Medical officers hired for hospitals

FORT MYERS — Lee Health hired four physicians as acute care medical officers at each of its hospitals.

The physicians will work with a nurse vice president of patient care services in a leadership model called a dyad, according to a press release.

The hospital dyads are Dr. Harry Alberti and Wendy Piascik at Cape Coral Hospital; Dr. Jonathan Velez and Holly Muller at Gulf Coast Medical Center; Dr. Eric Appelgren and Cindy Brown at HealthPark Medical Center; and Dr. Scott Wolf and Jennifer Higgins at Lee Memorial Hospital.

Previously, Alberti served as chief medical officer and vice president for pharmacy, lab and environmental services at Thompson Peak Medical Center in Phoenix. Velez was vice president of medical affairs for Hartford HealthCare Corp. Central Region in Hartford, Conn. Appelgren served as vice president of operations and clinical services for Saint Anthony's Medical Center in St. Louis. Wolf was president of Mercy Medical Center/Sisters of Providence Health System in Springfield, Mass.

“The dyad leadership model delivers a more synergistic, collegial approach to operations, and allows our physicians to have a stronger leadership role in the processes, procedures and overall management of our health system,” says Lee Health President and CEO Dr. Larry Antonucci in a statement.