has named Dr. Jim LaBelle as its corporate vice president of quality, physician co-management and medical management — a newly created position that focuses on engaging more physicians in care management.
LaBelle will be leaving his post as medical director of emergency and clinical quality at to take on this appointment. In this new role, he will be responsible for ensuring that physicians are involved in the design of inpatient and outpatient care programs, coordinating the management of clinical care, overseeing hospitalist and intensivist programs, as well as medical directorships across the Scripps system.
“This new position was created by Scripps to help add more value for patients and to continue Scripps’ work of engaging our physicians more in the care and management of our patients,” said Chris Van Gorder, president and CEO of Scripps Health
LaBelle’s appointment follows a management and leadership restructuring that Scripps underwent last October. The newly formed horizontal management team is focused on improving the quality and safety of patient care, reducing unneeded variation and cost, and working closer as care providers. The hope is that this work will help Scripps adapt its systems and practices in anticipation of the many changes and innovations that are coming to health care delivery.
“We’re at a crossroads in health care and that, of course, presents a number of interesting challenges and opportunities,” LaBelle said. “The future is about working together in new and innovative relationships defined by business models that perhaps don’t yet exist. I’m looking forward to exploring those options as part of this new position.”
Prior to his new role at Scripps, LaBelle was president and CEO of Coastline Emergency Physicians and vice president of Encinitas Hospitalist Associates. He is also a cofounder and past president and CEO of Connect the Docs Multi-Specialty Network, Inc., a 180-member IPA, as well as a cofounder and past chairman of Connect the Docs Medical Management LLC.
LaBelle has practiced emergency medicine for more than 24 years, he holds a healthcare executive master’s degree in business administration, and he has served as chair of numerous committees that dealt with running hospitals.
“Dr. LaBelle’s experience as a practicing physician, coupled with his expertise in medical management, made him the ideal choice for this position,” Van Gordersaid. “The role Dr. LaBelle will fill is critical to continuing and expanding the partnerships we’ve built with our physicians, and will help us more closely link our hospitals and growing ambulatory network of care.”
