AAPL Honors New Fellows and Recipients of the Certified Physician Executive Designation at Annual Leadership Conference

WASHINGTON, DC – June 22, 2023 – The American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL) presented nine new Fellows (FAAPL) and 396 recipients of the Certified Physician Executive (CPE) designation during its Annual Leadership Conference, held last week in Chicago, Illinois. There are now more than 4,000 CPEs and 565 Fellows.

The nine new Fellows honored were:

Smita Agarkar, MD, CPE, FAAPL, is a psychiatrist at Gracie Square Hospital in New York City. Agarkar serves as a service chief and director of informatics and holds faculty positions at Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Catherine M. Chua, DO, FAAPF, FMNM, CPE, FAAPL, is a board-certified osteopathic family physician and has board-certification in Functional and Integrative medicine (ABPS). She is the CMO at Davis Health System in West Virginia.

Greg Cooper, MD, PhD, MBA, CPE, FAAN, FAAPL, is a behavioral neurologist at the Norton Neuroscience Institute in Louisville, Kentucky, where he leads a large and expanding neurology group.

Coley Duncan, MD, MMM, CPE, SFHM, FACP, FAAPL, is a regional medical director at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in the Managed Care Division and the medical director of a correctional medical facility with 128 medical, 550 psychiatric, and 400 trustee beds.

Tracy Eskra, MD, MBA, CPE, FAAPL, is a board-certified internal medicine physician with Vidant Medical Group at ECU Health in Greenville, North Carolina. Her career highlights have spanned from CEO of a successful independent private practice group to vice president at a large academic medical center, and currently as a physician advisor for UM/DRG validation.

Suzanne Kaseta, MD, MMM, CPE, FAAP, FACHE, FAAPL, is chief medical officer for Boston Children’s Health Physicians (BCHP) in New York and Connecticut. She is board-certified in pediatrics and has 20 years of clinical experience as a general pediatrician.

Christopher Michael O’Connell, DO, CPE, FACHE, FAAPL, is the vice president and chief medical officer at Sentara CarePlex Hospital in Hampton, Virginia, and a board member for HELP, Inc.

Mark D. Olszyk, MD, MBA, CPE, FAAPL, FACEP, FACHE, FFSMB, is an emergency medicine physician and chief medical officer at Carroll Hospital in Westminster, Maryland. He is the editor of the book The Chief Medical Officer’s Essential Guidebook published by the AAPL.

Lydia A. Watson, MD, CPE, FACOG, FAAPL, is the president and CEO of MyMichigan Health in Midland, Michigan. She is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology and practiced for 25 years before taking on fulltime administrative roles including chief quality officer and chief medical officer before being named president and CEO of MyMichigan Health in December 2022.

About the American Association for Physician Leadership®
The American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL) is an international non-profit organization in healthcare with a focus on professional and organizational development through physician-led, inter-professional leadership by offering an array of information resources, education programs, and community experiences. 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 for physicians. Since its founding in 1975, AAPL has educated 250,000+ physicians across 40 countries—including CEOs, chief medical officers, and physicians at all levels of healthcare.