Methodist Charlton Medical Center appoints president, and more | MED MOVES

Michael Stewart has been named the new president of Methodist Charlton Medical Center in Dallas.

Michael Stewart

Stewart will begin his new role May 21. He has spent the last six years as chief executive officer of Saline Health System in Arkansas.

"Michael brings a depth of experience to Methodist," Pam Stoyanoff, president and chief operating officer of Methodist Health System, said in a statement. "He is passionate about healthcare, our employees, and the communities we serve."

He brings two decades of experience in healthcare. Stewart began his career in 2004 with Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, and later moved to Community Health Systems based in Tennessee. Eventually, he was named CEO of Navarro Regional Hospital in Corsicana, Texas.

James C. Scoggin, Jr., CEO of Methodist Health System, said in a statement, “We're confident that Michael is the right leader to safeguard that century-long mission for years to come.”

Stewart also served in the U.S. Air Force. He held the rank of captain and used his engineering skills as he managed a variety of construction projects.

Penn Medicine names first VP for data and technology

Mitchell Schnall, MD, has been named the inaugural senior vice president for data and technology solutions for the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Mitchell Schnall

Penn Medicine says that Schnall will lead the organization’s efforts to utilize technology in the transformation of healthcare. He began in the new role May 1.

He spent two terms as chair of radiology in Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine.

Schnall is tasked with improving experiences for providers and patients, the system says. He will oversee the offices of Penn’s chief information officer, chief medical information officer and chief analytics officer. He will oversee efforts to develop more self-service transactions for patients, the system said.

Kevin B. Mahoney, CEO of Penn Medicine, said Schnall is well suited for this new role in the organization.

“Penn Medicine is excited to seize emerging opportunities to use technology in ways that will transform the health care industry,” Mahoney said in a statement. “Dr. Schnall is a talented and visionary leader who will help us draw on our institution’s longstanding culture of innovation and continuous learning in this new space, and provide a road map for health systems across the nation.”

Vijay Patel

Rady Children’s names director of sinus and skull surgery program

Vijay A. Patel, MD, has been appointed as director of Rady Children’s Hospital’s pediatric complex sinus and skull base surgery program.

Patel has also been named the assistant professor of otolaryngology at UC San Diego School of Medicine. Patel has published more than 75 peer-reviewed articles.

Complex sinonasal and skull base pathologies in children have been difficult to treat, but advances in surgical techniques offer patients better options, Rady Children’s says.

“Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego and UC San Diego have long set the standard for pediatric health care on the West Coast and beyond,” Patel said in a statement. “With this new program, we’re continuing that legacy in a fundamentally important way, providing children with sinus and skull base conditions with new, minimally invasive options and excellent, long-term outcomes.”

Matthew Brigger, MD, chief of the division of otolaryngology and director of the aerodigestive program at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, said Patel will help lead “cutting-edge treatments.”

“Dr. Patel is a leader in his field and fits perfectly with the team we’ve assembled at Rady Children’s,” Brigger said in a statement. “His accomplishments speak for themselves; his hard work, clinical excellence, and ability to lead make him the ideal individual to build this program.”

Varun Gulati

Anatomy IT announces new senior VP

Varun Gulati, has been named senior vice president of operations for Anatomy IT, a firm providing healthcare information technology and cybersecurity services.

Gulati brings more than two decades of experience in IT operations. Most recently, he served as vice president, managed services, at NWN Carousel where he managed more than 450 IT professionals and served more than 900 clients.

“Joining Anatomy IT offers the opportunity to dedicate the bulk of my time and resources to helping healthcare customers navigate this rapidly changing and complex landscape, offloading that burden and enabling them to concentrate on delivering the highest-quality patient care,” Gulati said in a statement.

Anatomy IT CEO Frank Forte hailed Gulati’s experience.

“We are very fortunate that a world-class IT professional and leader of Varun’s caliber has joined to help us build our best-in-class customer-center operations to support our growth and drive exceptional client retention and satisfaction,” Forte said in a statement.