Parkland names new Chief Medical Officer
New medical chief has extensive leadership experience at Parkland
Roberto de la Cruz, MD, has been named Chief Medical Officer for Parkland Health & Hospital System. Dr. de la Cruz will assume the position effective Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016.
With more than 22 years of experience in a variety of clinical and leadership roles at Parkland, Dr. de la Cruz has most recently served as Chief of the Hospitalist Service at Parkland. In addition, he is an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He served as Associate Medical Director of Parkland’s East Dallas Health Center, now known as Hatcher Station Health Center, from 1998 to 2000. He also completed a two-year appointment to Parkland’s Board of Managers from 2011 to 2013 and has served on the Board of Directors of the Parkland Foundation.
Dr. de la Cruz is a 15-year veteran of Hospitalist Medicine and was Associate Medical Director of the Texas Primary Care Hospitalist Service at Baylor Medical Center. He attended medical school at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine and completed his residency training at UT Southwestern and Parkland. He is double board certified in Internal Medicine as well as Palliative Care and Hospice Medicine.
“I am extremely pleased that Dr. de la Cruz has accepted this appointment and will lead our continuing efforts to sustain the quality and safety of care at Parkland,” said Fred Cerise, MD, MPH, Parkland’s President and CEO. “His experience and demonstrated commitment to quality care ideally qualify him to help direct Parkland forward as we plan for the healthcare challenges and opportunities ahead.”
“We are also very grateful to Esmaeil Porsa, MD, who has served as our Interim Chief Medical Officer, for his skilled guidance during the last several months,” Dr. Cerise said. “His leadership has been invaluable and Dr. Porsa will continue to play a prominent role on Parkland’s leadership team.”
Dr. de la Cruz received the Distinguished Physician Award at Parkland in 1999, the John S. Miller Outstanding House Officer Award at UT Southwestern in 1996 and the Teaching Award at Baylor University Medical Center in 2004. He is a member of the Society of Hospital Medicine and American College of Physicians.
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