Aug. 25, 2017

During an academic and professional career spanning 32 years, Sandeep Rahangdale has seen more than 80,000 patients as a practicing internist, managed a $450 million budget and more than 2,800 health-care professionals with the Florida Department of Corrections, and served as a troop surgeon for the Florida Highway Patrol and medical director for an Alzheimer’s assisted-living facility.

His next challenge? Serving as dean of the College of Medicine’s Tallahassee Regional Campus.

Rahangdale has been chosen to replace outgoing Campus Dean Ron Hartsfield, who is returning to full-time practice with Big Bend Hospice following 5½ years with the College of Medicine.

“We are grateful for the service and leadership Dr. Hartsfield provided and know that he will be a blessing and generous spirit for patients through hospice and palliative care in this community,” College of Medicine Dean John P. Fogarty said. “We are confident that Dr. Rahangdale’s unique and wide-ranging skill set and his ability to build relationships will serve the College of Medicine and our students extremely well.”

Rahangdale, who has taught FSU medical students since the Tallahassee campus opened in 2003, and has served on the College of Medicine’s admissions committee since 2007, will begin his new role Sept. 18.

“This is a big honor for me,” said Rahangdale, a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. “A major focus in my career has been to not only care for patients in the Big Bend region, but to also help the medical community grow, as well as providing guidance to the next generation of medical students at the FSU College of Medicine.

“I look forward to educating third- and fourth-year medical students with a focus toward achieving the mission of the FSU College of Medicine.”

Since 2013, Rahangdale has served as president of Preventive Cardiology & Internal Medicine Associates in Tallahassee, which serves as a teaching site for the FSU colleges of Medicine and Nursing. He also serves as a longitudinal preceptor for FSU medical students, but his CV makes for compelling reading beyond the teaching experiences:

• As deputy secretary of health services for the FDOC, he oversaw improvements leading to decreased mortality rates, while also reworking physician and hospital contracts leading to $100 million in savings over two years.
• While earning degrees in behavioral neuroscience and history and philosophy of science at the University of Pittsburgh, he held positions as both a student computer engineer and a student chemical and mechanical engineer.
• His legislative affairs experience includes two years as chair of the Governor’s Chief Medical Officers Task Force in Florida.

During his time with the FDOC, Rahangdale established efforts to be proactive in educating inmates, nurses, psychiatry specialists and primary-care providers to ensure optimal care and outcomes. He also initiated efforts to improve data collection and analysis.
In that role, he was asked to participate in a Returning Heroes Roundtable in Washington, D.C. There, he unveiled a model for effective re-entry programs and services that would prepare incarcerated military veterans to transition to care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Among the goals Rahangdale has established for his new role as campus dean with the College of Medicine:

• Providing opportunities to bolster Match Day success for his students with a focus on primary care, rural medicine and specialty care in underserved communities.
• Enhancing relationships with numerous and significant College of Medicine community partners.
• Tapping into networks developed through 20 years of practice and medical leadership experiences in Florida to achieve College of Medicine development goals.
• Helping to ensure students at the campus pass shelf exams, develop achievable goals for Match Day and graduate on time.