Chang named among Becker’s Chief Medical Officers to Know
The Becker’s Healthcare list includes 252 chief medical officers from hospitals and health systems across the nation who are described as “champions of excellence and continuous improvement.”
By Carol McPhail
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For the second year in a row, USA Health’s Michael Chang, M.D., has been named in the Becker’s Healthcare list of Hospital and Health System Chief Medical Officers to Know. The list includes 252 chief medical officers from hospitals and health systems across the nation.
“These physician executives are instrumental in elevating patient safety, upholding rigorous quality standards, strengthening collaboration between executive leadership and medical staff, and guiding risk management efforts,” Becker’s said in its announcement. “As champions of excellence and continuous improvement, their leadership has helped their organizations achieve distinguished quality and safety recognitions.”
Appointed to the new position of chief physician executive at USA Health in 2025, Chang is the senior-most physician leader at the 7,200-employee academic health system for the University of South Alabama. He is responsible for clinical strategy, physician practice performance, safety, and quality. He also serves as system chief medical officer and associate vice president for medical affairs.
Chang was also selected for Becker’s list of Chief Medical Officers to Know in 2025.
“We are incredibly proud to see Dr. Chang recognized by Becker’s as one of the Chief Medical Officers to Know for the second consecutive year,” said Natalie Fox, DNP, PNP-BC, chief executive officer for USA Health. “Michael is one of the most talented physician leaders I know. He brings an unwavering commitment to clinical excellence, quality, and patient safety, and he leads with deep respect for the care teams who serve our patients every day. We are fortunate to have his leadership helping guide the future of USA Health.”
Since joining USA Health in 2018, Chang has led initiatives to enhance access, safety, and operational efficiency — most notably establishing a surgical quality program modeled after best practices from the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
Chang has served as chair of the Trauma Quality Improvement Program at the ACS Committee on Trauma and is a member and site visitor in the Quality Verification Program at the ACS, a program that encompasses the entire scope of surgical specialties. He is also a recognized national expert in quality assessment and performance improvement.
Before joining USA Health, Chang served in various roles at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston Salem, N.C., including chief medical officer for Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and system chief quality officer for Wake Forest Baptist Health. He was also executive medical director for the Trauma/Acute Care Surgery service line for the health system and a professor of surgery at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Chang holds a medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He completed a residency in general surgery at UAB and a fellowship in surgical critical care and trauma surgery at Vanderbilt University.
Becker’s Healthcare develops the CMOs to Know list based on nominations and editorial research.
