Dr. Mark Christensen of Cullman Regional Medical Center and Highlands Medical Center Honored as Alteon Health Facility Medical Director of the Year

Mark Christensen, MD, director of emergency medicine at Cullman Regional Medical Center in Cullman, Al., and Highlands Medical Center in Scottsboro, Al., was recently selected as one of five 2020 Facility Medical Directors of the Year by Alteon Health, the industry-leading national medical group that manages these emergency medicine programs.

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 amid the challenges of COVID-19. In her nomination of Dr. Christensen, Destiny Harvey, vice president of operations for Alteon's southeast region, celebrated the strong collaboration Christensen has fostered between the emergency medicine providers, the nursing staffs, and other hospital departments at both facilities since becoming medical director in 2019. These efforts have helped both Cullman Regional Medical Center and Highlands Medical Center improve efficiency and quality, she said, adding that Christensen encourages his clinicians to provide each patient with the best possible hospital experience and leads by example.

"He is always seeking ways to improve performance," Harvey said. "In doing so, he is able to break down the processes into easily executable steps that allow everyone in the department to work toward improvement with him."

Christensen 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.)
• Michael Silverman, MD, FACEP, chair of emergency medicine, Virginia Hospital Center (Arlington, Va.)

Christensen earned his medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine. He is board-certified in both emergency and family medicine. He joined Alteon Health in 2017 and became facility medical director for Alteon's northern Alabama sites two years later. In addition to his role as medical director, he serves on seven committees between the two hospitals and directs Alteon's local Emergency Medicine Fellowship Program, which trains physicians who have completed family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and other residency programs to provide effective and efficient emergency medical care and to become independent Emergency Department physicians in community hospitals.

"Dr. Christensen is one who will not ask his team to do anything he himself isn't willing to do," Harvey said. "He wants all members of his team to treat each individual who comes into the department as if they were the ones on the receiving end of that care."

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.