MedStar Health Announces New Board Leadership

COLUMBIA, MD--(Marketwired - Nov 1, 2013) - MedStar Health, the largest healthcare delivery system in Maryland and the Washington, D.C. region, is pleased to announce new governance leadership as part of its normal governance cycle. Two current Board members, with the unanimous support of the MedStar Health Board of Directors, will take on new leadership roles: William (Bill) R. Roberts (formerly Chair-Elect) as Chairman and William J. Oetgen, Jr., MD, MBA, as Vice Chairman.

"MedStar is fortunate to have such respected and distinguished individuals leading our Board of Directors," states MedStar Health President and CEO Kenneth A. Samet, FACHE. "Bill Roberts brings to our Board of Directors more than 33 years of experience in business, strategy and operations. His diverse background and leadership will help MedStar navigate through an ever-evolving healthcare landscape. His strong regional knowledge will continue to provide invaluable insight toward our patient and community needs in his new role as our Chairman."

William R. Roberts is presently president and chief executive officer of W.R. Roberts Company. He is the former president for Verizon Maryland and the District of Columbia, where he was responsible for all of the company's telephone operations in Maryland and Washington, D.C. He began his career more than 33 years ago with The Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company, now Verizon, Washington D.C. Since that time, he has held a number of leadership positions in Operations, Human Resources, Marketing, Public Affairs, and Government Relations before assuming responsibility in 2000 for Verizon's public policy initiatives in Maryland as president. Roberts was named region president for Verizon Maryland and the District of Columbia in December 2007.

"MedStar also is pleased to leverage the talent and expertise of Dr. Oetgen as Vice Chairman," says Samet. "His clinical and academic perspectives will be of considerable value in shaping MedStar's strategic direction as we execute our commitment to delivering the highest quality, safest patient care."

William J. Oetgen, Jr., MD, MBA, is the executive vice president for Science, Education, and Quality at the American College of Cardiology. He is also a clinical professor of Medicine at the Georgetown University School of Medicine and has served as a professorial lecturer at the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business. He is co-editor of Governance for Health Care Providers: The Call to Leadership, a primer in non-profit governance issues for healthcare professionals, published in 2008.

Mr. Roberts follows Edward S. Civera, who has served on the Board of Directors for eight years most recently as its Chairman, whose term has expired.

"MedStar Health is grateful to Ed Civera for his significant and lasting contributions as Chairman for the past four years. We have had the good fortune of relying on him for his continued insight and guidance as a trusted advisor, leader and friend," adds Samet.

About MedStar Health
MedStar Health combines the best aspects of academic medicine, research and innovation with a complete spectrum of clinical services to advance patient care. As the largest healthcare provider in Maryland and the Washington, D.C. region, MedStar's 10 hospitals, the MedStar Health Research Institute and a comprehensive scope of health-related organizations are recognized regionally and nationally for excellence in medical care. MedStar has one of the largest graduate medical education programs in the country, training 1,100 medical residents annually, and is the medical education and clinical partner of Georgetown University. MedStar Health is a $4.2 billion not-for-profit, regional healthcare system based in Columbia, Maryland, and one of the largest employers in the region. Our more than 30,000 associates and 6,000 affiliated physicians all support MedStar Health's Patient First philosophy that combines care, compassion and clinical excellence with an emphasis on customer service. For more information, visit MedStarHealth.org.