Joshua White, MD, will serve as Gifford Health Care’s chief medical officer (CMO) effective Jan 1, 2019, Gifford officials announced today, a promotion that will further align Gifford’s medical leadership with its administration. White, an emergency medicine physician, currently serves as Gifford’s hospital division medical director. As CMO, he will oversee all medical services, staff and providers; work closely with department leads as well as Gifford administrators; and represent medical staff at Board of Directors meetings.
“Dr White is respected and admired by providers, staff, and patients alike,” said Gifford President and CEO Dan Bennett. “He has proven himself to be an exceptionally humble and inclusive leader, one who brings people together to work across departments to achieve goals that best serve our patients and community. His expertise and management abilities strengthen our team, and I look forward to working with him in this exciting new role.”
White shares Gifford’s commitment to developing partnerships and programs that respond to community health needs. Currently, he is working with Randolph-area schools to develop an anti-bullying program for students. And, in addition to his role at Gifford, he co-founded Community Health Initiative (CHI) Haiti, a nonprofit that works to improve health care in the region and empower community members with self-directed projects.
White joined the Gifford team in 2010. His clinical interests include emergency medicine and critical care medicine. He completed his residency at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass.; is a member of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine; and is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine. He earned his medical degree from the University of Iowa College of Medicine in Iowa City, Iowa; a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minn.; and a bachelor’s degree from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. He lives on a farm in Barnard with his wife, Kim, and their two children.
In addition to White’s promotion, Bennett announced that longtime Gifford pediatrician Louis DiNicola, MD, will retire from his medical director role effective Dec. 31. DiNicola, who has provided care to central Vermont children and families for 43 years, will continue to work at Gifford per diem, remain active in medical staff activities, and assist in medical staff recruitment.
“Dr DiNicola is a beloved member of this community with an impressive, several decades-long record of service to our patients,” said Bennett. “We thank him for his dedication, which has included strong leadership as a member of our senior management team. He will be missed in that role, but we congratulate him on his semi-retirement and know that he will continue to serve as a vital member of our medical team and greater community.”
Plans are underway for a retirement party for DiNicola in early 2019.
Gifford is a community hospital in Randolph, Vt., with family health centers in Berlin, Bethel, Chelsea, Randolph, Rochester, and White River Junction; and specialty services throughout central Vermont. A Federally Qualified Health Center and a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital in the country, Gifford is a full-service hospital with a 24-hour emergency department and inpatient unit; many surgical services; a day care; two adult day programs; and the 30-bed Menig Nursing Home, which was named by US News & World Report as one of the best 39 nursing homes in the country in 2012. The Birthing Center, established in 1977, was the first in Vermont to offer an alternative to traditional hospital-based deliveries, and continues to be a leader in midwifery and family-centered care. The hospital’s mission is to improve individuals’ and community health by providing and assuring access to affordable, high-quality health care in Gifford’s service area.