Who/What

Date: September 16, 2011

Top Leader

Edward Miller, M.D., dean /CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine, has been named one of the top 65 Physician Leaders of Hospitals and Health Systems in the United States by Becker’s Hospital Review, a Chicago-based publication that focuses on business and legal issues for hospital leadership.

New Senior Veeps

Richard “Rich” Grossi, a 33-year veteran expert on Hopkins’ finances, has been promoted to the new post of senior vice president and chief financial officer of Johns Hopkins Medicine, and Joanne Pollak, J.D., a 17-year veteran in overseeing Hopkins’ legal matters, has been promoted to the new post of senior vice president and general counsel for Johns Hopkins Medicine. The new titles reflect the expanding responsibilities of Grossi and Pollak as Hopkins Medicine prepares its strategies for the future, said Dean/CEO Edward Miller and Hopkins Hospital and Health System President and Hopkins Medicine Executive Vice President Ronald R. Peterson in announcing the appointments.

Peter Pronovost, M.D., Ph.D., professor of surgery, anesthesiology and critical care medicine, has been named director of the new Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality and appointed as the new Johns Hopkins Medicine senior vice president for patient safety and quality.

New Associate Dean   

Barbara Fivush, M.D., professor and head of the Division of Pediatric Nephrology, has been appointed to the new position of associate dean for women in science and medicine. Fivush has been director of the Office of Women and Science in Medicine since 2008, developing many programs to promote and retain talented women faculty.

AHA President

Gordon Tomaselli, M.D., professor and director of the Division of Cardiology, has been named president of the American Heart Association, the nation’s leading voluntary health organization focused on cardiovascular disease and stroke. Tomaselli is the seventh Hopkins faculty member to serve as AHA president.

HSCRC Chief

John Colmers, vice president for health transformation and planning, has been appointed by Gov. Martin O’Malley to chair the seven-member Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC), which sets the rates that hospitals in the state may charge for services.

East Baltimore

Lewis Becker, M.D., professor of cardiology and general internal medicine, has received the International Academy of Cardiology’s Distinguished Fellowship Award for his “profound contribution to international cardiovascular medicine and sciences.”

Janice Clements, Ph.D., vice dean for faculty and professor of molecular and comparative pathobiology, neurology and pathology, and molecular biology and genetics; and Robert Siliciano, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine, molecular biology and genetics, are among a multi-university team of AIDS experts who have received $32 million in National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases grants to find a way to completely purge the HIV virus from the bodies of individuals already successfully suppressing it with antiretroviral drugs.

Julie Freischlag, M.D., professor and director of the Department of Surgery and surgeon in chief at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, has been elected vice president of the Society of Vascular Surgery.

Kenneth Grant, M.S.H., vice president of general services at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and vice president for supply chain management for the Johns Hopkins Health System, was among 15 African-American leaders from throughout Maryland honored at the Associated Black Charities’ annual African Americans in Corporate Leadership gala in June.

Marketing and Communications Kudos

Johns Hopkins Medicine education and promotional materials garnered top awards from several professional groups that honor achievements in video, film, writing and health education.

Kim Hoppe won a Silver Telly for “Sam’s Liver Transplant,” a story that aired in 2010 and this year on the annual WMAR-TV special on the Children’s Center.

Maureen Martin and Fran Farkas won a Silver Telly for “The Roderick Ball Story,” about the treatment of a patient with a schwannoma tumor. Martin, Farkas, Dale Levitz and Leonard Frankford won a Bronze Telly for “DECIDE to Move! Physical Activity for People with Type 2 Diabetes.” Martin and Leonard also won a Bronze citation from the Web Health Awards for “Living with Warfarin,” an anticoagulant.

Gary Logan received a silver award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education for “Saving Princess Amira,” his article about a young burn victim.

Leslie Waldman, Cheryl McDuffie, Yasmine Sursock-Khouri, Melinda Thomas, Rebeca DeMattos, Eric Sandgren and Mark Walker received honorable mention from the Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Institutional Advancement in the Special Projects and Programs category for “A Woman’s Journey.”

 Janet Anderson, Amy Goodwin and Mark Guidera also received AAMC honorable mention in the Crisis Communications category for the H1N1 flu virus campaign.

Notable Nurses

Kathleen Becker, D.N.P., C.R.N.P., assistant professor of community-public health, has been named a 2011 Hepatitis Hero by the Maryland Hepatitis Coalition.

Terry Bennett, R.N., B.S.N., C.H.C.R., director of nurse recruitment at Johns Hopkins Bayview, received an outstanding achievement award from Nursing Spectrum.

Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center

Renee Blanding, M.D., assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine, has been named vice president of medical affairs. While maintaining her current positions as medical director of the operating rooms and chair of the medical affairs council, she now also will oversee the medical staff office, risk management and the Harrison Library. 

Scott Wright, M.D., professor of medicine, has been named chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine. 

Thomas Magnuson, M.D., associate professor of surgery, has been named director of the Department of Surgery.

Mark Duncan, M.D., associate professor of surgery and oncology, has been named deputy director of the Department of Surgery.

Blanka McClammer, R.N., M.S.N., has been named the new director of patient safety. She also will retain her current role as the director of nursing excellence.

Alphonsa Rahiman, M.S., R.N., C.C.R.N., has been named the new clinical nurse specialist in the Department of Medicine.

Howard County General Hospital

Evelyn Bolduc, head of the Howard Hospital Foundation, has been elected to a two-year term as chair of the hospital’s board of trustees. Peter Rogers Jr., executive vice president of investor relations at Micros Systems Inc. has been chosen as board vice chair. Ann Mech, J.D., R.N., coordinator of legal affairs for the University of Maryland School of Nursing, will remain the board’s secretary. W. Brian McGowan, former senior vice president of administration at W.R. Grace, was elected treasurer. Paul Skalny, a partner in the law firm of Davis, Agnor, Rapaport & Skalny in Columbia, Md., has been elected as a new trustee. 

Sandra Harriman has been named vice president of development for the Howard Hospital Foundation, the hospital’s fundraising arm.

Suburban Hospital

Brian Gragnolati, senior vice president of Johns Hopkins HealthCare and president/CEO of Suburban, was recognized as a Patriotic Employer by the National Committee for Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve.

Johns Hopkins HealthCare

Victoria Fretwell, director of external affairs for JHHC and its medical care service Priority Partners, has been elected chair of the Anne Arundel Community College board of trustees.

Johns Hopkins Medicine International

Burak Malatyali, M.B.A., has been named vice president of operations and administration. 

John Ulatowski, M.D., professor and director of anesthesiology and critical care medicine, has been named vice president and executive medical director. He will continue in his role as director of anesthesiology and critical care medicine.