Sam Bhayani, MD, has been appointed chief medical officer of the Faculty Practice Plan at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, effective Nov. 1.
In his newly created position, Bhayani will work closely with James P. Crane, MD, associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs and chief executive officer of the Faculty Practice Plan. The Washington University Faculty Practice Plan, known as Washington University Physicians, ranks among the five largest academic group practices in the United States.
“Given the current size and scope of our practice, this new role is being established to oversee essential administrative functions in this era of rapidly changing health-care dynamics,” Crane said. “Dr. Bhayani’s leadership skills and deep knowledge of the clinical practice will be immense assets to us as we continue to grow and do so in a way that best serves our patients.”
Since 2012, Bhayani has served as the chief medical officer, vice president of medical affairs and chief of surgery at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital. His administrative focus has encompassed clinical quality, patient safety, strategic planning and medical oversight of the hospital’s surgical program. He will continue to practice and serve as chief of surgery at the west St. Louis County location and continue to practice at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
As CMO of the Faculty Practice Plan, he will work with the School of Medicine’s clinical departments to ensure that its clinical services and programs are “best in class” in terms of clinical quality, patient outcomes, patient safety and patient satisfaction. Washington University Physicians encompasses 76 subspecialties and includes 1,335 full-time faculty physicians, or roughly one in every 10 physicians practicing in the state of Missouri.
In partnership with BJC HealthCare, Bhayani also will help design and implement the new, unified electronic patient medical record system. Further, he will facilitate the development of strategies and payment models focused on population health management and value-based health care, and will work with Crane to coordinate and communicate with BJC on systemwide initiatives that affect the Faculty Practice Plan.
The faculty practice has expanded rapidly over the past 10 years, with annual clinical revenues growing 8-9 percent per year and now approaching the $1 billion mark.
In addition to its faculty physicians, the clinical practice includes nurse practitioners, physician assistants and certified registered nurse anesthetists, as well as physical therapists, occupational therapists and audiologists.
Bhayani is a Washington University School of Medicine graduate and has been a member of the faculty since 2004. He completed his residency in urology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, followed by a fellowship at Johns Hopkins. He then received a master’s degree in patient safety leadership from the University of Illinois at Chicago.