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Howard Podolsky is new chief medical officer

September 16, 2005

Howard Podolsky, M.D., is the new chief medical officer and senior vice president for Centra Health.

Dr. Podolsky has been vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer of SSM-St. Mary's Health Center for the past three years. The 450-bed hospital in St. Louis is part of St. Mary's health care system, which includes 20 hospitals across mid-America. While at St. Mary's, Dr. Podolsky has been involved in a broad range of quality improvement and clinical effectiveness efforts. St. Mary's is the first hospital in the country to win the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, is a Solucient Top 100 Cardiovascular Hospital and has consistently received recognition in Missouri for clinical quality.

Dr. Podolsky makes frequent contributions about timely health topics to local newspapers, radio and television stations and presents lectures to community physicians on risk reduction and mitigation of medical malpractice liability.

Prior to joining SSM-St. Mary's Health Center, Dr. Podolsky practiced internal medicine for 10 years in St. Louis.

A native of Toronto and former resident of Buffalo, N.Y., he holds a bachelor of science degree from Union College in Schenectady and a medical degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He completed his internal medicine residency at The Christ Hospital/University of Cincinnati. Dr. Podolsky also is a graduate of the St. Louis University of Law with a concentration in health law. He is a fellow of the American College of Legal Medicine.

He is joined in Lynchburg by his wife Gina and their 13-month-old son Max. His hobbies include photography, jazz and classical piano, movies, ice hockey and downhill skiing.