USA Health names Natalie Fox chief physician enterprise officer

By Carol McPhail
cmcphail@health.southalabama.edu

Natalie Fox, D.N.P., PNP-BC, has been named chief physician enterprise officer for USA Health.

In her new position, Fox will be responsible for overall strategy, performance and operational effectiveness of the physician enterprise at USA Health, which comprises about 325 physicians, 175 advanced practice providers, and more than 300 residents and fellows who care for patients in faculty and community physician practices.

“Natalie’s leadership and innovative thinking have been such an asset to USA Health,” said Owen Bailey, M.S.H.A., chief executive officer for USA Health. “As chief physician enterprise officer, she will use these same skills to guide our physician practices as we continue to grow and adapt to the needs of patients.”

Fox previously served as executive director of academic physician practices.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fox led USA Health’s efforts to provide timely and convenient COVID testing and, later, vaccine administration through a partnership with the City of Mobile. She was presented with a Mobile Community Health Leadership Award for her efforts in May 2022.

Then came her biggest honor -- receiving Alabama’s Top Nurses Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to the nursing profession.

“From the time Natalie joined USA Health, she has demonstrated superb leadership and a strong commitment to improving the quality of the healthcare we deliver,” said John V. Marymont, M.D., M.B.A., vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama.

Since 2011, Fox has held a variety of roles at USA Health, including spearheading quality projects that focused on improving population health outreach and reducing barriers to patient access. She also led team-based care initiatives at USA Health Physicians Group and served as manager of clinical operations for pediatrics.

“I am excited to expand my role at USA Health working with the entire physician enterprise to deliver high-performing, high-quality, patient-centric care as we continue our journey to transform healthcare along the Gulf Coast and beyond,” she said.

Fox said that USA Health’s rapid growth makes it vital to have operational administrative alignment and direction to support its physician enterprise network. “The goal is to develop sustainable systems of care that can adapt to the changing healthcare landscape in terms of how care is delivered and experienced by patients,” she said.

This year, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey appointed Fox to a three-year term on the state Certificate of Need Review Board. Last year, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson appointed Fox as one of two Mobile residents to serve as the initial LGBTQ+ liaisons for the city. She also is a member of the Leadership Mobile Class of 2019 and Mobile Bay Magazine’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2017.

She holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice, a Master of Nursing in Pediatrics, and a Bachelor of Nursing from the University of South Alabama.