Kloek Named Chief of the Division of Opthalmology

Carolyn E. Kloek

Carolyn E. Kloek, MD, was appointed chief of the Division of Ophthalmology in BWH’s Department of Surgery.

Kloek will oversee all inpatient comprehensive and subspecialty ophthalmology services and emergency eye trauma coverage as part of the hospital’s clinical affiliation with Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, where she serves as associate chief for Practice Management. This innovative alliance provides BWH patients with access to top-quality ophthalmic care and treatment.

In 2012, Kloek was appointed clinical director of Mass. Eye and Ear, Longwood-the department’s full-service medical practice and surgical outpatient center located at 800 Huntington Ave.-where she practices full-time. Now, well-integrated into the Longwood Medical Area, the center serves as a vital resource for referring physicians at BWH and surrounding practices.

“Dr. Kloek is a gifted ophthalmologist and surgeon, and a superb teacher and administrator,” said BWH Chair of Surgery Michael Zinner, MD. “Her leadership and guidance were integral to bringing the ambitious project of Mass. Eye and Ear, Longwood, to a successful launch in less than two years. I am very pleased that she will assume this leadership role, further ensuring seamless coordination between BWH’s Department of Surgery and Mass. Eye and Ear, as well as outstanding care for our patients.”

A highly regarded mentor to trainees and junior faculty, Kloek is the associate residency program director for the Harvard Medical School (HMS) Department of Ophthalmology Residency Training Program. In the academic year 2011-12, she became the first Ophthalmology faculty member to be selected for the prestigious HMS Rabkin Fellowship in Medical Education. Among her many accomplishments, Kloek was also chosen for the Eleanor and Miles Shore 50th Anniversary Fellowship Program for Scholars in Medicine.

After graduating from Dartmouth College, Kloek earned her medical degree at HMS. She completed an internship in internal medicine at BWH and went on to complete a residency in ophthalmology at HMS. She then served as chief resident and director of the Eye Trauma Service at Mass. Eye and Ear.

She is married to Ian Dunn, MD, a neurosurgeon at BWH, with whom she has three children.

Priebe Will Join BWHC as Chief Information Officer

After an extensive national search, Cedric Priebe, MD, has been appointed chief information officer for Brigham and Women’s Health Care (BWHC). He will assume the role on Jan. 6, 2014.

Priebe joins BWHC from the Care New England Health System in Rhode Island, where he has served as chief information officer and senior vice president of Information Services since 2007. He is also an attending pediatric hospitalist at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island.

Cedric Priebe, MD

An innovative and forward-thinking physician executive, Priebe has a proven track record in health care information technology management, including planning and building integrated IT solutions to support clinical excellence, operational effectiveness and groundbreaking discovery. He led the development and implementation of clinical information systems at the four hospitals that comprise Care New England.

“As a practicing clinician, IT leader and researcher, Dr. Priebe brings a unique perspective to this role, which will enable BWHC to excel in the data-driven health system of the future,” said BWHC Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Mairead Hickey, RN, PhD. “We look forward to welcoming him into the BWHC family.”

Priebe holds several positions at Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, including assistant professor of Pediatrics, and has received many teaching awards. He is board certified in Pediatrics and licensed to practice in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Priebe earned his BA in History and Science at Harvard College and his MD from Harvard Medical School. He completed his residency at Boston Children’s Hospital, serving as chief medical resident in his final year.

Priebe’s wife, Christina Bandera, MD, is an accomplished gynecologic oncologist, who completed her residency at BWH and was a member of its Gynecologic Cancer Treatment Center until 2005. Bandera is chief of OB/GYN at Lifespan in Rhode Island.

Ringer Transitions to Ariadne Labs after Newborn Medicine Leadership

Steven Ringer, MD, PhD

After serving as chief of the Division of Newborn Medicine for more than 25 years, neonatologist Steven Ringer, MD, PhD, has transitioned to a role in Ariadne Labs, a new joint center for health systems innovation at BWH and Harvard School of Public Health directed by Atul Gawande, MD, MPH, Department of Surgery.

“Under Steve’s leadership, the Division of Newborn Medicine has thrived, providing stellar patient care, training hundreds of residents and fellows and expanding research and discovery,” said Chief Medical Officer Stan Ashley, MD. “Steve has been instrumental in orchestrating the overall development of a vibrant, fiscally sound newborn medicine/pediatric program and has built a talented and dedicated team. Steve’s work over the last two decades has laid the foundation for the division to be elevated to a department.”

Earlier this fall, the Division of Newborn Medicine became the Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine, with Terrie Inder, MD, MBChB, assuming the position of chair on Sept. 1.

“Dr. Inder and I have known each other for a long time,” said Ringer. “She was also a fellow here, and we’ve been colleagues throughout the years. She is enormously talented and committed to getting the faculty even more engaged. I am confident that she and the department will grow and thrive together.”

Ringer, who first came to BWH for a neonatology fellowship in 1985, was offered the position of associate director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in 1988. He eventually gathered a group of faculty together to form what would become the Division of Newborn Medicine. Ringer is now fully pursuing his academic interests and collaborative research.

“This is a juncture point for me and a good opportunity for the new department to have new leadership,” he said. “It was the perfect constellation of things coming together at the right time. My clinical commitment remains the same, and I am able to focus more on research in Ariadne Labs.”

This includes improving the care of critically ill newborns here and abroad, as well as maternal and neonatal outcomes, understanding the issues that arise around the time of birth, and continuing his global health work in Vietnam.

Added Ringer: “There are lots of things about newborn medicine that make it unbelievably fascinating, including, undoubtedly, caring for babies and their families. To watch a newborn born four months early grow before our eyes—it’s a phenomenal thing. The NICU is my favorite place to be.”

Sequist Will Assume Role of Partners Chief Quality and Safety Officer

Thomas Sequist, MD, MPH

Thomas Sequist, MD, MPH, a health services researcher and general internist at BWH, will assume the role of chief quality and safety officer for Partners HealthCare, beginning in December.

Sequist’s work focuses on the use of health information technology and patient and provider education strategies—including electronic decision support systems, disease registries, care team redesign and patient engagement—to promote the improved delivery of safe and effective care. In his new role, Sequist will work with quality and safety leaders across Partners to improve care across the continuum, including in important enterprise-wide initiatives such as Partners eCare.

Sequist is an associate professor of Medicine and Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School. During the past decade, he has established himself as a leading national expert in quality measurement and improvement through a combination of academic research and innovative clinical program development based at BWH, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates and Atrius Health. He has served as director of Research and Clinical Program Evaluation at Atrius Health, and maintained a leadership role as medical director of the Brigham and Women’s Outreach Program with the Indian Health Service, where he developed an innovative model of physician volunteerism and telemedicine to expand access to ambulatory and inpatient specialty care for inpatients residing on the Navajo Reservation. Sequist has also served as a deputy editor at the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Sequist will remain a part of the Division of General Medicine at BWH, playing a role in quality and safety research moving forward. He will also continue his role as medical director for the outreach program with the Indian Health Service.

Sequist received his BS in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University, his MD from Harvard Medical School and his MPH from Harvard School of Public Health. His research has resulted in more than 50 original publications and has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and other national organizations.