Physician Leader Profiles

Syed Ahmed, M.D. Dr. Ahmed serves as Chief of Surgery at Sage Memorial Hospital in Ganado, Arizona. He has completed residency and fellowships in general surgery and trauma and surgical critical care at New York Medical College. Originally from Pakistan, Dr. Ahmed earned his medical degree from Dow Medical College in Karachi. He continues to conduct research and has been published in several peer-reviewed journals and abstracts. As a surgical intensivist with leadership responsibilities, he seeks the knowledge and understanding of the business of medicine so that he may better manage the financial and clinical resources needed to deliver excellent patient care. Among his personal learning goals for enrolling in the PEMBA program is to learn how to make rational business decisions that are in harmony with the clinical practice.

Paul Banick, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Banick received undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Honors-Humanities (Magna Cum Laude) with a minor in Mathematics from Villanova University in 1983. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. in Anatomy and Cell Biology in 1989 from Georgetown University School of Medicine. He completed his Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine at Duke University Hospital, and his Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
After obtaining Board Certification in Pulmonary and Critical Care, he worked in private practice in Wilmington, North Carolina for a little over 2 years. There he also held an adjunct faculty appointment at the University of North Carolina. Subsequently, he joined the Knoxville Pulmonary Group. He was elected Senior Vice President of his group last year. His practice is based mainly at the University of Tennessee (UT) Hospital in Knoxville. He and his wife coordinate Clinical Trials for his group. He has been named in the Knoxville City View Magazine as a “top doc” in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
He has appointments as Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine and Anesthesia at the UT Graduate School of Medicine and is involved in Resident and Medical School teaching. He became the Chairman of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in July of 2002, and Medical Director of Respiratory Care Services in January of 2004. He also chairs the Lung Center of Excellence Steering Committee at UT Hospital’s Heart-Lung-Vascular Center. Starting in 2005, he serves on the Hospital’s Executive Committee.
Dr Banick has come to the understanding that physicians must educate themselves in the mechanics, operations and language of the business world in order to effect the best changes for their profession at multiple levels. Fiscally responsible changes must preserve the essence of medicine as a vocation to care for sick persons while enhancing the evidence based approach to patient care. As such, Dr Banick believes that the practicing physician who obtains education in business will be uniquely qualified to facilitate these tasks whether it is at a private practice level, institutional level or national policy level. It is in this spirit that Dr. Banick believes that participating in the Physician Executive MBA program will further his leadership as a physician in his various endeavors.

Damita Bryant, M.D. Dr. Bryant is the owner and CEO of ALLCARE Pain and Sports Medicine - a solo practice which she established soon after completing her year in PEMBA. She is a member of the medical staff at Bayshore Community Hospital and on the advisory board of Bayshore Health and Fitness Center - where she gives semiannual lectures on pertinent topics in Physical Medicine. Prior to her current appointment, she served as Medical Director for Alliance Rehab - an outpatient multi-specialty group dedicated to treatment of acute and chronic musculoskeletal injuries. She was also Medical Director of the inpatient Brain Injury Program for Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hospital. Her post-graduate residency was in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Bryant is board certified in this specialty. She also completed an internal medicine internship. Since graduating with her medical doctorate from Albany Medical College, she has been active in community awareness programs. Dr. Bryant has benefited from her increase in knowledge of business, allowing her to be proactive in jump starting an exciting new solo practice.

Kelly A. Carden, M.D. Dr. Carden was born just across the river from the University of Tennessee and grew up in the adjacent town of Oak Ridge. After graduating from the Webb School of Knoxville, she attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville where she majored in Molecular Biology with minors in Chemistry and English. Before committing to a medical career, she accepted a clinical research position at Vanderbilt University where she worked with Dr. Robert Boucek in Pediatric Cardiology and Dr. Bill Frist in Heart and Lung Transplantation. She went to medical school at the University of Tennessee at Memphis and was graduated in 1996. She then went to Baylor College of Medicine for residency training in Internal Medicine. Thereafter, she accepted a position on staff in the Internal Medicine Department at Baylor until deciding to pursue subspecialty training. For this, she moved to Boston to undertake training in Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at Harvard University. Having completed her training in June of 2004, she is now employed at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and is actively involved in both clinical medicine and research.

Javier Castillo-Zayas, M.D. After finishing medical school in Puerto Rico, Dr. Castillo-Zayas went on to complete a residency in urology at the State University of New York in Buffalo. He then moved back to Puerto Rico where he established his private practice. During this time, he has been actively involved with multiple medical staff committees, some of which he has chaired. He has also been involved in his community as president of different social organizations catering to the underserved. Dr. Castillo is currently a Board certified urologist and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons as well as an active member in multiple medical societies. He is currently the Chief of Staff at Saint Luke's Memorial Hospital, a 350-bed acute care hospital in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Being the senior partner in a two-physician urology practice he is presently organizing a joint venture with eight other urologists to offer mobile urological services to different hospitals. Dr. Castillo is pursuing a Master's in Business Administration to better understand and to communicate more effectively with those who deal with the business aspect of the health care industry. His dream is to make accessible adequate health care to every person in the world.

C.J. Chang, M.D. Dr. Chang joined the Sutter Gould Medical Group as an Anesthesiologist in Modesto, California after finishing residency in July 2004. Prior to starting his residency in Anesthesiology at the University of Florida, he also received training in Internal Medicine at the Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. Thereafter, he went on to attend medical school at the American University of the Caribbean in St. Maarten. While as a medical student on clinical rotations in England, he was able to experience first hand the difference in health care delivery models between the United States and the United Kingdom. Ever since, he has an interest in how economics have shaped the different medical specialties. Citing declining reimbursements and a highly competitive healthcare market, one of the outcomes for Dr. Chang's education in the business of medicine is to understand the business forces that drive medicine. By mastering business and applying his clinical knowledge, he hopes to contribute to his group's success and to its sustained growth.

Michael Citak, M.D. Dr. Citak, a native of Chicago, completed undergraduate studies at Texas Tech University and attended medical school at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. There he was named the outstanding student in Pediatrics and received the school's first Canby Robinson Society award for overall excellence. Surgical internship and residency followed at the University of Louisville. In his final year of training he served as Administrative Chief Resident in addition to his clinical responsibilities. Having been on a military scholarship in medical school, he then fulfilled his 4 year active duty Air Force obligation. He was stationed at Eglin Air Force Base in the Florida panhandle. In addition to providing surgical care for active duty military personnel, he worked with residents and other students and was recognized for his admirable teaching ability. Additional training followed in Louisville with a clinical fellowship in ERCP and Interventional Endoscopy. He, his wife and their 3 children then settled in Somerset, KY, serving on the medical staff of Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital. As the needs of this 250 bed regional facility grew, he took a sabbatical to do a clinical fellowship in general thoracic surgery at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA. He returned to practice general, thoracic, laparoscopic, and endoscopic surgery in Somerset as well as serve on various committees and act as the director of thoracic surgery. He served as Chief of Staff in 2002 and at hat time became interested in the administrative aspects of medicine. He plans to fulfill the role of Chief Medical Officer in Somerset and continue to practice medicine part-time. He sees his greatest challenge as balancing his time between an administrative position and a clinical practice.

Alexander Conz, M.D. Dr. Conz was born in Germany. He graduated from the University of Ulm, Germany after having started his academic life at the Ludwig-Maximilian-University in Munich. After completing residencies in general, thoracic and plastic surgery, he now serves as medicl director of Telemedicine Solutions in Stuttgart Germany. In the last two years he focused on clinical pathways and change management. Dr. Conz relates that he is thoroughly convinced that the PEMBA program makes the best skills available to face the challenges of a very fast changing health care market - not only in Germany but worldwide.

Arti M. Deshikachar, M.D. Dr. Deshikachar obtained her Medical Degree from Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, India, in 1994. She subsequently completed a Family Practice Residency at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan in 2000. She is currently practicing in Michigan with a special interest in Geriatrics. Her decision to obtain a PEMBA degree was prompted by a desire to obtain in depth understanding of the business aspect of Healthcare. She aims to utilize this knowledge in her future practice models. " It behooves a physician intending to have a successful practice in the current atmosphere to have business savvy and leadership skills too.and that's what I am expecting the PEMBA to equip me with."

Richard Dittrich, M.D. Dr. Dittrich is excited to be part of the PEMBA program because of the business skill set it will bring to his leadership role as National Medical Director for Women's Health at United Healthcare Group/Americhoice. An experienced Physician Leader, he has been responsible for dramatic growth in several medical practices and medically related service organizations such as MedStar Health Management Services. He developed a state-of-the-art health center for women at the Navy's Philadelphia Naval Center. Dr. Dittrich developed utilization review procedures for re-creditialling and quality management programs, benefitting 600 physicians. As Vice President of Development (Northeast Region) at MedPartners, Inc. he was responsible for practice acquisition and management. Since earning his medical doctorate at the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery in Des Moines, Iowa, he has remained active in clinical education, consultation and practice. He is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Dittrich has set many goals and objectives for his education and notes that with PEMBA's, "concentrated one-year program, I will soon be able to enhance my healthcare management ability...and the instruction of an experienced faculty will help me achieve a new level in my healthcare career."

Pradeep Jacob, M.D. Dr. Jacob is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiology at The University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville. He is board certified in Diagnostic Radiology. He has additional sub-specialty training in Nuclear Medicine and Neuroradiology and is board certified in both. His academic interests include neuroradiology and PET imaging. Dr Jacob received his medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine and undergraduate training at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has been in the practice of radiology for six years.

Andrew Loesberg, M.D. Dr. Loesberg graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts degree from ColgateUniversity. He received his medical degree from UMDNJ-Rutgers Medical School in New Jersey. Diagnostic Radiology residency and fellowship in Vascular/Interventional Radiology was completed at the University of Chicago Hospitals in Chicago, IL. He was board certified by the American Board of Radiology in 1994 and received a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Interventional Radiology by the ABR in 1996. Dr. Loesberg is a Partner/Treasurer at Hunterdon Radiology Associates and practices at Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington, NJ. He has been practicing Interventional and General Radiology for the past ten years. Dr. Loesberg is a member of several medical societies including the AmericanCollegeof Radiology, Radiological Society of North America, and the Society of Interventional Radiology. He specializes in peripheral, cerebral, and abdominal interventional procedures. He is married and has two daughters. Dr. Loesberg believes an MBA degree combined with his medical knowledge and experience will separate him from other candidates in the healthcare industry. He will be able to build a strong foundation in business practice and ideas and gain a broader perspective in issues facing the healthcare industry. Dr. Loesberg strongly believes that MBA program will enhance his career and create opportunities for synergy of his medical and business interests.

Azhar Majeed, M.D. Dr. Majeed began his leadership journey during residency days with his involvement with the American College of Physicians and served as Chair of the Council of Associates. Following his graduation from Ross University School of Medicine, Dr. Majeed completed an Internal Medicine Residency in Chicago at the University of Illinois's major affiliate, Mercy Hospital and Medical Center. Following graduation, Dr. Majeed was appointed as Southern California Hospitalist Network's Hospitalist Program Director for the Citrus Valley Region. Prior to this, he was one the Senior Lead Hospitalists for the largest North County hospitalist groups in the San Diego area. He also serves as Medical Director at Valle Vista Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Escondido, CA. As an active medial staff member, Dr. Majeed serves on Palomar Medical Center's medical advisory committee and was recently elected as Chair-Elect for the department of medicine. Dr. Majeed's educational goals are to develop his business acumen and savvy so that he may reach his full potential as a Physician Leader. He credits the wisdom shared with him by a PEMBA alumnus for clarifying his need for an MBA. "You can't maximize the potential of the organization until you maximize your own potential."

Gregory Mappin, M.D. Dr. Mappin is a dual board certified surgeon with extensive leadership experience. Following, graduation, he assumed the role of Vice President for Medical Affairs for Self Regional Healthcare. He previously served as President and Managing Partner of Greenwood Surgical Associates. Dr. Mappin served in the capacities of Quality Assurance Coordinator for the Veterans Administration and U.S. Air Force, Chief of General Surgery Services, Director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at one of the Air Force's largest installations. Prior to these appointments, his leadership ability was recognized early in his career when he served as Chief of General Surgery and Assistant Chairman at Robert L. Thompson Regional Hospital. Dr. Mappin's work has been published in refereed journals and he worked in academia as an Assistant Professor at Wright State University School of Medicine. He serves on the boards of several professional philanthropic associations . Dr. Mappin enrolled in the PEMBA program out of a "sincere interest in seeking formal education to attain the tools to better manage my current responsibilities...and to pursue my professional goals."

Marty McBee, D.O. Dr. McBee is a board certified Emergency Care physician and Board Member of Morningstar Emergency Physicians. With a wide breadth of previous experience, he has held many leadership positions ranging from Medical Director to Chief of Staff. After earning his Osteopathic Doctorate from Oklahoma State University, he crowned his residency by appointment as chief resident. To reach his professional goal of "being a leader in organizing the best emergency care in Oklahoma," Dr. McBee recognized that earning his MBA here at Tennessee will give him, "an extra edge and understanding."

Michel McDonald, M.D. Dr. McDonald completed her undergraduate training at Duke University where she received a Bachelor of Arts in French. She was graduated from the University of Louisville School of medicine where she was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. She completed her internship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and her dermatology residency and Mohs Micrographic Surgery Fellowship at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. She is Assistant Professor of Medicine and Dermatology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she received the annual dermatology mentorship award in 2002. She is active in the American Academy of Dermatology and serves on the nonphysician provider and grassroots advocacy committees. She is committed to the importance of community service and is on the board of directors of several nonprofit agencies in Nashville including Senior Citizens. She is pursuing her PEMBA to acquire business, leadership and financial skills that will enhance her career within Vanderbilt Medical Center and the Academy of Dermatology.

Julio Ortiz-McWilliams Dr. Ortiz-McWilliams is President and CEO of his practice. He also serves as Medical Director at Hospital HIMA in Humacao, Puerto Rico. Following graduation from medical school at Georgetown University, Dr. Ortiz-McWilliams completed his residency in otolaryngology at Georgetown Hospital. He consults with hospitals, insurance companies and government agencies. A seasoned academician, he holds a faculty appointment at San Juan Bautista Medical School and lectures at Universidad del Caribe Medical School. Dr. Ortiz-McWilliams entered the PEMBA program after sensing that the 21st century will require Physician Leaders who are able to deliver healthcare in patient-centric and with innovative methods, "without permitting the cost risk and benefit ratio to supersede the real essence of medicine to cure."

Margot Ramos-Laidlaw, M.D. Dr Ramos-Laidlaw graduated from Universidad de Panama as Vice President of her class. While a resident, she was an active member of the Association of Residents and Interns. In her second internship year, Dr. Laidlaw was elected as Chief Resident. She directed over 20 interns who served four rural hospitals in two geographical areas. Along with three fellow graduates, she co-founded a private clinic and served as the administrative head of the group. She soon realized that medical school does not prepare you for the business-side of medicine. Over 15 years later, Dr. Laidlaw considers it a privilege to have the opportunity of becoming more than an empiricist skillful administrator. She plans to use her degree to compliment and enhance her experience in roles that allow her to draw upon her multicultural assets and knowledge of the business of medicine.

Akhil Saklecha, M.D. Dr. Saklecha received his medical degree from Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine in 1994 after graduating from their combined BS/MD program. He completed his Emergency Medicine residency at Summa Health System in Akron, Ohio in 1997. He is currently a board-certified emergency physician practicing at Aultman Hospital, a tertiary care center in Canton, Ohio, where he is Vice Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine and Director of Quality Improvement. Dr. Saklecha is a managing partner and Vice President of Canton Aultman Emergency Physicians, Inc., a private physician group servicing 4 sites of service and a total annual patient volume of 135,000. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine. He also serves as the hospital's Director of Emergency Medical Services, sits on the Stark County Medical Control Board, and is the Medical Director of the Stark County Paramedic Program. Dr. Saklecha is involved in Emergency Medicine at the regional level as the Vice Chairman of his seven county Regional Physicians Advisory Board; at the state level as a member of the Board of Directors of the Ohio Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians; and at the national level as a Councilor representing Ohio at ACEP Council meetings. He is seeking to utilize his MBA education to enhance his understanding of the business world and to take him to the next level as a physician executive.

Steven Shu, M.D. Dr. Shu is a family physician and office-based procedure specialist working in a private family practice group, Northwest Family Physicians (NWFP), in Crystal, Minnesota. He has a strong background in family practice, general surgery, endoscopies, and medical coding. He graduated from Shanghai Medical University in China, and he was assistant professor in surgery before he came to the US in 1991. He studied molecular microbiology in the University of Miami as a Ph.D. candidate in molecular microbiology from 1992 to 1995. Dr. Shu is very active in both academic teaching and the community activities. He is the current president of the Association of Minnesota Chinese Physicians and the medical director of the free clinic, Minnesota Chinese Health Center in the Twin Cities. He seeks to broaden his view on medicine and contribute much more to his group and the Chinese community. Further education in business will well equip him to realize his dream.

Ted Sisco, M.D. Dr. Sisco grew up in McKinney, Texas. He received a B.A. degree from Texas Christian University with a double major in Biology and English. He received his M.D. from the University of Tennessee Medical School in 1965 and served a general medical internship at Harris Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. After two years in the United States Army at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, he did his orthopedic surgery residency at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine. He has been in private practice in Lubbock, Texas since 1972 where he is now the senior partner in Lubbock Sports Medicine Associates.

Daniel Umoh, M.D. Dr. Umoh is an emergency physician with The Schumaker Group in Lafayette, Louisiana. Prior to this appointment, he completed a post-doctorial research fellowship at the Louisiana State University Medical Center's Feist-Weiller Cancer Center. Dr. Umoh completed his residency in family medicine in 2004 after earning his medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals and has additional research experience in spinal cord injuries. Dr. Umoh speaks four languages and has lived in Nigeria. As an aspiring Physician Leader, Dr. Umoh is keenly interested in learning the business of medicine.

John Winston, III, M.D. Dr. Winston is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at The Ohio State University. He is dual board certified in surgery and colorectal surgery. Add to his credentials, his extensive publication and presentation lists. After earning his medical degree at the University of Alabama, he completed his internship at The Washington Hospital Center where he was installed as Chief Resident for General Surgery. Dr. Winston's educational goal is to differentiate and prepare himself for leadership roles in academic medicine. He will also be in a position to extend his leadership knowledge and experience, "to the community and be helpful in not only leading but also following."

Stanley Zaslau, M.D. Dr. Zaslau, an Associate Professor, serves as director for both the Residency Program and the Urodynamics laboratory at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. Dr. Zaslau also serves as Co-Director of the Center for Sexual and Voiding Dysfunction. He is actively involved in clinical urology (female urology, voiding and sexual dysfunction), teaching and research. He has received numerous awards for excellence in teaching. He aspires to be a leader in academic urology and medical school administration.

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