School of Medicine & Health Sciences announces Erin Barrett (Wei) as Chair of the School’s new Department of Dermatology

Officials at the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences announced this week that Erin Barrett (Wei), M.D., M.B.A., FAAD, has been named Tareen Family Chair of the School’s new Department of Dermatology.

“I am deeply honored and profoundly grateful to serve as the inaugural Chair of UND’s Department of Dermatology,” said Barrett. “I am inspired by the opportunity to help shape a future where every North Dakotan has access to timely, comprehensive, and cutting-edge dermatologic care, regardless of geography.”

Sanford Health leadership also welcomed the appointment of Dr. Barrett – who will also serve as Chair of the Department of Dermatology at Sanford Health in Fargo – emphasizing the impact her leadership will have on patient care and access across the region.

“Dr. Barrett’s arrival is transformative for Sanford Health and for the patients we serve,” said Dr. Steve Briggs, Sanford Fargo chief physician. “Her nationally recognized expertise, commitment to innovation, and passion for expanding access to specialized dermatologic care align perfectly with our mission. Under her leadership, we are confident we will significantly improve access to high-quality dermatology services, and bring advanced, evidence-based care closer to patients across North Dakota.”

A graduate of Harvard Medical School who spent the majority of her early academic career at both Harvard and Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Barrett is an NIH-funded physician-scientist who specializes in autoinflammatory and autoimmune skin diseases. Serving as Deputy Chair of the American Academy of Dermatology’s Performance Measurement Committee, she is an established leader in dermatology education, clinical operations, and national dermatology governance.

Calling her colleague’s arrival in North Dakota a “game-changer,” SMHS Dean and UND’s Vice President for Health Affairs, Dr. Marjorie Jenkins, explained how in addition to leading UND’s newest department, Barrett will help strengthen the University’s capacity for dermatology education and research and expand dermatologic care in a state experiencing a significant shortage of dermatology providers.

“Today, there are fewer than 30 practicing dermatologists in North Dakota, limiting access to specialized care, particularly in our state’s rural and underserved communities,” said Jenkins. “Dermatology wait lists often extend out six months or more. Under Dr. Barrett’s leadership, this new department will help grow the state’s dermatology workforce by introducing dermatology as a specialty to more of our students earlier in their education, hopefully increasing the number of medical students who match into a dermatology residency.”

The only university-based Department of Dermatology in the Dakotas was established earlier this year with the help of a $5 million gift from Mohiba and Basir Tareen. A 2002 graduate of North Dakota’s only interprofessional school of medicine and health sciences, Dr. Basir Tareen is a Cavalier, N.D., native who, when not practicing urology in the Twin Cities, manages Tareen Development Partners, a real estate development firm focused on building and preserving affordable housing communities across the United States.

Basir’s father, Jamil Tareen, served as a rural surgeon in Cavalier for more than 35 years and his wife Mohiba is a board-certified dermatologist who founded Tareen Dermatology in 2011 in Roseville, Minn.

“Dermatology is my passion, and to be able to bring dermatology and specialty care to better serve North Dakota is a lifelong dream,” said Mohiba. “We are honored to help the University and are excited for what is to come.”

According to Barrett, her background in program building, rural healthcare expansion, research, and dermatology workforce development are already shaping her vision of helping reduce patient wait times in North Dakota and building a sustainable academic pipeline across a multi-state region that currently has no dermatology residency program. The result of this vision includes ensuring that North Dakotans will have access to cutting-edge dermatologic care and greater access to novel therapeutics and clinical trials.

“It is a true privilege to return to a region that holds deep personal meaning for my family, including my husband and children, and to serve alongside such dedicated colleagues and leaders who are committed to advancing patient care,” added Barrett, who will be based in Fargo, N.D., and will begin seeing patients at Sanford Health in July. “I am especially grateful to Dean Jenkins, Drs. Mohiba and Basir Tareen, and the leadership at Sanford for their trust, partnership, and shared vision in this mission. My family and I are truly honored to return to this region and to dedicate ourselves to serving its people.”