Greetings from New President of Miami Valley Hospital Medical Staff
By Tarek Sabagh, MD, medical staff president, Miami Valley Hospital
My name is Tarek Sabagh. I am a medical oncologist in private practice with Dayton Physicians. I’m honored to be the 47th president of the medical staff of Miami Valley Hospital for the next two years. I first came to Miami Valley Hospital as a second-year internal medicine resident in 1990. I recognized in no time that the hospital was the best in the region, and physicians were proud to work here. The phrase “the region’s leader” was heard often, and was accurate.
After residency, I completed a three-year fellowship at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute in Columbus. Coming back to Dayton to practice was a dream – and to do so at Miami Valley Hospital was a bonus. I had privileges at Miami Valley Hospital, but the bulk of my practice was at Stouder Memorial Hospital, in Troy, which is now part of Upper Valley Medical Center. I was in solo practice for two years but quickly recognized its challenges, so I decided to join a large group in town with an affiliation with a national physician management company. After a few years, I joined my current practice – a private cancer multispecialty group that enjoys an excellent working relationship with all Premier Health hospitals.
With the rapid pace and uncertainties that health care currently faces, I learned that change is the one reality I must accept, and that as a physician I cannot have it all. Private practice, though with a nice salary, came with the headaches of management. While the management company could not match the private practice income or the flexibility of a solo practice, it did shield me from the burnout. Each one of us chooses the model that best suits our own needs and priorities. While I believe that we are blessed with significant choices in medicine, I also understand how difficult the new changes have made practicing medicine. Despite this, I chose to welcome the opportunities and challenges.
On a personal level, I am married and have three daughters. In my spare time, I enjoy running and have completed five marathons, as well as an ultramarathon. I like to go backpacking and climb mountains with colleagues and friends on the medical staff. This past July, we summited a 20,000-foot mountain in Bolivia, which was very challenging but enjoyable to tackle and complete.
I am looking forward to working with you and maintaining Miami Valley Hospital as the region’s health care leader.
Back to the January 2019 issue of Premier Pulse
