94-06-10 Dr. Don E. Detmer will be on leave for a year Jan. 1

                                                 RELEASE ON RECEIPT

     CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., June 9 -- Dr. Don E. Detmer, University
of Virginia vice president and provost for health sciences, will be
on leave for a year starting January 1 to study how the information
superhighway can improve health care in Virginia, President John T.
Casteen III announced today.
      Acting vice president and provost during Detmer's leave will
be Dr. Robert W. Cantrell, chair of the Department of
Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and an internationally known
physician, medical educator and researcher.
     Cantrell, a member of the faculty since 1976 when he was
appointed professor and department chair, is also interim director
of ambulatory care services, where he oversees the improvement and
expansion of outpatient medical services at U.Va.
     "We're pleased and grateful that Dr. Cantrell will serve in
this crucial leadership role and help maintain the momentum of the
University's initiatives to improve both access to and the quality
of health care for Virginians and others," said Casteen.
      "His knowledge of medicine and health care delivery, fine
reputation among health professionals, and awareness of the needs
of Virginia physicians and patients make him uniquely qualified.
He will help us expand linkages with local physicians and maintain
sound relations with state and federal government.
    "With the continuity of strong leadership assured, Dr. Detmer
will be able to proceed with a long-held goal: traveling to
technology centers around the world to study ways in which evolving
information systems can help us improve health care."
     Detmer has lectured and written widely on the use of computers
in health care, and chaired a study of new technologies in medical
records by a committee of the Institute of Medicine, an affiliate
of the National Academy of Sciences.  His new project will focus
especially on programs at the High Performance Computing Center in
Washington, D.C., and include studies of information systems in
Europe and Asia.
     "I'm delighted that Dr. Cantrell will provide leadership and
carry forward the goals of the Health Sciences Center during the
period that I am concentrating on my research," said Detmer.
     "Advanced computing technology is coming to Charlottesville
through the University and the Monticello Avenue information
network project. I want to become more expert in information
technologies and the impact computers in the new era will have on
health education and the organization and delivery of care.
     "My objective is to return from this year of study and help
create within our university and region one of the world's most
advanced regional communications systems."
     Cantrell is a former president of the American Academy of
Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and has held high office in
many other professional organizations.  He is the author or co-
author of more than 200 professional publications, and has served
as a consultant to the U.S. Surgeon General, the National
Institutes of Health and other state and federal agencies.
                               ###
Charlotte A. Buttner, Program Support Technician, Health Sciences
Center News Office, McKim Hall Room 3116, #429, Charlottesville,
Va.  22908 804-924-5679, cab2j@virginia.edu,
CompuServe 72203,1033


[Submitted by:  (cab2j@dmt03.mcc.virginia.edu)
               10 Jun 94 09:43:36 EDT]