The University of Kentucky College of Medicine is excited to announce that Sandra Beck, MD, and Janna Neltner, MD, will join the Office of Graduate Medical Education (GME) leadership team.

Dr. Beck will serve as assistant dean for program development. Dr. Neltner will serve as assistant dean for accreditation.

Both positions were established to fill the former assistant dean for accreditation role held by Angela Dearinger, MD, MPH, who recently was named acting vice dean for strategic initiatives.

As assistant dean for program development, Dr. Beck will collaborate with GME and program leadership, office staff, and training site affiliates to oversee the implementation of new programs and facilitate requests. She also will lead program preparation for accreditation and site visits.

As assistant dean for accreditation, Dr. Neltner will create and deliver GME community development opportunities related to accreditation compliance, as well as assist program leadership with documentation and follow-up regarding opportunities for improvement with accreditation. She also will participate in data analysis to support institutional accreditation.

Dr. Beck is currently a professor of surgery, program director of the UK General Surgery Residency Program, and the vice chair of education in the department of surgery. She is also the co-chair of the GME Compliance Subcommittee and has been actively involved in resident education for 20 years. Dr. Beck attended medical school at Wright State University, followed by a general surgery residency at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, and completed her colon and rectal surgery fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic. Her clinical focus is the application of minimally invasive approaches to diseases of the colon and rectum.

Dr. Neltner is an associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, as well as director of the UK Pathology Residency Program and the UK William R. Markesbery Neuropathology Fellowship Program. She has served on the UK faculty since 2012 and works closely with the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging. She completed her undergraduate training, Doctor of Medicine, residency, and fellowship training at the University of Kentucky.