News & Updates

SAMC is pleased to announce the appointment of Craig J. Lenz, DO, FAODME, as the academic dean for the proposed college of osteopathic medicine in Dothan. Dr. Lenz begins his duties in mid-September which will include managing the college accreditation process, hiring administration and clinical faculty as well as finalizing the construction plans.  

 “We conducted a national search and found in Dr. Lenz the experience, enthusiasm and vision to oversee a 21st century college of medicine. His leadership and innovative ideas will attract the brightest faculty and medical students to this college,” said Ronald S. Owen, SAMC Chief Executive Officer.

Currently, Dr. Lenz is Senior Associate Dean at Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harrogate, Tenn.  In addition to his academic responsibilities, he provided coverage in the emergency department at Hancock County Hospital in Sneedville, Tenn. His continuous clinical experience during the past 30 years in medical education also includes family practice and emergency medicine in Maine, California, and Tennessee.

Dr. Lenz received his D.O. degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He received a B.S.E. in aerospace engineering from Princeton University and attended the University of Pennsylvania’s master’s degree program in counseling psychology. In 1989 he was conferred as a Fellow in the Collegium of the Academy Osteopathic Directors and Medical Educators (FAODME).

Previously, he has served as Dean at the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific at Western University, and chairman of the University of New England Dean’s Council to the Osteopathic College.  In three different family practice residency training programs, he has served as the Director of Medical Education and Family Practice Residency Director. At the University of New England College of Osteopathic medicine, he founded and directed the medical school’s Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program from 1987 to 1999. Under his leadership, the AHEC placed medical students in medically under served areas in Maine as an integral part of the medical school’s curriculum.

Dr. Lenz holds board certification from the American Board of Osteopathic Family Practitioners (ABOFP) and the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM/ABMS). Additionally, he was a member of the Commission for Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) and has been on the Board of Directors for the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) for the last nine years.  Dr. Lenz travels throughout the country serving as a team leader and inspector for the American Osteopathic Association’s Osteopathic Postgraduate Training Institutes.  He also chairs accreditation visits to osteopathic colleges for AOA’s Commission of Osteopathic Colleges Association (COCA).

This past year Dr. Lenz was recognized by his academic colleagues and the Dean with a promotion to Full Professor of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine at Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine. His areas of academic expertise include medical errors and patient safety, case-based ethical dilemmas in the emergency department, domestic violence, professionalism in medical education and the cognitive theory of differential diagnosis.  His academic research has been in content neutral critical thinking in first year medical students.

________________________________________________________

SAMC is one of only two sites in Alabama that can reattach hands and fingers that have been completely cut off, a procedure known to surgeons as “replants.” A two-finger replant was recently performed at SAMC by orthopedic surgeon and hand specialist Dr. Skip Chitwood. Dr. Chitwood says that the specialty of hand surgery was started during World War II due to traumatic injuries to soldiers. If a soldier’s upper extremities were injured it would require the work of many type of surgeons to take care of the injury…orthopedics for the bones, vascular surgeons for the veins, microsurgeons for the nerve repairs and then plastic surgeons for the outer hand.

_______________________________________________________________________

 

SAMC is pleased to welcome H. Michael Myers, CPA, to its administrative team as vice president of Regional Services.

Myers returns to SAMC after spending the last two years as vice president/chief financial officer at Russell Medical Center in Alexander City, Ala. Before moving to Alexander City, Myers served as SAMC’s division director for Financial Services.

Myers has almost 25 years of senior management experience in healthcare finances. Prior to his first position at SAMC in 2001, Myers served as a vice president and chief financial officer at Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola, Fla.

Myers is a graduate of the University of West Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting.

He is a Certified Public Accountant. His professional memberships include FICPA and AICPA, HFMA and MGMA. He is a graduate of Leadership Dothan.

Myers and his wife, Lesa, have two children and one baby granddaughter. He enjoys golfing, snow skiing and spending time on his boat at Lake Martin.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Southeast Alabama Medical Center (SAMC) CEO Ronald S. Owen, FACHE, recently received the prestigious Senior Health Executive Regent’s Award at the Alabama Hospital Association’s (AlaHA) annual meeting in Destin, Fla. 

The award was presented by the Alabama chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) in recognition of Mr. Owen’s significant contributions toward the advancement of health care management excellence and the achievement of the goals of ACHE.

“Ron has consistently displayed his dedication to ACHE and his willingness to serve in leadership capacities,” said William Anderson, ACHE’s Regent for Alabama and president and CEO of Helen Keller Hospital, Sheffield, Ala.  “I am honored to be able to present this award to such a worthy candidate.”

Mr. Owen is a fellow of ACHE, a past chairman of the AlaHA board and a former president of the Southeast Alabama Hospital Council.  He currently serves as a member of Rotary International, the American Hospital Association Ad Hoc Committee on Payment for Health Service, Dothan by Design and treasurer and a member of the board of directors for the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce.

According to Anderson, candidates for the Senior Health Executive Award are evaluated on leadership ability, innovative management, executive capability in developing their own organization and promoting its growth and stature in community, contributions to the development of others in the health care profession, leadership in local and/or state health association activities, participation in civic/community activities and projects, participation in ACHE activities and interest in assisting ACHE in achieving its objectives.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------