As Rachel Reed, MD, Rachel Kerschner, MD, and Lindsay Anderson, MD, built their medical careers at Columbus Regional Health, they realized they had more to offer than delivering quality healthcare to individual patients. They had developed leadership skills they could apply at the health system level, which included the CRH network of more than 225 physicians.

They are now stepping into the three top physician leadership roles at CRH: chief of staff (Dr. Reed), past chief of staff (Dr. Kerschner) and chief of staff elect (Dr. Anderson).

Physicians Helping Physicians
As 2023–2024 chief of staff, Dr. Reed is the physician leader of the medical executive staff. “As an obstetrician/gynecologist, my passion is maternal and child health, but as chief of staff, I interact with physicians of every specialty, as well as the hospital’s board of directors,” said Dr. Reed. One of her initiatives will be to continue the work on medical provider wellness that Dr. Kerschner, a pediatrician, spearheaded as the 2021–2022 Chief of Staff.

Dr. Kerschner noted that healthcare delivery underwent seismic changes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and physicians are still navigating through the fallout. During her tenure, Dr. Kerschner began surveying physicians on stress and burnout and examining ways to address those issues. “We need to find new ways to retain and attract physicians and address their needs so that they can provide the best patient care,” she said.

New Care Delivery Models
Dr. Anderson, who will become chief of staff in 2025, had been the medical director of Columbus Internal Medicine during the pandemic, when medical offices started shutting down. “It was fascinating to see how all the moving parts came together to deliver care in new ways, such as telehealth visits,” she said. As chief of staff elect, she will spend the next two years learning about leadership at the system level while preparing to move into the chief of staff role.

“All three of us are excited and proud to lead in this way,” Dr. Reed said. “It’s an opportunity to drive the direction of care in our community.”