Longtime Texas Tech HSC medical school dean Dr. Steven Berk dies

Dr. Steven Berk, dean of the School of Medicine and executive vice president for the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center died on Friday, May 26.

His death was announced Friday evening by TTUHSC where he served as dean for the past 17 years and executive president for 13 years.

"Our university community is heartbroken and mourns this tremendous loss for his family, our faculty, staff, students and the medical community," reads a statement from TTUHSC. The circumstances of his death were not immediately known.

In 1999, he joined the faculty of TTUHSC and held the positions of regional dean of the Amarillo campus, professor of medicine and the Mirick-Myers Endowed Chair in Geriatric Medicine.

During his tenure as dean at TTUHSC in Lubbock, Berk championed the creation of the Family Medicine Accelerated Track program — the first of its kind in the nation — which just celebrated its 10-year anniversary of the first graduating class.

Through Berk's leadership, the university was also recently named one of the top medical schools in the country for its focus on producing family medicine physicians.

The creation of the Covenant Branch Campus, the medical student barbershop hypertension program, Deans’ Ambassadors, the Clinical Research Institute, the Department of Medical Education, the Women’s Health Research Institute of Amarillo and the Lubbock medical student-led free clinic, were areas of growth the university saw through Berk's leadership.

"Dr. Berk’s distinguished career was marked by his commitment to students, advocacy for diversity in medicine and drive to support rural health care needs. We were fortunate to have Dr. Berk as part of the TTUHSC family, and we are a better university because of his contributions and character," reads a statement from TTUHSC President Dr. Lori Rice-Spearman.

Berk was set to retire in the upcoming months after leading a distinguished career and celebrating his last commitment ceremony earlier this month.

Accomplishments outside of the hospital and classroom

Not only did Berk bring the university many accolades, Berk was also an accomplished author, writing a book based on a true-life event from his time in Amarillo.

Entitled "Anatomy of a Kidnapping: A Doctor’s Story", Berk's book is based on his March 2005 kidnapping in Amarillo. It went on to be awarded the Silver Medal in the Foreword Indies Award in the True Crime category.

His newest book, "In Search of the Animalcule", was released this year in March and is a historical fiction book about the discovery of the infectious disease field in medicine.

Sentiments from around the community

Covenant Health also released a statement mourning the loss of Berk.

"Dean Berk was a trailblazer in medical education, highlighting the importance of research, clinical care, and service to the community. His contributions to the medical community will be remembered through the legacy of our doctors, here in West Texas, and across the country," read a statement from the hospital.

“We are blessed to have worked closely with Dr. Berk through the years,” Covenant Health Regional Chief Executive Walter Cathey said. “Dean Berk worked with Covenant for the expansion of medical education and promotion of expanded services for West Texas. The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center’s School of Medicine residents who walked our halls and served our patients, as well as the caregivers of Covenant, are thankful for his leadership.”

In a Twitter post, Texas Tech University System Chancellor Dr. Tedd Mitchell, who previously served as President of TTUHSC, shared condolences from his family, describing Berk as "a man of integrity and a dedicated servant leader."

"His accomplished tenure is underscored by his remarkable excellence and loyalty as one of the longest-serving medical school deans in the nation," Mitchell wrote.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Longtime Texas Tech HSC medical school dean Dr. Steven Berk dies