Paul Taheri, M.D., M.B.A., has joined the School of Medicine as deputy dean and chief executive officer of Yale Medical Group (YMG), following a nationwide search. Dr. Taheri will begin in his new role at Yale in early March.
Dr. Taheri is the senior associate dean for clinical affairs and president and CEO of the University of Vermont (UVM) Medical Group in Burlington as well as a professor of surgery at UVM. There, he has been responsible for oversight and management of a 500-member multispecialty practice with more than 1,000 staff and $250 million in annual revenue. Dr. Taheri has been credited with preparing the group, both financially and operationally, for the future of health care reform. He established the Fletcher Allen Center for Health Care Management to provide business training to physicians, nurses, and administrators, and he led the UVM Medical Group Revenue Department to achieve national ranking among its peers. Dr. Taheri also holds teaching positions at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and the UVM School of Business.
He comes to Yale at a pivotal time for the school’s clinical practice, which has expanded remarkably over the past decade. The size of the clinical faculty has grown dramatically, clinical revenues have nearly doubled, and there has been a significant expansion in the breadth and depth of our clinical programs. With these developments has come the need for a more centralized and unified physician group practice.
Dr. Taheri will be responsible for the management and leadership of all aspects of the school¹s practice. He will be charged with establishing a strong management structure and maintaining a high-performing clinical operation. Working with the department chairs, faculty, and our clinical partners, he will lead the development and implementation of initiatives to improve and standardize clinical operations, enhance revenue cycle operations, and optimize clinical space utilization.
Dr. Taheri is the past chair of the Group on Faculty Practices for the Association of American Medical Colleges and an examiner for the American Board of Surgery. He has lectured broadly on various business topics including cost of care, physician leadership, system optimization, and others. Dr. Taheri received his undergraduate degree from St. Lawrence University and his medical degree from New York University. He completed his general surgical residency at Tulane University.
“I would like to recognize the enormous contributions made in the development and advancement of the clinical practice by David J. Leffell, M.D.,” wrote Robert J. Alpern, M.D., dean and Ensign Professor of Medicine in a school-wide announcement. “As director and later CEO of YMG, Dr. Leffell is responsible for much of the transformation of YMG over the past 15 years, while continuing to direct his extraordinarily successful Section of Dermatologic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology. Dr. Leffell’s leadership has significantly advanced YMG¹s reputation for quality of care and service, and he has spearheaded many initiatives, including the branding of the clinical practice under the name Yale Medical Group, establishment of first-rate billing & collections and compliance functions, selection of Epic as the medical center¹s first integrated electronic health record, and creation of the highly successful Yale Practice newsletter.”
“I would also like to acknowledge Michael Berman, M.D., who has done a superb job of directing the initial restructuring of the practice, overseeing its operations as interim director and CEO during the past year, and leading the recruitment of Dr. Taheri,” Alpern wrote. “Dr. Berman will continue to assist the school and medical group during the upcoming transition as a special advisor to the clinical practice.”