Name: Todd Smith
Previous title: CEO, Sutter Health Valley Medical Foundation
New title: Senior vice president and chief physician officer, Sutter Health
California-based nonprofit health system Sutter Health has named its inaugural chief physician executive. Smith will officially begin his role Monday and will be responsible for leading the system’s integrated care initiatives across Sutter’s footprint, which includes hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers and urgent care centers across 22 counties in California.
In his new role, Smith will be responsible for delivering systemized service line standards, deepening relationships between medical groups and community physicians, and reducing clinical variation, according to Sutter. Smith will also work in partnership with Mark Sevco, Sutter’s incoming COO, to oversee the health system’s acute, clinic and ambulatory operations.
The announcement from Sutter comes as the U.S. struggles with a physician crisis after the COVID-19 pandemic worsened staffing shortages and exacerbated clinician burnout. In March, a survey from Doximity found that two out of three physicians were considering an employment change and the Association of American Medical Colleges found that the U.S. was projected to face a shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 physicians by 2034.
Previously, Smith worked as CEO of Sutter Health Valley Medical Foundation and worked to bring in a new Women’s Health Center to Modesto, California. He has also worked at Sutter Gould Medical Group and is trained as an orthopedic surgeon, specializing in upper extremity care. Smith holds a medical degree from Georgetown University Medical Center.
