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Dear UVA Health Team Members,

In a very fast six months since I joined UVA Health, I have been thoroughly energized by the enthusiasm and collaboration of the Ambulatory Services team — each member embracing the opportunity to share ideas and envision a new future for enhancing ambulatory operations. In late July, I announced the posting of two Associate Chief Medical Officer (ACMO) positions for Ambulatory Services to identify the clinical leaders who would partner to improve operations, create our future direction, and serve as liaisons to ambulatory leaders and clinical teams with the ultimate goal of ensuring an exceptional experience for all UVA Health patients.

As the search launched and as we began to prepare for the new strategic plan for UVA Health, it became clear that a total of three positions — one each for surgical, medical, and primary care — would best represent and unify all clinical functions across Ambulatory Services and promote continuous improvement and growth. Today, it is my pleasure to announce the clinical leaders selected to serve as ACMO in the following areas effective January 24, 2022:

Medicine — Alan Dalkin, MD | Dr. Dalkin earned his undergraduate degree and medical degree from the University of Michigan. He completed his residency in internal medicine at University of Chicago Hospitals before returning to University of Michigan Medical Center for a fellowship in endocrinology and metabolism. He joined the UVA faculty in 1991 and is a professor of medicine in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and is the vice chairman for the Department of Medicine.

Surgery — Shayna Showalter, MD | Dr. Showalter earned both her undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of Virginia. She completed her general surgery residency at Thomas Jefferson University and her Breast Surgical Oncology fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Showalter returned to the University of Virginia as a faculty member in the Division of Surgical Oncology in 2012. Dr. Showalter specializes in treating breast cancer and diseases of the breast and serves as Medical Director for UVA Breast Care Center and Deputy Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Surgery.

Primary Care — Gina Engel, MD | With undergraduate and medical degrees from VCU and Medical College of Virginia, Dr. Engel also completed her Family Medicine residency and fellowship at VCU. She joined UVA Physicians Group (UPG) as a family medicine physician and the UVA Department of Family Medicine as an adjunct clinical professor in 2005. Dr. Engel has served in a variety of leadership positions for UPG and is currently the Medical Director of the Clinical Practice Group and Chief of Clinical Operations.

As a reminder, there is a solid leadership foundation within Ambulatory Services that stands ready to collaborate on the initiatives that will define our future. While some responsibilities have changed within this leadership structure to align with the future direction of Ambulatory Services, the following team is well-positioned to provide the care and service our patients need:

• Catherine Cash — Director, Ambulatory Services Surgical Specialties
  • Orthopedics, Pain Management, Pelvic Medicine, PM&R, and Urology
• Kim Deaver — Administrator, Dialysis Services
• Katie Fellows — Director, Patient Friendly Access
  • Ambulatory Access, Access Quality & Standards, Central Templates, Implementation and UVA Contact Center
• Rachel Nauman — Director, Ambulatory Services Medical Specialties
  • Allergy, COVID-19, Dermatology, Endocrinology, Infectious Disease, Midlife Health, Nephrology, Pulmonology incl. PFT and Sleep Lab, Rheumatology and Women’s 
• Laquita Pinchback — Director, Ambulatory Services Primary Care
  • Primary Care and Psychiatry
• Renee Viette — Director, Ambulatory Services Surgical Specialties
  • Audiology, Dentistry, Hyperbaric, Ophthalmology, Oral Surgery, Otolaryngology, Plastic Surgery and Surgery

Please join me in congratulating these clinical leaders on their appointments and welcome them to their new roles. I am excited to begin our partnership to advance our mission of providing exceptional care for our patients and enhance operations and communication within Ambulatory Services.

Sincerely,

John C. Bennett, MPA    
Chief Ambulatory Operations Officer