Gilmer Rodriguez, MD, MPH, MMM, CPE, FACHE

Gilmer Rodriguez, MD, MPH, MMM, CPE, FACHE

Director, Post-Discharge Clinic and Transitional Care Programs, University of Chicago Medicine

Dr. Gilmer Rodriguez is an internationally recognized physician executive and Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Association of Physician Leadership. He holds a Certified Physician Executive certification, Master of Medical Management, and Master of General Preventive Medicine and Public Health. As the founder and Director of the University of Chicago Healthcare System's Post-Discharge Clinic and Transitional Care Programs, Dr. Rodriguez provides leadership and financial strategy to ensure patient-centered care, continuity of care, and population health management for patients discharged from the Medicine/Surgery and Specialties departments. His leadership has united internal and external stakeholders to provide resources, care coordination, data analytics, and financial management. Dr. Rodriguez's innovations have achieved the best clinic access scores for the organization and his network, and one of the highest readmission reduction rates nationally, with outcomes published in healthcare journals. He serves as an Assistant Professor of Medicine, speaks internationally, and consults organizations on transitional care. Previously, as the Clinic Director at Oak Street Health, he achieved high patient enrollment while maintaining exemplary scores in access, quality, effectiveness, and patient satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to relocating to Illinois, Dr. Rodriguez served as Chief Executive Officer at Lean Medical Services, PPLC, leading strategic financial decisions and operations across five acute care hospitals, an acute long term care facility, and telemedicine services for the State of Alabama. He achieved one of the lowest lengths of stay and readmission scores, improved quality scores, increased market share and profitability at the facilities. As Associate Chief of Staff for Acute Care, Specialties and Designated Educational Officer at Central Alabama VA Healthcare System, he led two acute care hospitals and multispecialty clinics serving 164,000 veterans across two States. Dr. Rodriguez established a regional VA Specialty Home model and achieved best scores in patient access, quality, and patient experience. He was a key leader to establish a partnership with the Department of Defense to share clinical services. Dr. Rodriguez led university Dean collaborations to established over 50 academic affiliations, securing accreditations and open new residency and trainee programs. As Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Alabama, he served on the Board of UAB-Montgomery campus and UAB Internal Medicine Health Center, contributing to leadership strategy, partnership and financial management. As Dean Advisor and Council member at the National University of Trujillo, he played a pivotal role in the reaccreditation of the Medical School. He has been honored the highest accolade bestowed by the university.

Dr. Rodriguez served as Chief of Academic Hospitalist Division at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma teaching hospital and Chairman of Academic Affairs for Continuing Medical Education. He transformed the Hospitalist Division into a financially sustainable entity, improving admissions and performance metrics, achieving lowest GMLOS and highest CMI with minimal diversion. He established Quality Programs for Academic Hospitalist Medicine Division and secured Continuing Medical Education Accreditation and contributed to the Residency and Fellowship Programs’ accreditations. As Chief Medical Officer at Southeast Arizona Medical Center, Dr. Rodriguez secured accreditations with commendations, obtained Critical Access Hospital designation, established a primary care clinic, and achieved financial stability. He developed partnerships, secured funding through grants, philanthropy and Senate support, supported Federally Qualified Health Centers, introduced University of Arizona Telehealth Program and medical programs, and co-founded Turning Point with city executives impacting the business, education and health of the community. Over the past two decades, Dr. Rodriguez has employed transformational and collaborative leadership to establish innovative visions, foster trust and collaboration, mentorship and align staff objectives with organizational goals, and secure institutional accreditations and recognitions.