Ken WoodLifespan Health System

    Dr. Wood’s career investment in the tripartite mission of clinical care, education and research is evident in all his past and current appointments. Although initially recruited to the University of Wisconsin for a clinical role to jointly staff in the Emergency Department/Medical Flight and Critical Care, his promotion to Full Professor recognized achievement in all three areas of the tripartite mission. In addition to actively staffing in Critical Care, he assumed multiple clinical administrative leadership roles to include the Director of the Trauma and Life Support Center, Director of Critical Care and Respiratory Care and eventuated into the Senior Director of Medical Affairs for the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. Educationally, he was the Director of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship, responsible for all Critical Care Education/CME activities and recognized as national expert in Pulmonary Embolism and Management of the Potential Organ Donor presenting nationally on these topics. His research focus was in Systems Engineering applications to healthcare with federal funding in partnership with the University of Wisconsin School of Engineering.

    At Geisinger, and while Chief Medical Officer with operational responsibility for the Medical Center, he maintained an academic appointment at Temple School of Medicine along with his commitment to the tripartite mission. In addition to providing clinical care and directing the Critical Care Fellowship/ coordinating educational activities, he continued his research activity as a federally funded principal investigator while directing the Geisinger Healthcare System Center for Systems Reengineering in Healthcare.

    At the University of Maryland, he was a staff physician in Critical Care at the internationally recognized R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center while remaining educationally active as one of the senior editors of the internationally recognized Civetta Textbook of Critical Care. Additionally, he was an active participant at the Institute for Systems Research in the A. Clark School of Engineering where he provided integration between the Schools of Engineering and Medicine, mentorship for students in Systems Engineering graduate programs and was active on various thesis committees.

    As the Chief Clinical Officer (CCO) at Lifespan, Dr. Wood is the lead physician for the System, reports to the CEO and is responsible for promoting and championing quality, fostering clinical effectiveness, engendering/implementing a culture of excellence in professionalism and team-based delivery of clinical services, and developing health system strategy. The CCO role is charged with the development and implementation of clinical initiatives focused on optimizing the efficacy and efficiency of clinical operations and improving patient access, services and quality/safety outcomes utilizing a data driven, process focused and outcomes-oriented approach.