McLeod Health is pleased to announce the graduates of its second annual Physician Leadership Academy. The 36 participants were honored during a graduation ceremony on January 11, 2017.

Dr. James L. Reinertsen delivered the keynote address on “The Importance of Physician Leadership” during the program. He heads The Reinertsen Group, an independent consulting and teaching practice that helps health care leaders achieve breakthrough performance, organization-wide, in clinical quality and safety. Dr. Reinertsen brings to this work an unusual combination of skills and experience as a practicing physician, a CEO of complex health systems, and a leader of quality improvement in health care.

The Physician Leadership Academy is a ten-month educational program designed to prepare physicians for leadership roles within their practice and the health system. With the rapid changes in healthcare, physician leadership and collaboration within a healthcare system are critical to providing high-quality, efficient care to our community. Physician-led and integrated health systems like the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic are often cited by our peers as models for future healthcare delivery systems. It is impossible to imagine an integrated system without meaningful physician leadership. To promote these qualities within our own organization, McLeod developed the Physician Leadership Academy.

Under the guidance of Chief Medical Officer and Vice President for Medical Services Dr. C. Dale Lusk and Vice President of Physician Recruiting and Retention Tiffany C. Ellington, the program’s curriculum included seminars by regionally and nationally recognized experts on a variety of topics such as Change Management, Emotional Intelligence, Healthcare Finance, Quality & Safety, and Team Building.

The McLeod Health Physician Leadership Academy Class of 2016 included:
Physician Graduates – M. Adnan Alsaka, MD; Prakash S. Beeraka, MD; David S. Bjerken, MD; Ramesh A. Bharadwaj, MD; Walter B. Blum, MD; Valarian A. Bruce, MD; Anu Chaudry, MD; John A. Charles, MD; Hope I. Cohen-Webb, DO; Christopher G. Cunningham, MD; Kimberley A. Drayton, MD; Daniel J. Fox, MD; Hossan A. Hassan, MD; Focell Jackson-Dozier, MD; Vinay Jagadeesha, MD; Kiasha James, MD; Lisa Lanning-Lowther, DO; Thomas G. Lewis, Jr., MD; Michael McCaffrey, MD; Guy E. McClary, Jr., MD; Shawn P. McKay, MD; Mamdouh N. Mijalli, MD; William A. Newsom, MD; Christopher G. Paramore, MD; Noel L. Phipps, MD; Alan G. Sechtin, MD; Anna Jane D. Senseney, MD; Heather M. Shelton, MD; Michael J. Sutton, DO; Amanda M. Turbeville, MD; Deborah L. Wheeler, MD; and David M. Woodbury, MD.

Administrator Graduates – Joan O. Ervin, Jodi M. Fitzsimmons, Lesli B. Kennedy and Monica A. Vehige.