For Immediate Release 

SCANLON NAMED CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER AT CHESTNUT HILL HOSPITAL

Philadelphia, Pa, Friday, August 8, 2008— Dr. John Scanlon assumed the position of chief medical officer (CMO) of Chestnut Hill Hospital (CHH) in August. After 23 years as a member of the Hospital medical staff with a thriving podiatry practice, Dr. Scanlon choose to expand his role at the Hospital in a capacity where he can improve the health care of his patients and the entire community. As CMO, he will represent and lead the medical staff at CHH as they continue to improve patient care and enhance services to exceed the expectations of the community.

“We were excited that Dr. Scanlon was interested in representing the medical staff at CHH,” says David Udis, M.D., medical staff president. “Dr. Scanlon received the full endorsement of the CHH medical staff and support of the chief medical officer, Patrick John Brennan, M.D. His passion and commitment for the Hospital has not wavered as we’ve undergone transitions in leadership and ownership in the last several years. He is an outspoken advocate for our more than 300 affiliated physicians and most importantly, our patients.”  

Dr. Scanlon wants to give back to the community that he feels has given so much to him. In November 1991, his practice on the 7700 block of was destroyed by a tragic fire. His livelihood was in ashes. But the community—physicians, patients, friends, hospital—came to the rescue. Bit by bit, Dr. Scanlon was able to recover his losses and re-open his practice in its current location at . 

“I’m proud to be the CMO at Chestnut Hill and I want to make this a community hospital of which we can all be proud,” says Dr. Scanlon. “All of us—physicians, employees and community—have a vested interest in the Hospital’s success. Working together, I believe we can continue to increase the community’s preference for CHH. We want to get better at the things we’re doing right and eliminate what is not meeting our patients’ expectations.” To get the public’s input, Dr. Scanlon encourages readers to e-mail him at john_scanlon@chs.net about your recent experiences with the Hospital. 

Scanlon’s focus will be the continuing enhancement of quality patient care. The CHH emergency department (ED) receives approximately 100 community members a day for urgent care. “A majority of patients have their first look at the Hospital and form their perceptions in our ED, says Scanlon. “We want to ensure that patients’ experiences will give them a positive opinion. Building a new ED, intensive care unit and operating suites will further solidify our commitment to improving emergency care.”  

Dr. Scanlon will also work to extend CHH’s clinical ties with the . Currently, the Hospital’s surgery department and Women’s Center are directed by Penn surgeons. Penn Radiation Oncology at Chestnut Hill, adjacent to the Hospital opened this spring and is operated by Penn physicians.

While on staff at the Hospital, Dr. Scanlon developed a podiatric residency program. Students from across the country have benefited from the program since its inception in 2002. In 2003, Scanlon received the 2004 Service Excellence Award for going “above service expectations.” Dr. Scanlon received a medical degree from Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine and lives in the community with his wife Dorothy and three children, Lauren, Christen and John, Jr. Dr. Scanlon will continue seeing patients during limited hours at his practice.