By T. Raymond Foley, MD President, Medical and Dental Staff

Dr. William H. Adams will be Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine and  Dr. Kathleen C. Dougherty will be Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and. Both Dr. Adams and Dr. Dougherty will continue in deliberations with hospital administration to clarify a working partnership with their appropriate administrative leaders. They will also work to establish a balance between their clinical and administrative responsibilities for the future.

Voting by the Medical Staff was completed within the last few weeks for the remaining Department Chairs. Contract negotiations as well as Board approval should be forthcoming for those individuals. Formal announcement of those names will be made once Board approval is completed.

A formal on-boarding process will be developed for the new Medical Staff leaders in order to enhance their familiarity with hospital operations and to clarify their new responsibilities in hospital leadership.  In addition, the selection of Division Chiefs will take place in the coming months.  Further details about the roles and responsibilities of our new Department Chairs will be shared with the Medical Staff as the decisions are finalized.

Dr. Adams received a Bachelor of Science degree from Bucknell University and his M.D. degree from the University of Pittsburgh.  He completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Geisinger Medical Center and is board certified in Emergency Medicine. He joined the Medical Staff of LGH in 1992.

Dr. Dougherty received a Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State University and her M.D. from Jefferson Medical College.  She completed her residency in Psychiatry at the University Hospitals of Cleveland. She is board certified in Psychiatry, with additional Psychiatric certification in Forensics and Geriatrics. She joined the LGH Medical Staff in 2006.

Please join me in congratulating both Dr. Adams and Dr. Dougherty in their new roles as Department Chairs.