Benjamin P. Sachs, a professor at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health, will serve as dean of the Tulane University School of Medicine beginning Nov. 1, the president of Tulane announced last week.

Sachs, who is the chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, will also assume the role of senior vice president in charge of all medically related activities, the press release said. Sachs has been at Beth Israel since 1989, and he also spent time working at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the early 1980s.

At Tulane, Sachs will be challenged with the role of rebuilding for a school that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Sachs will replace former Tulane Medical School Dean Paul K. Whelton, who left the university in January.

According to Sachs, the chance to lend his services to the down-trodden region was part of the reason he accepted the job.

His new position will include the responsibilities overseeing the medical school’s two hospitals as well as continuing his duties as a teacher at Tulane.

“I love teaching, so I plan to teach to medical students,” he said.

Anne P. Baños, the vice president and chief of staff at Tulane, said that the entire university population was excited about Sachs’ arrival.

“This university community is absolutely thrilled that he would be joining us,” Baños said.

Tulane’s medical facilities remained open while the rest of the university closed after Katrina. The medical school has not stopped operating despite the university’s more than $450 million losses, Baños said.

Sachs said that Tulane’s strong emphasis on integrating public service with academics was one of the factors that attracted him to the university.

Baños, who also oversaw the selection committee that chose Sachs, said that the London native was selected with strong support from committee members.
“The challenge is that you need someone who is an extremely strong educator, and excellent manager, a good clinician and you need that person to have a strong presence in external affairs,” she said.

The St. Mary’s Medical School graduate first moved to Boston to complete his residency at the Brigham and Women’s in 1978. Since then, Sachs has held various leadership positions at both Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

He has been commended for his emphasis on improving the quality of care in his department of Beth Israel.

“I am determined to take that approach with me,” Sachs said. “I’m a firm believer in high quality care and high quality care for all.”

—Staff writer Abby D. Phillip can be reached at adphill@fas.harvard.edu.