Kathleen Brite Hillis Named Interim Vice Dean of Medical Education in Yuma

The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix has named Kathleen Brite Hillis, MD, interim vice dean of Medical Education for its newly announced Yuma Branch, the university announced following a Feb. 12, 2026 announcement. The Yuma Branch was developed in collaboration with Onvida Health, and the college framed the expansion as part of efforts to confront shortages in the state’s physician workforce.

Phoenixmed Arizona noted the college’s intent directly, writing that "Establishing this regional branch is a major step taken by the college to address the significant physician shortage facing the state of Arizona." The same report further stated that "Dr. Brite will also continue to lead the Office of Community Engagement in Phoenix," indicating that Hillis will hold responsibilities tied to community-facing programs while taking on the interim academic leadership role.

The announcement included university leadership at the unveiling. In an official photo from the event, Dr. Brite Hillis is identified as "second from left" alongside Jonathan Cartsonis, MD, assistant dean of Rural Health; Fred Wondisford, MD, MS, MBA, Dean; Ken Knox, MD, vice dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs; Ranita Sharma, MD, executive vice dean; and Patricia A. Prelock, PhD, provost and chief academic officer at the University of Arizona. The university newsroom entry carries a byline for Thomas Kelly and appears within the college’s Newsroom section.

The College of Medicine - Phoenix shared the appointment across its social channels. A LinkedIn post captured the line "Dr. Kathleen Brite Hillis has been named the interim vice dean of Medical Education at the newly announced University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, Yuma Branch in collaboration with Onvida Health!" The college’s LinkedIn page was shown with 9,852 followers at the time of the capture, and the post drew visible congratulatory replies from users including Bryan Rowland, Amy Bell Davieau, and Gina Baker. Similar announcements were posted on the college’s Instagram and Facebook feeds, though those captures were truncated in available materials.

For Yuma County residents, the naming of an interim vice dean signals the university’s commitment to building a regional medical education presence in the area in partnership with a local health system. Local health leaders have long highlighted workforce shortages as a barrier to timely care; the college’s statement frames the Yuma Branch as a response to that regional challenge. Details about the Yuma Branch’s timeline, the scope of Onvida Health’s role, the length of the interim appointment, and Dr. Brite Hillis’ full professional biography were not included in the captured posts and will be important to watch as the campus develops.

What comes next for Yuma is clarity: residents and local health providers should expect follow-up announcements on program timelines, educational capacity, and how the campus will be integrated into regional health services. The university’s social posts and the photo of university leaders make clear that the institution has begun public outreach; the community now awaits further operational details that will determine how the Yuma Branch affects access to care across Yuma County.