2000-2001 was a year of growth for the Department of Dermatology. The recruitment of three new faculty members strengthened our teaching and patient care services. Faculty dermatologists provided outstanding diagnostic and therapeutic services for outpatients with diseases of the skin, hair and nails at the Ambulatory Health Center and USC/Norris Cancer Hospital, as well as consultative services for inpatients at the USC University Hospital and USC/Norris Cancer Hospital. The department’s private faculty practice, which had doubled in 1998-1999 as compared to the prior year, increased by over 50% in 1999-2000, and by another 25% in 2000-2001. Overall, our dermatology faculty practice has more than tripled over the past four years.

Dr. David Woodley and his research associates, Drs. Mei Chen and Wei Li, have continued to develop and enhance their basic research programs focusing on keratinocyte motility studies and diseases involving type VII collagen. Their research has achieved national recognition and increasing NIH grant support.

The Department of Dermatology is well-recognized for the provision of outstanding care to Los Angeles County patients at a variety of venues: Roybal Comprehensive Health Center (RCHC), Hudson CHC, and the Pediatric Dermatology Clinic, Hansen’s Disease Clinic, and AIDS Dermatology Clinic at LAC/USC Medical Center. The Department is also responsible for the provision of dermatology care to patients at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. The dermatology residency training program is well recognized for its excellence in clinical training. The program was recently given a status of full accreditation for the next three years by the Residency Review Committee for Dermatology. The RRC commended the dermatology staff for its outstanding efforts over the past few years.

The Department remains committed to enhancing its excellence in clinical care and teaching while developing a vital and growing research program. In addition to providing outstanding patient care, our Department also provides a broadly based educational experience in clinical dermatology for medical students and for residents in other specialties at the LAC/USC Medical Center.

Dermatology program elevated to a stand-alone department »