When classes at the University of Maryland start this upcoming spring semester, the University Health Center will have a new director.
Dr. Spyridon Marinopoulos, the current University Health Services director at Johns Hopkins University, is joining the university as the new health center director and chief medical officer in January, according to a Friday press release from the university. Dr. Sacared Bodison, who has been serving as interim director for the center, will continue with the university in an advisory role, according to the release.
As director, Marinopoulos will be tasked with leading the health center and overseeing the athletics department’s medical staff. Marinopoulos will also lead and consult on all campus health and safety decisions related to COVID-19, according to the release.
“While we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, I am encouraged that there will be no lapse in fearless leadership as we welcome Dr. Spiro Marinopoulos to this important role,” university President Darryll Pines said in the release.
Marinopoulos has about 19 years of experience as an attending physician at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and about 18 years as an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications, according to the release. He served as the director of University Health Services at Hopkins for 15 years.
[Here’s how UMD will track the spread of COVID-19 on campus]
Patty Perillo, student affairs vice president, spoke highly of Marinopoulos and his achievements in the release.
“Dr. Marinopoulos’ proven leadership at Johns Hopkins, in addition to his emphasis on student wellness and care for staff, makes me confident that he will immediately make an impact here at Maryland,” Perillo said in the release.
During his time at Johns Hopkins University, Marinopoulos increased the availability of health care providers and created a funding mechanism for patients visits, which decreased the cost of student health insurance, making health care more affordable and accessible to students, according to the release.
“I am proud to accept this leadership role at the University of Maryland at such a crucial time for health and wellness in academia – and the world,” Dr. Marinopoulos said in the release. “I look forward to contributing to the robust service offerings and student-focused approach to university health, and stand eager to address the many challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
