DALLAS and TEMPLE, Texas – Alejandro "Alex" Arroliga, MD, has been named chief clinical innovation officer of Baylor Scott & White Health, effective June 20. In this newly created role, Dr. Arroliga will partner with leaders across the system to identify, evaluate and pursue clinical innovations designed to improve patient experiences.
"We are focusing our top physician leader on solving customers' biggest pain points in the healthcare experience," said Pete McCanna, chief executive officer at Baylor Scott & White. "With his extensive knowledge of the clinical landscape and more than three decades of proven leadership in integrated healthcare systems, no one is better suited than Dr. Arroliga to help accelerate our customer-focused transformation."
Dr. Arroliga currently serves as chief medical officer of Baylor Scott & White, a role he has held since 2018. Under his leadership, the organization advanced a number of significant safety and quality initiatives and earned national recognitions from organizations like U.S. News & World Report and IBM Watson Health. His expertise in lung disease and critical care medicine uniquely positioned him to guide 49,000 employees and more than 9,400 physicians and advanced practice providers through a leading response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Arroliga also oversees Baylor Scott & White's robust research and medical education efforts. He will continue to lead these areas in his new role, as well as serve as regional dean of Baylor College of Medicine's regional campus in Temple, Texas, a position that was announced in 2021.
"As we look to the future, the needs and wants of our patients are our North Star," said Dr. Arroliga. "I look forward to helping drive our efforts as we find new and innovative ways to deliver care on their terms—when, where and how they want it."
Dr. Arroliga received his medical degree from Veracruzana University in Veracruz, Mexico, and completed his general medicine residency at Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. He went on to complete his pulmonary and critical care fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine. He also holds a master's degree in positive organization development and change from Case Western Reserve University. Prior to joining Baylor Scott & White, he spent more than a decade at the Cleveland Clinic as a critical care physician leader and professor of medicine. He was named to Modern Healthcare's 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives list in 2021.
As part of this transition, Walter Peters, MD, Baylor Scott & White's chief surgical officer, will serve as interim CMO.
"Dr. Peters is highly regarded within our system for his work to reduce clinical variability. I am confident he will build upon the great momentum of our clinical teams in this critically important role," said McCanna.
Dr. Peters joined Baylor Scott & White in 2015 as chief of colon and rectal surgery at Baylor University Medical Center. He previously spent nearly three decades in progressive leadership roles at Columbia Surgical Associates in Columbia, Missouri. He earned his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and completed his fellowship there in colon and rectal surgery. He earned a master's degree in healthcare administration from The George Washington University School of Business.
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About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com
