CareMore Appoints Dynamic Clinical Leadership Team In Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Sept. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CareMore Health System has named Dr. Mark David Harris as regional medical officer to lead patient care and clinical operations; Dr. Sandeep Palakodeti as chief of hospital medicine; and Dr. Manisha A. Sharma as director of community health and primary care in Shelby County.

In his role as regional medical officer, Dr. Harris will be responsible for overall patient care, including CareMore's chronic disease and other programs available exclusively to members of Amerigroup Medicaid plans in Shelby County.

Before joining CareMore, Dr. Harris served as chief of preventive medicine and public health functions at Northern Regional Medical Command/Atlantic Regional. He has practiced family, sports, preventive and occupational medicine at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, where he taught medical students and residents. Dr. Harris has also served as the Army Medical Department Ambassador to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A published author, he has written numerous articles on a wide array of health topics for peer-reviewed journals. Currently, he is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and additional medical associations.

"It's exciting to join CareMore given its continually evolving healthcare model and commitment to its patients," said Dr. Harris.  "I look forward to contributing to its continuing healthcare innovation and collaborating with the team to ensure excellent patient care."

As chief of hospital medicine, Dr. Palakodeti will collaborate with hospitals and specialty relationships in the area to ensure that patients receive personalized, quality, comprehensive care.

Dr. Palakodeti comes to CareMore from the Mayo Clinic where he was an attending hospitalist and instructor of medicine. In the past, he served as chief health officer of Sherbit.io, a personal health analytics startup. A published writer, Dr. Palakodeti has authored articles on diabetes care and health care technology. Dr. Palakodeti completed a fellowship in healthcare innovation at Harvard Medical School. In addition, he also completed an internal medicine residency at Kaiser Permanente, Northern California. Dr. Palakodeti earned his doctorate of medicine and master's degree in public health from Wright State University's Boonshoft School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio. He is a current member of the Society of Hospital Medicine, the American College of Physicians and the American Association of Physician Leadership.

"I'm honored to join and lead CareMore's exceptional and dedicated team in Memphis," said Dr. Palakodeti. "Focusing on the patients' needs, creating smart adaptive systems, and promoting the real drivers of health and happiness are passions that align with CareMore's mission of addressing the total well-being of the individual."

As director of community health and primary care, Dr. Sharma will serve as a bridge between inpatient and outpatient care, to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions. Dr. Sharma will develop and lead the outpatient interdisciplinary team approach to primary care, and expand growth in the region. Additionally, she will work to develop local relationships that integrate CareMore within the community.

A board certified family physician, Dr. Sharma served as clinical innovator for Iora Health in Boston before joining CareMore. Before her leadership role at Iora Health, Dr. Sharma was the medical director and acting chief medical officer for Evergreen Health Care in Baltimore. Dr. Sharma actively keynotes speaking engagements and lectures at universities across the United States on health equity, coalition building, grassroots health initiatives, social impacts on health, physician advocacy and social justice. Dr. Sharma completed her medical residency in social and family medicine at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY, where she received the Chairman Award for Research.

"I'm thrilled to join CareMore and help expand its community health and outreach in Memphis," said Dr. Sharma. "Developing strong relationships with our community is the first step in understanding and addressing the vital health needs of the population."

"Drs. Harris, Palakodeti, and Sharma bring many years of clinical leadership to CareMore's operations in Memphis," said Dr. Sachin H. Jain, president of CareMore. "They are passionate about serving Memphis and reinventing healthcare delivery.  They constitute a formidable team as we work to perfect a scalable model to serve patients covered by Medicaid."

About CareMore

CareMore is a physician-founded, physician-led care delivery system and health plan that harnesses the power of teamwork to treat the whole person. Through a focus on prevention and highly coordinated care, its clinical model and designed-for purpose approach to managing chronic disease proactively address the medical, social and personal health needs of its patients, resulting in clinical outcomes above the national average and ultimately, healthier people and communities.  Over the past seven years, the CareMore Care Centers have expanded from one state to eight. And today, the CareMore delivery system provides care for enrollees in Medicare Advantage and Medicaid health plans in California, Nevada, Arizona, Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio, Iowa and Georgia. CareMore also is participating in a dual demonstration project in parts of Los Angeles County in conjunction with state and federal regulators to coordinate care for people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. For more information about CareMore, go to www.caremorehealthsystem.com.

Media Contact:  
Charla Hawkins
CareMore Health System 
[email protected] 
(562) 480-2130

SOURCE CareMore

Related Links

http://www.caremorehealthsystem.com