Executive Leadership Appointments
Hudson Headwaters Health Network has announced the appointment of two key executive roles effective immediately.
Dr. John Sawyer has been named Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Chris Tournier has been named Executive Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer. These appointments are in concert with the Network’s recent strategic planning initiatives.
Dr. Sawyer earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and his M.D. from Dartmouth Medical School. He is a Fellow in Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases.
Dr. Sawyer also earned his Master’s in Public Health and Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina School of Public Health and was a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He maintains specialty board certifications from the American Board of Internal Medicine and the National Board of Examiners.
Joining the Network in 1998, Dr. Sawyer is a well-respected member of the clinical leadership team for 19 years, practicing at the North Creek Health Center, Queensbury Family Health, and now West Mountain Health Services in Queensbury. He has played a vital role expanding and improving upon the capabilities of the Network through his clinical leadership roles, culminating in his work as CMO.
“Dr. Sawyer is highly respected amongst his peers and patients alike,” said Dr. Slingerland, CEO. “His analytic and leadership skills will serve the Network well as we continue to grow and develop new services for our patients.”
“We are fortunate to have such a talented group of professionals and skilled providers who care deeply about the quality of care we deliver to our patients,” said Dr. Sawyer. “It’s a privilege to play a role on a leadership team that is so passionate about quality.”
A further leadership transition includes the appointment of Mr. Chris Tournier to Executive Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer.
Mr. Tournier has served as the Network’s Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since 2009 and has helped to strengthen the Network’s financial footing, which has led to an array of new services and expansion to new communities. Prior to joining the Network, he served in several key positions with Berkshire Health Services in Pittsfield Massachusetts, a multi-level health system including a critical access hospital, teaching hospital, and a large physician practice.
“These can be complicated times in the health care landscape,” Mr. Tournier noted. “I’m happy to continue to work towards ensuring that Hudson Headwaters provides the highest levels of quality service through efficiencies and fiscally sound business practices which are in the best interests of our patients, employees, and providers.”
“We are very pleased to recognize Chris’ skills and experience with insurance negotiations and relations as well as the complexities of health care finance,” said Dr. Slingerland, CEO. “These skills and contributions will be key as the Network continues to grow and push the envelope on new value-based payment methods.”