WASHINGTON, DC – March 18, 2026 — Stormont Vail Health, a nonprofit integrated health system that serves the healthcare needs of the people of Kansas has launched the 2026-2027 Leadership Academy, in which over the course of a six-year program, 60 participants will earn the Certified Physician Executive (CPE), a unique professional mark of distinction from the American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL).
Achieving CPE status highlights excellence in healthcare leadership demonstrating an ability to lead large groups, manage budgets, address HR challenges, and apply strategic business insights.
“These are skills that are not necessarily taught in medical school, but that are critical to the success of any physician in today’s healthcare environment,” said Peter Angood, MD, FRCS(C), FACS, MCCM, FAAPL(Hon), President and CEO of AAPL. “We salute Stormont Vail Health for its commitment to preparing today’s physicians for the healthcare leadership challenges they will surely face.”
Today more than 4,300 physicians world-wide hold the CPE credential.
“As the healthcare industry continues to evolve and become more complex, strong physician leadership is paramount,” said Kevin Dishman, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical and Quality Officer. “This leadership academy supports our commitment to quality, safety, and high reliability by developing physician leaders who understand the science of medicine, and are equipped with the tools to lead teams, manage complexity, and drive improvements to elevate care across Stormont Vail Health.”
The first cohort began the program this month. Year one courses include fundamentals of communication, influence, negotiation, quality, finance, credential action plan, health law, principles of change managing physician performance and resolving conflict. The year two curriculum includes budgeting/forecasting, science of high reliability, transforming healthcare through quality improvement, leadership excellence and executive-level decision making. The program concludes with a transformational 3.5-day Capstone.
About Stormont Vail Health
Stormont Vail Health is a nonprofit, integrated healthcare system that has served Kansas for more than 140 years. With a medical staff of more than 570 providers, including 280 physicians, Stormont Vail delivers care across more than 35 locations in eastern Kansas. In addition to its acute care hospitals in Topeka and Junction City, Stormont Vail provides access to a wide range of ambulatory and procedural care in the region. Learn more at stormontvail.org .
About the American Association for Physician Leadership
The core philosophy of the American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL) is that leadership is learned. AAPL is focused on the personal transformation of all physicians, and through them the organizations they serve. With the goal of improving patient outcomes, workforce wellness, and a refinement of all healthcare delivery, AAPL has remained the only association solely focused on providing professional development, leadership education, and management training exclusively for physicians. Since its founding in 1975, AAPL has empowered more than 300,000 physicians across 35 countries—including CEOs, chief medical officers, and physicians at all levels of healthcare. www.physicianleaders.org