UCSF Professor Dies in Campus Shuttle Bus Accident
Kevin Mack, MD, an associate professor in the UCSF Department of Psychiatry, was killed today in a UCSF shuttle bus collision with a semi-trailer in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley. He was 52.
Kevin Mack, MD
For a high-resolution photo of him,
Four shuttle passengers and the shuttle driver sustained moderate to minor injuries.
Mack was a gifted educator and expert in bipolar and psychotic disorders, and his work was based at the UCSF-affiliated San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH). He is survived by his husband and two young children.
On behalf of the University, UCSF Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH, expressed deep sorrow and sympathy to Dr. Mack’s family and friends, and to the other victims of the accident as well as to those who witnessed the tragedy.
The shuttle was on Oak Street headed toward SFGH when it collided shortly before 6:30 a.m. with a truck traveling north on Octavia Street, according to UCSF Police.
There were approximately 15 people on board the shuttle, UCSF Police said.
The injured passengers – who ranged in age between 58 and 85 – were taken to SFGH and are listed in fair to good condition. The shuttle driver had minor injuries and was taken to the UCSF Medical Center in Parnassus Heights.
The accident is currently under investigation by the San Francisco Police Department unit that is responsible for fatal and serious injury accidents.
The UCSF shuttle program is 30 years old. The vehicles ferry employees and patients throughout the UCSF campus network in San Francisco, travelling one million miles a year and carrying 2.3 million passengers annually.
About Kevin Mack
Mack was director of Educational Technology and Faculty Development in the UCSF-Berkeley Joint Medical Program, an Advisory College mentor, and a member of the Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators.
“He had a strong commitment to global health and to medical education in resource poor settings,’’ said A. Sue Carlisle, PhD, MD, associate dean of SFGH.
Susan A. Currin, RN, chief executive officer of SFGH, said, "He was an exceptional role model and inspiration for all of the educational community at UCSF.’’
In a statement to the UCSF community, UCSF School of Medicine Dean Sam Hawgood, MBBS, voiced profound sadness at the death of Mack.
“He worked with the World Health Organization developing problem-based learning programs for use in Africa and the South Pacific,’’ said Hawgood. “Dr. Mack served as one of the advisory college mentors in the School of Medicine and as the director of Educational Technology in the UCSF-Berkeley Joint Medical Program. He was a role model for his students and an inspiration for his colleagues. Our deepest sympathy goes out to his family, friends, and colleagues.’’
John Swartzberg, MD, clinical professor at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health and former JMP director, hired Mack in 2000 to help develop the innovative case-based curriculum for students in the joint medical program. “He was arguably one of the most brilliant and kindest human beings I’ve ever known in my life,” Swartzberg told UC Berkeley.
Counseling Services Available
Counseling services for UCSF faculty, residents and staff are available through the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP). For more information about FSAP, call 415/476-8279.
UCSF Medical Center’s Spiritual Care Services are available to all members of the UCSF community by calling 415/443-2273.
Students may obtain counseling through UCSF Student Health & Counseling by calling 415/476-1281.
Photo by J. Paschal