UH President and Chancellor Renu Khator announced Spann’s selection Monday, following a national search launched after regents voted in mid-November to create a College of Medicine. Spann has been serving as the proposed school’s planning dean since fall 2015.
“Dr. Spann’s many years of training physicians and practicing in areas with health disparities uniquely positions us to accommodate the needs of Houston’s most underserved communities,” Khator said in a statement. “He is as passionate about closing the health care gap as our university is about supporting our city’s most critical needs. I cannot think of a person with clinical and business expertise more qualified to lead.”