Aug. 4, 2009 — Dr. Steven T. DeKosky, vice president and dean of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and R. Edward Howell, vice president and chief executive officer of the U.Va. Medical Center, recently announced the appointment of Dr. James Edward (Jef) Ferguson II as chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

"I am honored to have been selected as the new chair at U.Va. I believe the past seven years as chair at the University of Kentucky allowed me to develop a strong set of leadership and mentoring skills which I will practice to benefit the faculty, department and school here at U.Va.," Ferguson said.

"We are excited to have Dr. Ferguson return to U.Va. to lead our Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and look forward to his work in strengthening the residency and fellowship programs and collaborating with the School of Nursing and community organizations to develop maternal-fetal educational programs," DeKosky said.

Ferguson was initially recruited to U.Va. from the faculty of Stanford University in 1987 and became the director of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at U.Va. from 1990 until 2002 and medical director of Women's Services at U.Va. from 1996 until 2002.

"Dr. Ferguson is one of the physicians who helped make the obstetrics and gynecology program at the University of Virginia into the nationally recognized department that it is today," Howell said. "While we feel lucky to be able to bring him back to U.Va., the real winners are the women and their babies of Central Virginia who will benefit from the continued outstanding care they will receive in our hospital and clinics."

Ferguson earned his medical degree from the Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University and completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University School of Medicine, followed by a year as chief resident at Bowman Gray. He returned to Stanford to complete a postdoctoral fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine and recently received a master's degree in business administration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Ferguson has more than 100 publications, with active research interests in prenatal diagnosis, preterm labor, and periodontal health and obstetric outcomes. He is president of the American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society and is a former president of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. In addition, he is a director of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, serves on the executive committee of the Council of University Chairs of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is a member of numerous other professional societies.

"My goal for the department is not to rest on our laurels, but continue to increase the breadth, depth and availability of our clinical services, expand the reach and excellence of our educational efforts and to invigorate our mission of patient-centered discovery," Ferguson said. "We will provide highly compassionate and personalized care to all patients and enhance our collaboration and partnerships with physicians, nurses and all health care providers throughout the Commonwealth."