What BYU’s latest hire means for its new medical school

This article was first published in the ChurchBeat newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Wednesday night.
BYU followed up the news last week that it had named a founding dean for its new medical school by issuing a press release that it had hired a second person related to establishing the school.
The new announcement delivered important information some may have missed. Here’s a look inside the decision:
The latest hire, Dustin Matsumori, isn’t a doctor. This is all about why that distinction is important.
BYU President Shane Reese hired Matsumori to fill a role that isn’t in the medical school under the founding dean, Dr. Mark Ott. It’s about building the medical school.
Matsumori will be the managing director of medical school planning, which means he will work with Reese and Dr. Ott to plan, develop and establish the medical school, according to the university’s news release.
Matsumori works for Intermountain Health, which issued its own release that discussed his role at BYU:
“Dustin’s mission-critical role will include leading and coordinating the work of consultants, subject matter experts and working groups, including accreditation, clinical partnerships, curriculum, research, organizational design, construction and more,” Intermountain stated.
Matsumori earned a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and an MBA from BYU’s Marriott School of Business, then worked at J.P. Morgan, a financial services company, and George K. Baum & Company, an investment-banking firm.
In 2012, he moved to Intermountain Health, where he previously served as:
He is now the vice president of Corporate Development, and he isn’t leaving that job.
The Intermountain Health news release described what he will bring to BYU.
“Dustin’s impressive depth and breadth of expertise in healthcare, market intelligence, strategic planning, investment banking, project management and corporate development will greatly benefit the university as it establishes its new medical school.”
Reese noted Matsumori’s background in finance in his own statement.
“Dustin brings a wealth of experience and expertise in healthcare, corporate development and project management to this position,” President Reese said. “He has played a pivotal role at Intermountain Health, where he has worked with internal and external teams on Intermountain Health’s major capital projects. We appreciate the collaboration and tremendous support of Intermountain Health and look forward to working with Dustin.”
Both statements mentioned corporate development, which is about strategic decisions that grow an organization, establish strategic partnerships and set a standard for organizational excellence.
Matsumori’s hiring further cemented a strategic partnership for BYU with his longtime employer. Intermountain Health President and CEO Rob Allen acknowledged that in a statement.
“I’m thrilled that Intermountain Health is partnering in such an integral way in the development of BYU’s new medical school,” Allen said. “Dustin’s impact on our organization has been tremendous and transformative, positioning Intermountain to advance its mission for generations to come. I invite caregivers across the enterprise to join me in congratulating Dustin on his appointment and celebrating our partnership with BYU on planning for their medical school’s success.”
That’s another crucial factor for both organizations.
BYU needs to secure partners with hospitals where its medical students can get their hands-on training.
Intermountain Health needs more doctors.
“Dustin’s work is likely to directly impact the looming physician shortage that’s starting to grip hospitals and clinics throughout the U.S.,” its statement said. “According to the American Medical Association, the physician deficit could reach as many as 124,000 doctors by 2034. In addition to helping reduce the size of that staffing shortage, BYU will also train physicians to serve in other nations, amplifying Dustin’s efforts for generations to come.”
Matsumori served in what is now the New York New York City Mission during the mission presidency of Elder Ronald A. Rasband in the late 1990s. Matsumori has also served as a Latter-day Saint bishop.
Matsumori’s own childhood health issues add abiding meaning to his work for Intermountain and BYU.
“Intermountain Health has played a very important role in my life,” he said in a statement. “I was born prematurely with hydrocephalus and an underdeveloped heart and lungs. I spent much of my life as a child and youth being cared for by our amazing caregivers at Primary Children’s Hospital.
“I’ve been fortunate to work with, and for, Intermountain, and I’m honored to now have the privilege to help BYU create a medical school that will train future generations of physicians who, in turn, will care for individuals and families both locally and internationally.”
Latter-day Saint investment auxiliary Farmland Reserve agrees to buy 46 farms in 8 states (Oct. 14)
BYU-Idaho’s incoming class makes history in a record-setting year (Oct. 12)
You heard the African student’s prayer before a BYU football game. Here’s the story behind it (Oct. 11)
‘Delivering health care to people is a ministry’: Founding BYU Medical School dean details his plans (Oct. 11)
BYU names founding dean of medical school (Oct. 10)
President Russell M. Nelson met with a special envoy of Indonesia’s president over conference weekend.
Elder Rasband encouraged young adults to give the Lord “equal time.”
Elder Dale G. Renlund dedicated the San Pedro Sula Honduras Temple. Read the dedicatory prayer here.
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf offered missionaries a formula for success.
Over 12,000 Latter-day Saints have now given aid in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. They have totaled 170,000 volunteer hours at 5,700 homes. Read more here.
A historian spent decades transcribing 1.2 million words of Brigham Young recorded by shorthand. “Many people know about Brigham Young. I know Brigham Young,” she says.
It was fascinating to read about how a Jewish basketball player sat out a preseason game on Yom Kippur, one of Judaism’s holiest days, while BYU’s quarterback, who is also Jewish, chose to play. Here’s what both players said. Here’s what Jake Retzlaff, BYU’s quarterback, and his family told CBS about choosing BYU.
Two Latter-day Saint professional soccer players successfully fought with peers for better pay for women’s players. This is a really good piece.
Remember getting DVDs from the Redbox machine. Well, the company is bankrupt, and now stores are finding it hard to get someone to cart away the 800-pound gorillas. Oops, I meant 800-pound machines. It’s a fun story.
Read about the Spirit-led process of creating choirs to perform at general conference.
Good news for missionaries. The U.S. passport delays have disappeared.
New York Times columnist David French referred in a column to the talk he recently gave at BYU. Read my coverage of his talk here.