Cambridge Health Alliance has named Assaad Sayah MD as its chief medical officer. Dr. Sayah, CHAs senior vice president of primary and emergency care, will succeed Gerald Steinberg MD, who announced his retirement last month.

Since joining CHA in 2006 as the chief of emergency medicine, Sayah has led advancements in the emergency departments at all three of CHAs hospital campuses -- Cambridge, Somerville and Whidden -- resulting in improved efficiency, quality, volume and patient satisfaction. He spearheaded many initiatives, including rapid assessment protocols, the implementation of an electronic patient tracking system and the addition of patient partners, that have contributed to better patient flow and established CHAs emergency department as a national model that has been showcased in venues across the country. He has shown the same commitment to innovation and operational enhancement during his tenure as CHAs senior vice president of primary and emergency care, a role he assumed earlier this year.

As CHAs chief medical officer, Sayah, who has served as CHAs medical staff president and chairman of its chiefs council, will provide physician leadership, ensure high quality care for patients, and be a committed advocate for CHAs physicians and all associates.

He will also oversee CHAs academic mission, ensuring its training programs attract top candidates and instill a commitment to serve vulnerable populations. He serves on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and has published on a variety of subjects including emergency department operation, continuous quality improvement, advanced directives, and access to care in Massachusetts following health reform.

Prior to going to CHA, Sayah held several leadership roles in area hospitals, including director of EMS for Brigham and Women's Hospital, associate chief for the Department of Emergency Medicine at St. Elizabeths Medical Center, and chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center. He has received numerous honors for his work, including the Presidents Award and Vanguard Award from the Massachusetts College of Emergency Physicians and the EMS Physician of the Year Award from the Metropolitan Boston EMS Council. He earned his medical degree at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and completed his residency in emergency medicine at William Beaumont Hospital in Michigan.

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Cambridge Health Alliance names new chief medical officer