April 21, 2017– Southeast Georgia Health System is pleased to welcome
Robert J. Bernasek, M.D., MBA, as
chief
medical officer, serving as the primary liaison between the Health System’s
medical staff and executive management team. A board-certified internal
medicine and hematology physician, he will also oversee clinical operations
to ensure the highest quality of care, patient safety
and
satisfaction.
“This is a new, and important, position at the Health System and
we’re very pleased to have Dr. Bernasek join us,” says Michael
D. Scherneck, president and chief executive officer, Southeast Georgia
Health System. “His knowledge and experience will prove valuable
in strengthening relations between the medical staff and leadership, as
well as providing guidance with developing process improvements to enhance
patient safety and quality of care.”
Bernasek brings more than 20 years of medical leadership experience to
the Health System, having most recently served as the chief medical officer
at Hilton Head Regional Healthcare, Hilton Head, S.C. While there he helped
champion a reduction in hospital readmissions, unify hospital leadership’s
strategic vision and prioritize patient safety.
He began his medical career in private practice as an internist and hematologist
in Fairfield, Conn., before joining Bridgeport Hospital in Bridgeport,
Conn. During his tenure, Bernasek served as the medical director for several
hospital
affiliated practice groups, before becoming the vice president of medical
affairs at Hudson Valley Hospital Center in Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.
While at Hudson Valley Hospital Center, Bernasek strengthened physician
relationships and engagement in hospital strategic planning. He led physician
efforts that focused on process improvements aimed at enhancing
quality
of care, including the implementation of the hospital’s electronic
medical record and improving national core measures scores as established
by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
From there Bernasek became the chief quality officer and associate medical
director at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, N.Y., where he directed
the hospital’s quality management and performance improvement activities.
He also served as the physician liaison for care management and documentation
improvement activities.
Bernasek earned his bachelor’s in history from Dartmouth College
in Hanover, N.H., and his medical degree from the University of Kansas
School of Medicine in Kansas City, Kan. He completed an internal medicine
residency at Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport, Conn., followed by a hematology
fellowship at Bronx Veterans Administration Medical Center, Bronx, N.Y.
and Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, N.Y. Bernasek also has a Master
of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mass.
Bernasek and his wife Nancy have two sons, and a granddaughter who live
on the west coast.