Mission Health Names Marc Westle Senior Vice President of Innovation

ASHEVILLE, N.C., May 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Mission Health today announced the appointment of Marc B. Westle, D.O., FACP, to the position of Senior Vice President of Innovation. Westle is an expert on healthcare delivery strategies and will lead incremental and transformational changes that support the achievement of Mission's BIG(GER) Aim. 

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Westle will identify and explore new options to improve the delivery of healthcare in his new position. Ultimately, Westle will be preparing Mission Health to move to an outcome-accountable, risk-bearing capable organization to serve the community of western North Carolina. Westle will work with the executive team to ensure Mission leverages new technologies and products to deliver efficient, effective healthcare.

"Marc will play a critical role on our leadership team," said Ronald A. Paulus, MD, President and CEO of Mission Health. "As our nation struggles to control exploding healthcare costs, our team at Mission is proactively seeking to create a new healthcare delivery model to serve our region. Marc will play an instrumental role in testing, creating and implementing these new models of care."

"I am honored to assume this new role at Mission Health," said Westle. "The need for new models of care is undeniable. My goal is to make Mission a leader in innovative healthcare delivery. The plan is to create models that deliver care to individuals at a lower cost while maintaining patient satisfaction, quality and safety."

Westle previously served as the first President and CEO of Mission Medical Associates, the physician group practice of Mission Health.  Westle started it from the ground up and Mission Medical Associates has now grown to 160 physicians and 50 advanced practitioners in over 25 specialties with 30 local and regional offices. He also helped increase the number of physicians by 35% in 2011.

A board-certified internist, Dr. Westle earned his medical degree at the University of Health Sciences in Kansas City, Mo. He then went on to complete his residency at the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP) and a Fellow of Hospital Medicine (FHM) by the Society of Hospital Medicine. Westle is also active in the local physician community, serving as treasurer and on the Board of Directors at the Buncombe County Medical Society.

About Mission Health

Mission Health, based in Asheville, NC, is the state's sixth largest health system and the tertiary care regional referral center for Western NC and the adjoining region. In 2012, Mission Health was named by Thomson Reuters as one of the top 15 health systems in the nation – the only health system in North Carolina to receive this recognition.

Founded in 1885, Mission Health is the region's only not-for-profit, independent community hospital system governed and managed exclusively in Western North Carolina.  Mission operates five hospitals, numerous out-patient and surgery centers, and the region's only dedicated Level II trauma center. Its medical staff consists of more than 750 physicians, and is certified in over 50 medical specialties and sub-specialties. Centers of excellence include heart, stroke care and neurosciences, and pediatrics. Mission Hospital, the system's flagship hospital, is licensed for 730 beds and is the busiest surgical hospital in North Carolina. Other Mission hospitals include Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine, McDowell Hospital in Marion, and Mission Children's Hospital in Asheville. With approximately 8,800 employees and 700 volunteers, Mission Health is dedicated solely to serving and improving the health and wellness of the people of Western North Carolina.

SOURCE Mission Health