Clinical Leadership Changes
QUEENSBURY, NY (November 18, 2019) – Hudson Headwaters Health Network announces changes to its clinical management team.
Dr. John Sawyer, who has served as chief medical officer at Hudson Headwaters for over 17 years, will transition the responsibilities of the position to Dr. William Borgos by the spring of 2020. He will begin passing oversight of the network’s recruitment, clinical policy development, medical staff leadership, scheduling, and training activities over the coming months. Following this transition, Dr Sawyer will continue to care for patients on a part-time basis at Hudson Headwaters’ West Mountain Health Center in Queensbury.
According to CEO Tucker Slingerland, Dr. Sawyer has been integral in the organization’s growth. “Since joining the network in 1998, Dr. Sawyer has contributed to the network in countless ways. He has played a central role in its success by establishing a solid foundation of clinical excellence that can be built upon,” he said. “We are very happy that he will continue to care for patients and that we can continue to rely on his experience and perspective.”
Dr. William Borgos will assume the role of chief medical officer beginning May 1, 2020. According to CEO Tucker Slingerland, MD, Dr. Borgos has provided both direction and management to the organization over the past 20 years. “Bill has held several leadership roles, especially with reorganizing the organization’s clinical workflow processes and leading the risk management team,” he said. “The continuity provided by transitioning from Dr. Sawyer to Dr. Borgos – one strong leader to another is incredibly valuable to the organization.”
As chief medical officer, Dr. Borgos will also continue to direct the organization’s quality and peer review programs, ensuring that Hudson Headwaters continues to provide high-quality healthcare by regularly evaluating clinical performance.
To support the change from one chief medical officer to another, and to support the growth of Hudson Headwaters, Drs. Thomas Portuese and Suzanne Bergin will become the network’s first associate chief medical officers.
Collaborating with primary care providers at the community-based health centers in the network’s northern and southern service regions respectively, Drs Bergin and Portuese will oversee patient care and management of all clinical activities. They will work closely with Dr. Borgos to implement clinical changes, update policies and provide support to all clinical staff. Additionally, Dr. Portuese will continue to help lead our medication-assisted therapy for opioid use disorder and hepatitis C initiatives and Dr. Bergin will continue her role in leading the network’s medical recruitment efforts.
Kevin Dougrey has been appointed chief of medical staff operations. In this new role, Kevin will be responsible for assisting the chief medical officer and associate medical officers with their responsibilities. He will work closely with Drs. Borgos, Portuese and Bergin to support scheduling, compensation, and clinical operations at the health centers throughout the region. Mr. Dougrey will also continue to oversee the network’s palliative care, medical coverage for local nursing homes and the network’s telemedicine program.