Maria C. Russell, MD, is Winship’s new chief quality officer.
Maria C. Russell, MD, professor of surgery in the Division of Surgical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine, has been named chief quality officer for Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. In this role, Russell will oversee the overall direction, leadership and operational management of Winship's quality and safety programs to ensure the highest quality and safest care experience for patients across all Winship locations.
"Dr. Russell has done an outstanding job serving as Winship's interim chief quality officer over the last few months," says Suresh Ramalingam, MD, Winship's executive director. "She has already made significant contributions to strengthening our culture of quality and safety, and I know this is only the beginning of the meaningful impact her leadership will have at Winship."
Russell, who holds the Wadley R. Glenn Chair of Surgery for Academic Programs, joined the Emory faculty in 2012. Her clinical practice focuses on complex gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary malignancies. She is the chair of the Georgia State Commission on Cancer, working with programs, providers and organizations to improve the quality of cancer care. At Grady, she serves as the cancer liaison physician for the American College of Surgeons, leading performance evaluation and reporting for the Grady Cancer Committee and creating quality studies to improve patient care. She is also the vice chair of the Society of Surgical Oncology's Committee for Program Directors and serves as the Program Director for the recently established Emory Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship. Her research interests include health disparities in the presentation, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of patients with gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary malignancies.
"I am honored to serve our patients, staff and colleagues in the role of chief quality officer for Winship," says Russell. "I look forward to expanding on collaborative efforts in continuous quality improvement and patient safety to achieve the highest level of care for our patients."