Parkes, a board certified general surgeon, will spend approximately six to eight hours each week in this new role.
“The CMO responsibilities will not take away from my duties as a surgeon,” Parkes reported. “I love working on the quality issues and find that this role challenges me. However, I don’t see myself moving away from my surgical practice. I love that too much. I’m making the time for my CMO role but my ultimate job is to care for my patients.”
As chief medical officer, Parkes reports to President and CEO Greg Wood.
“We are delighted to have someone with Dr. Parkes talent, experience and passion for quality care assume this new leadership role,” Wood said. “Dr. Parkes’ role will be to work with administrative, physician and board leaders to ensure the quality and the appropriateness of the care we provide remains excellent and that we can prove it as the public and others review our performance.”
Scotland Memorial Hospital is committed to patient safety and has an excellent safety record. Parkes said,
“As CMO, I want to help enhance patient safety and assist Dr. Ralph Carter in his role as Chief of our Clinical Quality Committee," he said. "Together we will achieve the kind of measures needed to assure the community, the Board of Trustees, and government agencies that quality health care is provided at Scotland Memorial Hospital.”
Parkes expects this new position to grow and become more defined as time goes on.
“I’ve been moving in this direction for a couple of years, with internal leadership positions here at the hospital but it’s not a role I felt I could just step into,” Parkes said. “Preparation was required so I started taking classes from the American College of Physician Executives and I am currently working on a master’s degree in medical management to become an accredited physician executive. However, there’s no replacement for experience, and I am excited to get started. I want to make Scotland Memorial Hospital is the best hospital system it can be.”
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