Nationally Recognized Cleveland Clinic Surgeon Named Chief of Clinical Operations and Strategic Initiatives at AHN
PITTSBURGH (PRWEB) January 17, 2018 -- Sricharan Chalikonda, MD, MHA, FACS, a nationally recognized physician leader and pioneer in the use of highly advanced surgical procedures for abdominal cancers and other diseases, has been appointed Chief of Clinical Operations and Strategic Initiatives at Allegheny Health Network (AHN). He will assume his new role with the network on February 5, 2018.
Dr. Chalikonda joins AHN from the Cleveland Clinic, where he serves as Chairman of Surgical Operations and the Enterprise Surgical Council. He is a member of the health system’s Board of Governors and a staff surgeon in the Cleveland Clinic Digestive Disease and Surgical Institute where he serves as Co-director of the Hepatobiliary Fellowship Program and Director of the Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Program.
At AHN, Dr. Chalikonda will lead clinical operations for the network’s physician organization (Allegheny Clinic), a role that includes oversight of surgical services provided across the Network’s affiliated inpatient and outpatient facilities. He also will maintain his surgical practice as part of AHN’s Center for Digestive Diseases and Cancer Institute.
“Dr. Chalikonda is an exceptional clinician and a physician leader who brings to our organization a wealth of experience, innovation and success in transforming clinical operations,” said Cynthia Hundorfean, President and CEO of AHN. “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome him to our team and look forward to further advancing our surgical capabilities, capacity and overall quality under his leadership.“
As Chair of Surgical Operations and the Enterprise Surgical Council at Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Chalikonda managed surgical services for the organization’s eight hospitals and seven surgery centers in Northeast Ohio. Cleveland Clinic surgeons perform approximately 163,000 procedures across 230 operating rooms annually.
Among his many clinical accomplishments as one of the country’s preeminent pancreatic cancer specialists, Dr. Chalikonda performed Cleveland Clinic’s first robotic Whipple procedure - a complex operation typically used to remove cancerous tumors from the head of the pancreas. He also performed the clinic’s first HIPEC (Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy) procedure for peritoneal carcinomatosis, a rare type of cancer that occurs in the thin layer of tissue surrounding the abdominal cavity.
“As we continue to build a high-quality, patient-centered health care model for the region, creating and sustaining the highest standards of excellence in clinical and surgical operations across all of our Institutes and facilities is essential,” said Donald Whiting, MD, President of Allegheny Clinic and Chair of AHN’s Neurosciences Institute. “In Dr. Chalikonda, we have found the ideal candidate to lead this important charge for AHN and Allegheny Clinic, someone whose immense clinical skills and sharp business acumen are complimented by a passion for achieving the best patient experiences and outcomes.”
Dr. Chalikonda earned his medical degree from Kasturba Medical College and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Ohio University. He completed his general surgery residency and a fellowship in minimally invasive and bariatric surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, and a surgical oncology fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
An Associate Professor of Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner College of Medicine, Dr. Chalikonda has published dozens of scientific articles, abstracts and book chapters about issues and advancements in his field, including the surgical treatment of pancreatic cancer, the treatment of peritoneal surface malignancies and minimally invasive treatment of liver disease.
He is a member of the American College of Surgeons, the American Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association and the Society of Surgical Oncology.
At AHN, Dr. Chalikonda joins a dynamic and growing health care provider that serves as an integral component of Highmark Health’s nationally leading integrated delivery and financing system. AHN physicians perform nearly 90,000 procedures each year at the network’s hospitals and surgery centers, offer access to the region’s most comprehensive robotic surgery program and provide leading-edge care for a broad spectrum of health issues.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to be part of an outstanding, forward-thinking organization that is leading the transformation of health care to where it needs to be – focused on high quality outcomes, superior patient experiences and greater efficiencies of care delivery that ultimately allow for more affordable access and options,” Dr. Chalikonda said. “I’m excited to collaborate with the many talented and dedicated professionals at AHN and Highmark Health who are committed to achieving that vision.”
About the Allegheny Health Network:
Allegheny Health Network (AHN.ORG), a Highmark Health Company, is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the Western Pennsylvania region. The Network is composed of eight hospitals, including its flagship academic medical center Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA, Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights, PA, Canonsburg Hospital in Canonsburg, PA, Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, PA, Jefferson Hospital in Jefferson Hills, PA, Saint Vincent Hospital, in Erie PA, Westfield Memorial Hospital, in Westfield NY and West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh; an employed physician organization, a research institute, health + wellness pavilions, ambulatory surgery centers, home and community-based health services and a group purchasing organization. The Network employs approximately 17,000 people, has more than 2,800 physicians on its medical staff and serves as a clinical campus for Temple University School of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Dan Laurent, Allegheny Health Network, http://www.ahn.org, +1 412-807-8103, [email protected]
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