Richard Duszak, MD, stepping down as University of Mississippi radiology chair
Richard Duszak, MD, a noted speaker and physician leader, announced Wednesday he is stepping down as the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s radiology chair.
Robert W. Morris, MD, MBA, will take over the title beginning on Jan. 1, having served on the UMMC faculty since 2016. Duszak—who joined the Jackson-based hospital in 2022 after previously serving as vice chair at Emory University in Atlanta—announced the change in a social media post.
He said he plans to “rewire (not retire!)” at the end of the year and called Morris a “terrific choice” to lead the department.
“I'm exploring gig non-chair opportunities with the hope of spending the other half of my time catching up on so much of life that passed by in the blink of an eye after starting medical school 40 years ago. More to come,” Duszak said on social media June 25.
Morris currently holds the position of associate professor in the Division of Musculoskeletal Imaging. He brings almost 20 years of academic and administrative leadership experience to the role, also serving as vice chair of clinical operations and MRI medical director. Morris graduated from the UMMC School of Medicine, completed his residency and a musculoskeletal fellowship via the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and recently earned his MBA from Auburn.
“Please join me in congratulating Dr. Morris as he assumes this new role and thanking Dr. Rich Duszak for his leadership as chair since July 2022,” LouAnn Woodward, MD, vice chancellor for health affairs and dean, school of medicine, said in a message posted online Wednesday. “The department has experienced success under Dr. Duszak including national recognition for the residency program. He and the entire department should be commended for the progress that has been made in patient access to their services.”
Duszak was previously vice chair for health policy and practice in the Emory University School of Medicine’s department of radiology in Atlanta. Before that, he was founding CEO of the Neiman Health Policy Institute and president and CEO of West Reading (Pennsylvania) Radiology Associates. Duszak has served on numerous professional committees, task forces, work groups and editorial boards, including as chancellor overseeing the American College of Radiology’s leadership institute. He has won numerous awards and authored more than 200 original research articles.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.