UT Southwestern selects physician leader Jonathan Efron, M.D., to oversee Health System
Colorectal surgeon who led Johns Hopkins physician practice to focus on integration of clinical, research, education missions at UTSW
DALLAS – Sept. 13, 2023 – Following an extensive national search, physician leader Jonathan Efron, M.D., has been selected as Executive Vice President for Health System Affairs to lead UT Southwestern Medical Center’s clinical operations – recently ranked among the elite Honor Roll of the nation’s top 20 hospitals.
Dr. Efron, who will join UT Southwestern in December, currently serves as Senior Vice President for Johns Hopkins Medicine’s Office of Physicians, President of the Johns Hopkins Clinical Practice Association, and Interim Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs. He is an accomplished colorectal surgeon who is highly regarded for his surgical skills and clinical expertise.
“During this period of continued momentum and transformation for UT Southwestern, Dr. Efron brings a deep understanding of academic medicine and extensive experience in strategic planning, clinical program development, and service-related performance,” said Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D., President of UT Southwestern. “Dr. Efron’s leadership experience will be fundamental in developing key partnerships while championing our unwavering commitment to quality in both outcomes and service.”
Recognized among the Top 20 Honor Roll by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals listing for 2023-24, the UT Southwestern Health System includes 11 nationally ranked medical specialties, eight among the top 25 and three among the top 50. UT Southwestern’s 875-bed William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital is ranked the No. 1 hospital in Texas (tied) and No. 1 in Dallas-Fort Worth – the nation’s fourth-largest metro area.
“I look forward to advancing initiatives that accelerate the integration of UT Southwestern’s clinical strengths into its renowned research and educational missions and will prioritize the highest level of quality, safety, and service for our patients, their families, and visitors,” Dr. Efron said. “We will continue to focus on improving patient access and experience, especially through multidisciplinary care and care coordination.”
UT Southwestern physicians provide care in more than 80 specialties to more than 120,000 hospitalized patients, more than 360,000 emergency room cases, and oversee nearly 5 million outpatient visits a year. Affiliated hospitals include Parkland Health, Children’s Health, Scottish Rite for Children, and the VA North Texas Health Care System. Additionally, Southwestern Health Resources, the clinically integrated health care network with UT Southwestern and Texas Health Resources, serves the 16-county North Texas region that is home to more than 8 million people.
In his current roles, Dr. Efron oversees and coordinates all clinical activity for Johns Hopkins Medicine’s 4,200 faculty providers, as well as community physicians and a rapidly expanding employed provider group. Among his many achievements, Dr. Efron developed an integrated ambulatory accountability and oversight structure. Similarly, he helped design and launch Johns Hopkins Medicine’s Clinical Road Map, focusing on workforce development, and physical and virtual expansion. He also implemented a clinical outcomes research unit to allow for the mentorship and development of medical students and residents focused on colorectal diseases.
At UT Southwestern, he will oversee the clinical enterprise, including UTSW’s Medical Group, hospitals, regional medical centers, and clinics. Dr. Efron also will be responsible for strategic, operational, and service-related performance, and he will partner with senior leaders across the institution to proactively address the evolving health care environment. Along with serving as EVP for Health System Affairs at UT Southwestern, Dr. Efron will hold an appointment as Professor of Surgery.
In addition to his series of leadership positions held at Johns Hopkins over the past 14 years, Dr. Efron specializes in the treatment of colorectal cancer. He earned his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, completed residency at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, and did his fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic of Florida. He was later appointed to academic and surgical positions at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
More about UT Southwestern
UT Southwestern has received national distinction for patient satisfaction and quality of care from multiple reviewing bodies, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Leapfrog, Healthgrades, and Press Ganey. In 2023, UT Southwestern earned the Guardian of Excellence Award, recognizing the top 5% of health care providers, and it is ranked second overall in Comprehensive Academic Medical Centers for Patient Experience by Vizient, which includes 97% of all academic medical centers (AMCs). Forbes and Statista recognize UT Southwestern among America’s Best Large Employers, Best Employers for New Grads, Best Employers for Diversity, and Best Employers for Women.
UT Southwestern’s Nursing Division has achieved Magnet designation, the highest honor awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and Clements University Hospital is an Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center, the highest level of certification for stroke care. UT Southwestern Medical Center also encompasses the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, the region’s only National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, which involves more than 2,100 faculty and staff, including nearly 400 clinical and research faculty in 200 areas of specialty care. In late 2025, UT Southwestern, in partnership with the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, will open the Texas Behavioral Health Center at UT Southwestern, the first state psychiatric hospital in the Dallas-Fort Worth region to help address the state’s growing mental health care needs.
UT Southwestern Medical Center includes four degree-granting institutions: UT Southwestern Medical School, UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, UT Southwestern School of Health Professions, and UT Southwestern Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health. Collectively, the schools train nearly 3,700 medical, graduate, and health profession students, residents, and postdoctoral fellows each year, and include some of the nation’s and state’s largest residency programs and the largest public GME program in Texas. UT Southwestern conducts nearly $640 million in research and is ranked as the top-rated public institution and No. 3 among global health care institutions in the 2023 Nature Index for its published research.
Dr. Podolsky holds the Philip O’Bryan Montgomery, Jr., M.D. Distinguished Presidential Chair in Academic Administration and the Doris and Bryan Wildenthal Distinguished Chair in Medical Science.