prior to OHSU Foisie spent a decade as associate vice president for health sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University, a public, doctoral university with more than 24,000 students. As such she managed all financial and administrative operations at the Medical College of Virginia Campus (MCV) and worked closely with the VCU Health System, a public authority that includes the teaching hospital and the physicians group. MCV campus comprises the schools of allied health professions, dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy, and nine interdisciplinary institutes and centers,. The total VCU budget is $1.2 billion, which includes $885 million for academic health center activities.

During her tenure at VCU, Foisie played a key role in the creation of the VCU Health System, a separate public authority, which still retains a very close affiliation with the university. The VCU Health System brings together inpatient, outpatient and physician services in a single organization. Foisie was also instrumental in restructuring the delivery of research support services, including the human subjects protection review process.

Previously Foisie was director of budget and administration for the vice president for health sciences at the University of Washington for seven years. She was responsible for oversight of the academic health center budget of $658 million.

Foisie earned her master's in public administration/public finance from the University of Washington Graduate School of Public Affairs, and her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley. She is active in the Association of Academic Health Centers, the Association of American Medical Colleges, and the National Association of College and University Business Officers.

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OHSU Communications
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