UMKC names dean for medical school

The University of Missouri-Kansas City announced Wednesday that neurosurgeon Steven Kanter has been appointed dean of the School of Medicine.

Kanter will begin work at UMKC on Oct. 1. He succeeds Betty Drees, who was dean for 13 years and will remain on the faculty.

Kanter comes to UMKC from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, where he was on the faculty and served as vice dean. From 2008 to 2012, he also served as editor-in-chief of Academic Medicine, the journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges.

UMKC officials said Kanter has strong backgrounds in both medical informatics — the use of large volumes of data to improve the quality and safety of patient care — and interprofessional education, which brings together students in different health care disciplines to collaborate on patient care.

Alan Bavley, abavley@kcstar.com

This story was originally published July 23, 2014 at 5:30 PM with the headline "UMKC names dean for medical school."