Joseph E. Robertson, Jr. is an American

ophthalmologist Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgery, surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Followin ...

who was the president of

Oregon Health & Science University Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) is a public research university focusing primarily on health sciences with a main campus, including two hospitals, in Portland, Oregon. The institution was founded in 1887 as the University of Oregon Medi ...

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

from September 2006 t
July 2018

Education

Robertson received a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience at

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

in 1974. He attended medical school at the

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

School of Medicine in

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, receiving an M.D. degree in 1978. He completed his residency in ophthalmology at Oregon Health Sciences University (now Oregon Health & Science University). He completed a fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery at the combined program of Oregon Health Sciences University and Devers Eye Institute. In 1997, he received a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

's Executive M.B.A. Program. In addition to his academic career experience, he has one year of private practice experience.

Career

Robertson has been on the OHSU faculty for his entire career except for one year in private practice. Later he became chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology and Director of the Casey Eye Institute, taking over from Frederick Fraunfelder. During his tenure as Dean, the entering class size in the medical education program increased from 100 to 120 students. OHSU has partnered with the University of Oregon and the

PeaceHealth System PeaceHealth is a not-for-profit health care system that owns and operates ten hospitals, and numerous clinics, in the Western United States. Headquartered in Vancouver, Washington, the organization has operations in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington ...

to expand medical education in Eugene and

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, and with other state universities to increase the number of physicians in Oregon and to address the issue of maldistribution of providers. Robertson became dean of the OHSU School of Medicine in 2003, and in September 2006 became the fourth president of Oregon Health & Science University. Robertson specialises in vitreoretinal surgery, with research interests in ocular trauma, diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity and other proliferative retinal diseases, and the development of new surgical techniques. His basic science research focused on the pathophysiology and cellular events related to vitreoretinopathy. He participated in numerous clinical trials, including acting as co-principal investigator of the fundus photography reading center for a major clinical trial investigating cryotherapy as a treatment for retinopathy of prematurity. He served as a treating or examining investigator in multiple trials funded by both the NEI and industry. Robertson's other professional interests include the development of healthcare delivery systems and the application of cost accounting principles to medical practice, with the goal of improving the cost-effectiveness of care. Robertson has written numerous

peer-review Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work (peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...

ed articles and book chapters. During Robertson's tenure as the university President, the

Portland Aerial Tram The Portland Aerial Tram or OHSU Tram is an aerial tramway in Portland, Oregon, that connects the city's South Waterfront district and the main Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) campus, located in the Homestead, Portland, Oregon, Marquam H ...

went into service. The tramway was built to connect the main OHSU campus with university land in the South Waterfront District near the

Willamette River The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward b ...

with the OHSU Center for Health & Healing and the land deeded to OHSU for further development for a second educational campus. The tramway was the proposed solution to link the two locations. Construction began in 2011 on the Collaborative Life Sciences Building on the waterfront. The building will house shared programs for OHSU and several other Oregon University System schools. Robertson is a member of the nine-member Oregon Health Policy Board (OHPB), the policy-making and oversight body for the Oregon Health Authority. OHPB was established through House Bill 2009, signed by the Governor in June 2009. Board members are nominated by the Governor and must be confirmed by the Senate. Board members serve a four-year term of office. The Board is responsible for implementing health care reform provisions. Robertson's final salary prior to his 2017 retirement was

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1,563,517. Robertson, now retired, receives a monthly pension of $80,235.

Family life

Robertson was born near a small town in the hills of Southern

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

. He married Dr. Margaret Hewitt in 1976, after they met in medical school. They had two children, Katie and C.J., and were married until 1999. He now lives with his second wife, Patricia.

References

External links

Oregon Health & Science University Presidential Search info.OHSU profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Joseph (President) Indiana University School of Medicine alumni Living people American ophthalmologists Physicians from Portland, Oregon University of Oregon alumni Yale University alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Oregon Health & Science University faculty People from Indianapolis