Newswise — BOSTON – Suzanne Olbricht, MD, an accomplished clinician, researcher, educator and health care administrator, has joined Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) as Chief of Dermatology. Dr. Olbricht comes to BIDMC from Lahey Hospital and Medical Center where she served as Chair of the Dermatology Department. Dr. Olbricht succeeds Robert Stern, MD, a distinguished member of the department for 40 years and who served as chief for the past 16 years.

“We welcome Dr. Olbricht to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and know she will contribute in important ways to our commitments to patient care, research and medical education,” said Kevin Tabb, MD, CEO of BIDMC. “Our patients and our community will benefit from her leadership and her dedication to innovation in the field of dermatology.”

“Dr. Olbricht is an outstanding clinician and a gifted mentor,” added Alexa Boer Kimball, MD, MPH, President and CEO of Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians (HMFP) at BIDMC and a professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School. "Her years of experience and dedication to providing high quality care to patients make her a superb addition to Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at BIDMC and the ideal candidate to lead this department."

From 1983 to 1997, Olbricht worked as a staff dermatologist at what was then Beth Israel Hospital. She then served as Chair of the Dermatology Department at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center from 1998 to 2017 where, among other accomplishments, she developed and directed the first formal fellowship program in the world to train nurse practitioners in dermatology.

“My career has centered on advancing education, professionalism and clinical care in the field of dermatology,” said Olbricht, who is also associate professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School. “I’m thrilled to join the renowned staff at BIDMC and work with the department and medical center’s leadership to continue to provide world-class care to our patients and advance research and innovation in dermatology.”

Olbricht’s clinical interests include Mohs micrographic surgery for the removal of difficult skin cancers. Her clinical practice primarily focuses on treating patients with skin cancer and associated syndromes requiring surgical treatment, with a focus on complications and management of precursor lesions.

Olbricht received her undergraduate degree in Biology and German from Indiana University and her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Boston City Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and then a residency in Dermatology in the combined MGH-Harvard Medical School combined program. She also completed a fellowship in Mohs micro graphic at Massachusetts General Hospital. Olbricht is board-certified in dermatology and internal medicine.

Olbricht will serve as President of the American Academy of Dermatology in 2018. She is also a member of many professional societies, including the American College of Mohs Surgery, the American Society of Dermatological Surgery, the Women's Dermatology Society, and the New England Dermatology Society.

About Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a patient care, teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School and consistently ranks as a national leader among independent hospitals in National Institutes of Health funding.

BIDMC is in the community with Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth, Anna Jaques Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, Lawrence General Hospital, MetroWest Medical Center, Signature Healthcare, Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare, Community Care Alliance and Atrius Health. BIDMC is also clinically affiliated with the Joslin Diabetes Center and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center and is a research partner of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center and the Jackson Laboratory. BIDMC is the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox. For more information, visit www.bidmc.org.

###