Baptist Memorial Announces Leadership Changes

Baptist Memorial Health Care announced leadership changes that mark several firsts for the organization: for the first time, a physician, Dr. Paul DePriest, has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer; Baptist recruited Rev. Keith Norman as its first ever vice president for government affairs; and Dana Dye has been tapped to lead Baptist’s flagship facility, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis.

DePriest came to Baptist Memorial in 2012 as the organization’s senior vice president and chief medical officer. One of his primary responsibilities in that role was operational process design for the system and communication and collaboration between physicians and Baptist leadership. That responsibility will be enhanced in his new position, where he will serve as second in command to Baptist Memorial’s President and CEO, Jason Little. DePriest’s promotion is the next step in Baptist Memorial’s transition from a hospital-led organization to a hospital and physician-led organization.

Norman, the pastor of First Baptist Church—Broad, has been named Baptist Memorial’s vice president of government affairs. In this role, he will establish and maintain relationships with government officials and strengthen Baptist’s community outreach partnerships.

Dye, Baptist Memorial’s vice president and chief nursing executive, will lead Baptist Memphis, the city’s largest hospital. A 706-bed regional referral center, the facility houses the Baptist Heart Institute and offers a wealth of advanced medical services. A Baptist colleague since 2007, Dye began her Baptist Memorial career as Baptist Memphis’ chief nursing officer. In 2012, she was promoted to vice president and chief nursing executive for the Baptist Memorial system. She will remain a vice president after she assumes her new role at Baptist Memphis.

Dye will replace Derick Ziegler, who will be promoted to vice president and head of regional operations for Baptist Memorial. After spending 23 years in health care administration for the U.S Army, Ziegler came to Baptist Memorial in 2008 to lead Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union City in Union City, Tenn. Two years later, he became Baptist Memphis’ administrator and CEO.

Ziegler will assume the role held by Randy King, a 31-year Baptist colleague who will become vice president and head of metro-Memphis operations for Baptist Memorial. King started his Baptist Memorial career in the materials management department for Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton and worked his way up to his current role. Along the way, he served as Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto’s administrator and CEO.

King’s predecessor in his new role, Zach Chandler, is being promoted to executive vice president and chief strategy officer. After completing his Frank Groner administrative fellowship at Baptist Memorial, Chandler held several leadership roles within the organization, including serving as CEO and administrator at four Baptist Memorial hospitals. Chandler has been with Baptist for 15 years.

Cardenas & Doss join Semmes-Murphey Clinic

Semmes-Murphey Clinic has announced the addition of two distinguished physicians to their clinic as of July 1, 2014. They are Dr. Raul J. Cardenas and Dr. Vinodh T. Doss. Dr. Cardenas is a fellowship-trained neurosurgeon with a fellowship in minimally invasive spine surgery. Dr. Doss is a Neurologist who is fellowship-trained in stroke and neurointerventional surgery. Beginning July 1, he will also be the Stroke Medical Director at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis.

Dr. Cardenas, who is fluent in Spanish, is the third generation in his family to practice neurosurgery. After graduating from Christian Brothers University, Dr. Cardenas attended Medical School in Nashville, TN and completed his Neurological Surgery Residency at Louisiana State University Health Science Center. He ultimately finished his training at the Semmes-Murphey Clinic in Memphis, with a fellowship in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery with Dr. Kevin T. Foley. The Semmes-Murphey Clinic is the same place where his father had finished his residency many years earlier.

Dr. Doss, a first generation American, was born and raised in the mountains of southwestern Virginia. He completed his undergraduate studies at Virginia Tech. He then attended medical school at the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine, also in Blacksburg, VA. He completed his Internship in Internal Medicine at Virginia Tech-Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, VA, and his Residency in Neurology at Medical College of VA Hospital/Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, in Richmond, VA. He followed this with a Fellowship in Vascular Neurology at University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, and a Fellowship in Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology, at Semmes-Murphey Clinic/UTHSC, also in Memphis.

Saint Francis Bartlett Celebrates 10 Years

During the recent 10 Year Celebration, Trevor Fetter (Right) CEO of Tenet Healthcare Corporation speaks with his former chief of staff, Jeremy Clark, now the CEO of Saint Francis Bartlett Hospital. In his comments, Clark thanked the Bartlett community for embracing and supporting the hospital and also acknowledged the pride and support the hospital receives from the Tenet Corporation.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital renewed as NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center has been renewed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), earning the highest possible score of “exceptional.” St. Jude remains the first and only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center that is devoted solely to children. St. Jude has been designated as an NCI cancer center since 1977. The hospital was named a comprehensive cancer center in 2008.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital officials also announced the appointment of three internationally recognized physician-scientists to leadership positions.

Mitchell Weiss, M.D., Ph.D., has been named chair of the St. Jude Department of Hematology. He was recruited to the institution from the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) Perelman School of Medicine and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where he is a professor of pediatrics and holds an endowed chair.

J. Paul Taylor, M.D., Ph.D., who joined the St. Jude Department of Developmental Neurobiology in 2008, has been appointed chair of the new St. Jude Department of Cell and Molecular Biology. He will also hold the Edward F. Barry Endowed Chair in Cell and Molecular Biology.

Kim Nichols, M.D., has been selected to launch the new Division of Hereditary Cancer Predisposition in the St. Jude Department of Oncology. She currently directs the CHOP Pediatric Hereditary Cancer Predisposition Program. She is also an associate professor of pediatrics at the UPenn Perelman School of Medicine.

Campbell Clinic Set To Expand In Cordova

Campbell Clinic has announced plans for expansion with the upcoming addition of a fifth clinic location.

The newest clinic, located at 8000 Centerview Parkway in the bustling Walnut Grove Road corridor of Cordova, will provide an additional site of orthopaedic medical offices and physical therapy for the Mid-South’s largest group of musculoskeletal specialists. The space includes more than 17,000 sq. feet and is expected to be operational by late in the fourth quarter of 2014.

The new facility is the latest in a string of additional site and service enhancements for Campbell Clinic. The group opened its second ambulatory surgery center on April 28 and began offering evening scheduled physician appointments at the beginning of this year.

Specific operational plans for the additional clinic will be announced later this summer, but clinic leaders are exploring multiple possible opportunities for the expansion.

George Hernandez, Campbell Clinic chief executive officer said the expansion serves two needs. It will first address existing patient volumes and provide added convenience for residents of eastern Shelby County, and it will also allow for design of space for specific needs in the future.

The existing floor space will be built out and finished with specific clinical goals in mind. The new space will feature 16 exam rooms, approximately 4,000 sq. feet of physical therapy space, and a unique waiting area complete with patient information kiosks, a computer and reading room, and other unique patient amenities.

Saint Francis Fall Conference in Destin

Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis has announced dates for its 10th Annual Fall Update Continuing Medical Education (CME) Conference. It will be held at the Hilton Sandestin Beach and Golf Resort in Destin, Florida. The dates are Thursday, Friday and Saturday, October 9, 10, and 11. While Fall Update 2014 targets primary care physicians, other physicians are welcome. Physicians attending all three days can earn up to 14 CME credits.

The 2014 conference will feature lectures on Heart Disease in Women, Migraines, Prescription Drug Abuse, Dermatology, Gout, Genomics and the Future of Medicine, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and other topics. This year’s conference also features an optional 4-hour workshop entitled PDR: Psychologically Designed Resiliency. The conference faculty is composed of local, regional and national speakers with exceptional reputations in their respective fields. With lectures scheduled from 7:30 AM to 12:45 PM, the conference is structured to allow attendees to time to enjoy the many amenities offered in the Destin area.

The conference agenda is planned by the hospital’s CME physician committee, with input from previous conference attendees regarding topic and speaker selections. The committee is chaired by Michael Threlkeld, MD, Infectious Disease, with members representing various medical specialties.

Anyone interested in more information can email CMESaintFrancis@tenethealth.com