Editorial: Challenges for the next chancellor
Dr. Michael Collins’ 19-year tenure as chancellor of UMass Chan Medical School has been an unqualified success for the Worcester institution and the Central Massachusetts economy.
See WBJ Staff Writer Mica Kanner-Mascolo’s story “The end of an era” for the details of Collins’ impact, but let’s run through the highlights: He secured the largest and third-largest donations in the history of the entire UMass system: $175 million in 2021 from The Morningside Foundation (resulting in UMass Medical School being renamed UMass Chan Medical School) and $35 million in 2025 from the Paul J. DiMare Foundation. The school won its second-ever Nobel Prize in 2024. The $350-million, 350,000-square-foot research facility named after DiMare was constructed and opened. Enrollment has steadily grown, as the medical school today takes in about 235 would-be doctors every year, as part of the 1,400 students who are pursuing degrees at UMass Chan.
After nearly two decades at the helm, Collins has built a legacy that will last, and while at 70 he will step down from the big office, he will remain connected to the institution as a medical school instructor.
But his successor will certainly face a rocky road.
The most pressing issue at UMass Chan heading into the next academic year is the federal government’s slashing of research funding, particularly from the National Institutes of Health. This year alone, the school is expected to run a $30-million deficit from these cuts and has already instituted layoffs and furloughs for about 200 employees. Collins has helped build UMass Chan into a world-class research institution known for addressing issues like neurodegenerative diseases and mRNA, but his successor will have to find new ways to keep their research funded and their brightest minds on the team with the federal government deprioritizing research aimed at curing disease.
Beyond its research arm, the entire healthcare industry is facing a workforce crisis and needs all the doctors and nurses it can get. Worcester County is considered a health professional shortage area, as it has more than 3,500 patients for every one provider, according to the Cicero Institute. More doctors are specializing, meaning the share of primary care providers has dropped to 69% out of all Massachusetts doctors, according to the Mass. Health Policy Commission. Despite efforts by UMass Chan and others to diversify the workforce, the overwhelming majority of physicians (74%) are white, creating additional barriers to care for underrepresented populations who prefer providers from similar cultural backgrounds.
While Collins will remain in the chancellor position through July 1, former congressman Marty Meehan, president of the UMass system, is starting a national search – and perhaps an international one – to find Collins successor. Those will certainly be big shoes to fill.
This editorial is the opinion of the WBJ Editorial Board.
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