WHA Names New Chief Medical Officer
Long-serving UW-Health physician leader Chris Green, MD, will replace retiring WHA CMO Mark Kaufman, MD
With the retirement of current Chief Medical Officer Mark Kaufman, MD, at the end of the year, the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) has tapped UW Health’s Dr. Chris Green to serve as the organization’s top physician leader to provide expert guidance and perspective on issues affecting hospitals and health systems in Wisconsin.
A pediatric pulmonologist, Dr. Green has been a practicing physician with the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 1983. In addition to a long career in patient care and clinical leadership, Dr. Green has for more than 20 years served in key executive leadership roles in the university’s health system, including vice chair and interim chair of the Department of Pediatrics, medical director for American Family Children’s Hospital and, most recently, senior vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer of UW Hospital and Clinics.
As WHA chief medical officer, Dr. Green will be the lead liaison to WHA’s chief medical officer community and Wisconsin-based physician leaders. He will also help to lead, develop and execute WHA’s growing integrated physician and clinic agenda.
“Dr. Green will be a great addition to the WHA team,” said WHA President and CEO Eric Borgerding. “We look forward to his leadership as Wisconsin hospitals and health systems respond to and work toward overcoming the long-term challenges posed by COVID-19.”
Dr. Green and his wife Ann, a retired nurse, have two grown children. The couple enjoy hiking, biking, reading and caring for their home and yard. They are fans of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s men’s basketball and football and of the Green Bay Packers.
Dr. Kaufman has served as WHA’s chief medical officer since 2018 and was actively involved in helping find his successor. “We have been so fortunate to have Mark on the team the past few years, and particularly during COVID,” said Borgerding. “He has been a tremendous asset to WHA and our members and a wonderful and supportive colleague who fit right in with our team. He will be greatly missed. We all learned a lot from Mark and wish him and his family all the best.”
"My time at WHA has been fun, fast and furious working with wonderful and talented colleagues through a very challenging time. I will miss them all, but it is simply time for me to let go of work," said Dr. Kaufman.
Dr. Kaufman will assist Dr. Green with his transition over the next month. Dr. Green’s official start date is Dec. 28.
This story originally appeared in the December 03, 2020 edition of WHA Newsletter