Longtime UC leader honored with lifetime achievement award

Andrew Filak, MD — the Cincinnati Business Courier’s 2025 Health Care Heroes Lifetime Achievement Award winner — had a 46-year career at UC Health and the University of Cincinnati, which began with his residency in the then-new family medicine program and concluded with his retirement last year as dean of the College of Medicine.

Throughout his time with the academic health system, more than 6,700 students graduated with their medical degrees and 2,685 College of Medicine students graduated with Filak’s signature on their diplomas.

“He played an integral role in the education of thousands of medical students, residents and fellows who have gone on to provide exemplary patient care worldwide,” said UC President Neville Pinto.

Filak completed his residency training at the UC College of Medicine and UC Medical Center, bringing him to the city that he would make his home. 

He served as chief resident and quickly joined the faculty in 1981.

In 1987, John Hutton, MD, dean of the College of Medicine at the time, promoted Filak as the designated institutional official for graduate medical education and associate chief of staff for graduate medical education at UC Medical Center.

Filak would move through the ranks of the college, holding associate dean positions and serving as founding chair of the department of medical education. He held the interim dean position twice before the title became permanent in 2020, along with the position of UC senior vice president for health affairs.

Filak’s experience in guiding the college through decades of ups and downs helped prepare him to lead it through the Covid-19 pandemic, which hit the U.S. six weeks after his first day as dean.

“To some extent, having someone who (was) here, who people knew and seemed to have trusted, it seems like maybe that was fate,” said Filak.

“Andy is probably the steadiest of hands in times of challenges,” said Cory Shaw, UC Health president and CEO. “It’s probably the highest compliment I can pay to somebody as a leader.”

Now Filak, 72, has retired and passed the College of Medicine’s keys to Gregory Postel, MD. When reflecting on his career, all his titles, awards won, committees served on, Filak said his favorite part of it all was being a father.

Filak plans to spend his retirement with his family, which includes his wife, Patti, his four adult children and five grandchildren.

Read about Filak's influence on two of his students as they trained to become doctors.

Featured image at top: Andrew Filak, MD, former dean of the UC College of Medicine. Photo/Colleen Kelley/UC Creative + Brand.