James K. Gilman

James K. Gilman, a retired United States Army Major General and physician from Hymera, Indiana, became the first chief executive officer of the NIH Clinical Center Jan. 9, 2017. The NIH Clinical Center is the largest hospital devoted to clinical research in the United States.

Biography Gilman is from Hymera, Indiana and after graduating from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology with a degree in Biological Engineering in 1974 he went to Indiana University School of Medicine and received his MD in 1978.

Military career

Following a medical internship and residency in internal medicine at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), he served as the chief resident in medicine at BAMC. His next assignment was as the staff internist and chief, Internal Medicine Service, U.S. Army Medical Department Activity, Nurnberg, Germany. He then returned to BAMC where he completed a fellowship in cardiovascular diseases and serve as a staff cardiologist. In 1991, he completed a fellowship in clinical cardiac electrophysiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Texas. He then served as chief of Cardiac Electrophysiology and assistant chief of the Cardiology Service, Brooke Army Medical Center. From 1994 until 1997, he served as chief of Cardiology and Cardiology Fellowship Program director at BAMC. In 1995, he deployed to Haiti with the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in support of Operation Uphold Democracy.

Gilman oversees the day-to-day operations and management of the 200-bed, 870,000-square-foot research center on NIH's Bethesda, Maryland, campus.

In 2015, the NIH Clinical Center had about 6,000 inpatient admissions and 100,000 outpatient visits, all participants in clinical trials. Gilman guides the performance of the Clinical Center, focusing on setting a high bar for patient safety and quality of care including the development of new hospital operation policies.

Personal life

He is married with three daughters.

Awards and decorations His military decorations include: Army Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (3 OLC), Meritorious Service Medal (2 OLC), the Army Staff Badge, and the Expert Field Medical Badge. He also received The Surgeon General's "A" Proficiency Designator and is a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit.