PHILADELPHIA (December 17, 2015) – John A. “Drew” Ridge, MD, PhD, FACS, the chief of Head and Neck Surgery and Louis Della Penna Family Chair in Head and Neck Oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center – Temple Health has been elected President of the Medical Staff at the Center.
In his new role, Ridge will work with President and CEO Richard Fisher, MD and hospital administration to improve physician credentialing and privileging processes, and select physician representatives to committees that oversee patient safety and quality control.
“Drew has a longstanding interest in quality of care and he has an excellent reputation among his peers, which makes him uniquely qualified to be Medical Staff President,” said James Helstrom, MD, MBA, chief medical officer of Fox Chase Cancer Center. “I’m confident he’ll be very successful in taking on these responsibilities.”
Named one of the Best Doctors in America® for many years, Ridge is one of the leading voices in surgical oncology today. His extensive expertise in treating head and neck cancers has been recognized nationally and abroad. He has been co-chair of the National Cancer Institute Head and Neck Steering Committee, as well as president of the American Head and Neck Society and of the American Radium Society. He has held leadership positions in the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) and NRG cooperative groups.
“I’m honored by this sign of respect from my colleagues,” Ridge said. “I look forward to working with the medical staff at Fox Chase to implement the quality and safety structures that lead to better clinical outcomes.”