Virginia Hospital Center's Dr. Michael Silverman Honored as Alteon Health Facility Medical Director of the Year

Michael Silverman, MD, FACEP, chair of emergency medicine at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va., was recently selected as one of five 2020 Facility Medical Directors of the Year by Alteon Health, the industry-leading national medical group that has managed the hospital's emergency medicine program since 2001.

The award honors medical directors from across Alteon's more than 125 clinical sites who exhibited exemplary leadership and professionalism in 2020, mentoring their physicians and advanced practice providers while improving department performance. In his nomination, Martin Brown, MD, FACEP, president of Alteon's south division, noted that although Silverman has consistently met these standards throughout his decade as medical director at Virginia Hospital Center, his performance amid the challenges of COVID-19 has been exceptional. In 2020, he actively participated in the hospital's COVID-19 Task Force, led the physical adaptation of the Emergency Department to safely meet patients' evolving needs, and worked with the hospital's public relations team to provide the community accurate and timely health information. In December, Arlington Magazine recognized Silverman as "Best of Arlington" for COVID information. He also led his physician team in designing and delivering a 12-part lecture series for the department's physician assistants and nurse practitioners, equipping them to comfortably managing the higher acuity patient population.

"During this pandemic, Dr. Silverman quickly established a new normal mindset for his team," Brown said. "He also demonstrated vision and foresight in disaster planning as civil unrest began to escalate in the region."

Silverman was one of five awardees selected by a panel of clinicians from Alteon's executive leadership team. The four other facility medical directors recognized for their outstanding service were:

• Layhong Soth, MD, director of hospital medicine, Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (Idaho Falls, Id.)
• Ahmed Kardar, MD, director of hospital medicine, Southside Regional Medical Center (Petersburg, Va.) and Rappahannock General Hospital (Kilmarnock, Va.)
• Stephanie Dabulis, MD, chair of emergency medicine, CalvertHealth Center (Prince Frederick, Md.)
• Mark Christensen, MD, director of emergency medicine, Cullman Regional Medical Center (Cullman, Al.) and Highlands Medical Center (Scottsboro, Al.)

"It is an honor to be recognized for all the work that our clinical team accomplished over the past year," Silverman said. "I am very fortunate to work with such great doctors, advanced practice providers, nurses, and the rest of our team in the Emergency Department. I am really proud of all the things we accomplished over the past year, including our work with stroke, trauma, and sepsis, while also battling COVID and keeping our staff safe."

Silverman earned his medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School and completed his emergency medicine residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He joined Alteon Health in 2011. In addition to his role as medical director of the Emergency Department at Virginia Hospital Center, where he serves on 10 hospital committees, Silverman also directs Alteon's Leadership Academy. This program provides advanced training to bright young providers who aspire to take on leadership roles in their departments. In 2014, Silverman published Directors Corner: Lessons in Emergency Medicine Leadership & Management.

"In his 10 years as chair of emergency medicine, Dr. Silverman has demonstrated outstanding leadership and dedication to Alteon, his Emergency Department, Virginia Hospital Center, and the community of Arlington," said Greg Komara, Alteon's senior vice president of operations for the region.

About Alteon Health

With more than 1,700 clinicians serving more than 125 practice locations nationwide, Alteon is a leading provider of emergency medicine, hospitalist medicine, critical care, post-acute care, and virtual and home health services. The physician-led practice is equipped with 50 years of experience in providing high-quality, industry-leading, and patient-focused care in diverse medical markets. For more information, visit alteonhealth.com.