Surgical Affiliates Announces CEO Transition

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Surgical Affiliates, a leading surgical hospitalist company, today announced that Dr. Leon J. Owens, M.D., FACS, founder will transition from Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to Executive Chairman of the Board. Dr. Lynette Scherer, M.D., FACS, Chief Medical Officer will step into the role of CEO. Dr. Owens will continue to focus on sustainable growth and the company culture of Surgical Affiliates. Surgical Affiliates also announced the recent hire of Scott Flacks as the Chief Operating Officer (COO).

"Since Dr. Scherer joined Surgical Affiliates in 2013, we have put our heart and soul into the mission of making a positive impact on delivering the highest quality surgical care by compassionate and talented providers and by providing growth opportunities for our people," Dr. Owens said. "We have a relentless focus on finding the right people, playing to their strengths, and empowering them to Own their Outcomes. As leaders, we've watched the company grow in ways we couldn't imagine by enabling others to step into new roles with an eye toward delivering the best outcomes in the business. Having Dr. Scherer by my side has been instrumental in my journey as CEO, and that formula doesn't change as I transition to Chairman with me by hers."

Dr. Scherer received her medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston where she graduated with honors. She completed her general surgery residency and trauma/critical care fellowship at the University of California, Davis Medical Center. In addition to being board certified by the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Scherer is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and is an active member in the largest national trauma society, the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma. Through her leadership, the company has become a recognized and trusted partner for delivering Surgical Hospitalist programs. She is responsible for scaling an entrepreneurial outfit into a large and reliable organization, while keeping the innovative spirit of the original culture.

"People are the secret sauce at Surgical Affiliates," said Dr. Scherer. "We give leaders from within an opportunity to grow and we recognize those responsible for our success. Dr. Owens and I have had this succession plan in place for many years and will continue to grow our teams and the business with the same vigor and passion as the day we started Surgical Affiliates.

"Having an exceptional Executive and Field Management team has expedited the need for us to make this transition and open up new opportunities for those in the company as well as new employees looking for a rewarding career path. This philosophy was supported and bolstered by our recent hire of Scott Flacks.

"Scott Flacks brings more than 20 years of experience in global operations, strategic planning, marketing, contact center management, and customer support experience to Surgical Affiliates. He is responsible for a broad variety of practice operations including recruitment and credentialing, and hospital and third-party payer relationships."

Prior to joining Surgical Affiliates, Scott was an influential force in healthcare technology helping drive double digit growth in users and revenues as Chief Operating Officer for IDEAL LIFE. He has extensive experience in building strategic partnerships with healthcare organizations and implementing processes that improve quality while simultaneously improving user experience.

About Surgical Affiliates Management Group, Inc.
Surgical Affiliates Management Group is the first surgical hospitalist company with published, proven results that its programs improve patient care, lower costs, reduce readmissions, and enhance hospital throughput. Surgical Affiliates' System of Care© is a permanent solution to the challenge of providing integrated, 24/7 hospital-based surgical teams and one that raises the level of hospital performance across the board, preparing these facilities for the world of pay-for-performance and accountable care models. Surgical Affiliates provides trauma, orthopedic, neurosurgical and acute care surgery programs in hospitals ranging from rural facilities to large community hospitals to multi-hospital systems.

Source: SAMGI