PeaceHealth announces new PeaceHealth Medical Group chief executive

VANCOUVER, Wash. – PeaceHealth recently announced that Melissa Edwards, MD, has been named as the chief executive for PeaceHealth Medical Group. An innovative, experienced leader who is passionate about ensuring patients have access to safe, efficient and respectful healthcare, Dr. Edwards has demonstrated her skills and abilities as the interim chief executive for the medical group over the past several months. During this time, she has worked to seamlessly provide strategic leadership  supporting clinician well-being and engagement, as well as ensure safety and quality for the patients and communities we serve.

One of Dr. Edwards’ first jobs in healthcare was at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene, Oregon, where she worked as a candy striper while attending college at the University of Oregon. Dr. Edwards went on to earn her medical degree from Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. A board-certified gynecologist, she joined the medical staff at Sacred Heart in 1997 and has progressively advanced through several clinical leadership roles at PeaceHealth including chief medical officer for Women’s Care in 2011, system medical director for the Women’s Health service line in 2020 and surgical CMO for the Oregon network in 2021. In 2022, she became the CMO for PHMG and system service lines and earlier this year stepped into the role of interim PHMG chief executive.

As the PHMG chief executive, Dr. Edwards will provide guidance to help the medical group achieve operational and performance goals, and ensure the delivery, development, navigation and communication of strategic initiatives. This includes expanding access to care, integration of walk-in services, growing our patient base and enhancing care management services for at-risk patients.

About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a non-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, more than 3,000 clinicians, more than 160 clinics and 9 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.

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