Dr. Joe G.N. “Skip” Garcia has decided to leave his position as Senior Vice President of Health Sciences at the University of Arizona. Garcia has held the position for three years, but has come under scrutiny for questionable expenditures.
Garcia advised officials that he now hopes to devote his full attention to his work as the Dr. Merlin K. DuVal Professor of Medicine at the University of Arizona.
Greg Patterson, Chair of the Arizona Board of Regents issued a statement thanking Garcia for his work and his “demonstrated excellence and integrity in leading the UA Health Sciences to new levels of achievement. From helping secure the UA’s historic affiliation agreement with Banner Health, to the recruitment of over 40 nationally regarded leaders, including new Deans, Department Heads and Center Directors, to spearheading a dramatic increase in federal research funding—including the awarding of the National Institutes of Health Precision Medicine Initiative® Cohort Program—the largest ($43.3 million over five years) NIH peer-reviewed grant in Arizona history, Dr. Garcia has delivered amazing results for which we share tremendous pride.”