As the chief medical officer, Dr. Michael Chang is responsible for leading clinical, quality and safety initiatives that support the performance and practice standards across USA Health. He develops and executes system-wide initiatives to improve access and processes to the existing system, and he also coordinates the development of new services. As a key member of the senior executive team, he works closely with both the academic practices and external practices to ensure the quality, safety and efficiency of care delivery.
Prior to his appointment at USA Health, Dr. Chang served as chief medical officer for Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and chief quality officer for the Wake Forest Baptist Health System in Winston Salem, N.C. He was also a professor of surgery at the Wake Forest School of Medicine and the executive director of the Trauma/Acute Care Surgery Service Line.
Dr. Chang received his bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., and his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He completed his residency training in general surgery at UAB and fellowship training in critical care and trauma surgery at Vanderbilt University.
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.”
The new role of chief physician executive establishes executive oversight of clinical strategy and performance across the entire USA Health system.
In the announcement, Becker’s said, “These physician leaders play a pivotal role in advancing patient safety, maintaining high quality standards, bridging the gap between leadership and medical staff, and managing risk."
“The symposium is such a great way to develop relationships with everyone who treats trauma patients in our region, which ultimately improves survival and outcomes."
Michael Chang, M.D., chief medical officer for USA Health, recently joined the Mobile County Board of Health. He was elected to serve as secretary for 2021.
As chair of the Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) at the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, Michael Chang, M.D., chief medical officer for USA Health, recently led the group’s national meeting in Dallas where more than 2,000 health care providers from across the United States gathered for continuing education on treating patients with traumatic injuries.
