LAKE SAINT LOUIS, MO – SSM St. Joseph Hospital West chief medical officer, Michael Handler, MD, MMM, FACPE, was recently awarded Fellowship by the American College of Physician Executives. Fellowship is one of the highest levels of achievement awarded by the ACPE. Dr. Handler becomes the second physician in SSM Health Care and the seventh physician in Missouri to receive this honor.
Dr. Handler has been practicing medicine since 1989 and with SSM Health Care – St. Louis since 2000. During his time Dr. Handler has championed patient safety and quality within St. Joseph Hospital West and SSM Health Care – St. Louis. He chaired the implementation of Team STEPPS deploying the important interdisciplinary communication tool throughout the network of SSMSTL hospitals. Team STEPPS, based on the aviation safety concept of CRM (crew resource management) values the input of all participants on the health care team regardless of title or duties, to create the safest possible environment for patients. Additionally, Dr. Handler currently chairs the No Harm Team at SJHW and the Hospital Advisory Board of the Missouri Center for Patient Safety.
“Fellowship is among the highest honors that can be bestowed on a physician. It shows that Dr. Handler has attained regional and national stature while also demonstrating a mastery of clinical medicine and outstanding leadership skills,” says Clair M. Callan, MD, MBA, CPE, FACPE president of ACPE’s Board of Directors.
ACPE is the nation's largest health care organization for physician leaders. Since it’s founding in 1975, the focus of the College is to provide superior leadership and management skills to physicians and encourage them to assume more active roles in the leadership and management of their organizations. It has grown exponentially in that time, from 64 members to nearly 10,000.
About SSM St. Joseph Hospital West
SSM St. Joseph Hospital West in Lake Saint Louis, Mo., was established in 1986 to meet the expanding health care needs of western St. Charles County. The 127-bed acute care hospital maintains a state-designated Level III Trauma Center, a nationally accredited Chest Pain Center and Primary Stroke Center, and is a winner Premier QUEST High Performing Hospital Award. It is a member of SSM Health Care – St. Louis, a Missouri Quality Award winner. The facility offers a broad range of services and programs including SSM Cancer Care, SSM Neurosciences Institute, SSM Heart Institute and a dedicated pediatric emergency department. SSM St. Joseph Hospital West is the largest provider of health care services in western St. Charles, Warren and Lincoln counties. For more information about SSM St. Joseph Hospital West, visit www.ssmstjosephwest.com.
For media inquiries, contact:
Jenny Gobble
Public Relations Manager
SSM St. Joseph Hospital West
636-625-5429 (office)
jenny_gobble@ssmhc.com