Patrick Ha, MD, has been appointed as the Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs and Partnerships in the UCSF School of Medicine, effective July 1, 2025. In this new leadership role, Dr. Ha will help shape the future of UCSF’s clinical enterprise by advancing strategic partnerships and enhancing alignment across the institution’s diverse clinical sites, including UCSF Health, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, the San Francisco VA Health Care System, Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, and UCSF Fresno. As Vice Dean, he will serve as a critical liaison between the School of Medicine and its clinical affiliates, working closely with vice deans at each site to enhance communication, champion physician wellness, and foster a culture of inclusion and excellence across the continuum of care.
Dr. Ha will oversee the development and approval of Professional Services Agreements, ensuring proper execution between UCSF, the School of Medicine, and partner organizations. He will also collaborate with Faculty & Academic Affairs to support outside consulting agreements, and work with the Office of Technology Management/Innovation Ventures to advise faculty on intellectual property management and ensure compliance with the UC Patent Policy. In addition, Dr. Ha will lead the implementation of a coordinated UCSF Risk Management framework to uphold best practices and regulatory standards across all clinical affiliates.
A nationally recognized leader in head and neck surgical oncology, Dr. Ha currently serves as Chief of the Division of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology in the UCSF Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS), Medical Director of Mission Bay Adult Services, and the Irwin Mark Jacobs and Joan Klein Jacobs Distinguished Professor in Head and Neck Surgery. Since joining UCSF in 2015, he has expanded his division’s clinical footprint by more than 50%, launched innovative multidisciplinary care models, and increased access to clinical trials and complex oncologic services across sites. His research focuses on the molecular changes in salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma, supported by multiple NIH and foundation grants. He is also Editor In Chief of the journal Head and Neck, serves on several editorial boards, and has authored more than 150 published journal articles.
Throughout his career, Dr. Ha has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to collaboration, quality improvement, and equity. His experience navigating academic–community hospital affiliations at Johns Hopkins, where he was Associate Residency Program Director and received several teaching awards, as well as his ongoing engagement in UCSF’s capital planning, quality councils, and patient-centered initiatives, uniquely position him to lead this new portfolio. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Ha on this well-deserved appointment. We look forward to his leadership as UCSF continues to advance a unified and mission-driven approach to clinical care.
