Dr. John Findley is a Board Certified Family Medicine Physician practicing full time since 1999 in the picturesque Aspen Valley of Colorado. He was first introduced to the principles of Planetree during his medical training in the early 1990’s. He joined the Planetree team as a Physician Consultant in the spring of 2009 and has had the unique opportunity to work intensely with the administrative teams and medical staffs of Planetree Affiliated Hospitals across the United States. His passion is helping physicians bridge the gap between competence and compassion at the bedside by making the principles of Planetree relevant to the physicians’ world. He believes physicians that take a mindful approach at the bedside, paradoxically, gain a greater sense of meaning and purpose in the increasingly hectic and unforgiving world of medicine.
His presentation explores the domains of patient centered care not only from the perspective of patient experience and quality but also that of physician wellbeing. The dialogue focuses on a developing a skill-set for compassionate care by exploring a right-minded approach to the physician-patient relationship, the cornerstone of patient centered care.
Additionally, he is currently the Medical Director of the Health Quest Wellness Services at Valley View Hospital and the HMR Weight Loss Clinic. Together with a team of inspired individuals he has created a unique Wellness program that inspires individuals to become actively engaged in their own health. He shares his passion for cooking with a series of healthy cooking classes, and also writes a monthly newsletter aimed at getting people to think about all elements of their lives that contribute to finding balance and happiness. As a physician, he believes if he can inspire just one person at a time to push harder towards their own personal best then he has done his job.
Dr. Kurt Schlegelmilch was appointed to the position of Director, VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System (VASNHCS), Reno, Nevada, in October 2004.
As Director, Dr. Schlegelmilch is the chief executive officer, responsible for leading and guiding an integrated system providing primary and secondary care across a large geographical area that includes 21 counties in northern Nevada and northeastern California. Approximately 120,000 veterans reside in the region, with Reno representing the largest urban area. The Reno campus is the site of the Ioannis A. Lougaris VA Medical Center, which operates 64 hospital beds and 60 Community Living Center beds. During FY 10, VASNHCS provided care to over 28,000 unique patients, which accounted for approximately 347,000 outpatient visits, while treating more than 4,000 inpatients. The organization was recognized for providing world class care and service to America’s Heroes through receiving the 2010 HealthInsight Quality Award.
VASNHCS has an operating budget of more than $209m and employs approximately 1075 employees. It provides a broad array of inpatient care and outpatient services in medicine, surgery, neurology, mental health, pharmacy, interventional cardiology and radiology, geriatrics, alcohol/drug treatment, ophthalmology, audiology/speech pathology, dental care, and home care. Tertiary and unique specialty care not available within VASNHCS is supported through a variety of means, including referrals to community hospitals and VA Medical Centers (VAMC) in San Francisco and Palo Alto, CA. Access to outpatient primary and mental healthcare is also available through community clinics: the VA Sierra Foothills Outpatient Clinic (Auburn, CA), the VA Carson Valley Outpatient Clinic (Minden, NV), the VA Lahontan Valley Outpatient Clinic (Fallon, NV), the VA Diamond View Outpatient Clinic (Susanville, CA), and the VA Rural Outreach Clinic (Winnemucca, NV). The major academic affiliations for VASNHCS are the University Of Nevada School Of Medicine, Reno, and the East Bay Surgical Program at the University of California, San Francisco. The VASNHCS Research program has 36 active projects in neurology, oncology, surgery, cardiology, pulmonary medicine, and pharmacy.
Dr. Schlegelmilch, more commonly known as Dr. Kurt, came to Reno following seven years of service as the VAMC Director at Grand Junction, Colorado. The facility also served as the headquarters and annual host for the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic. Under Dr. Schlegelmilch’s leadership, the VAMC was recognized for excellence by earning the 1999 VA Robert W. Carey Quality Award Trophy. On August 3, 2001, the organization also accepted the 2001 Presidential Award for Quality, being the first VA Medical Center and only the ninth federal agency to ever receive this prestigious recognition.
Prior positions include Chief of Staff at the Anchorage VA Medical & Regional Office Center from July 1994 to September 1997; Associate Chief of Staff for Ambulatory Care at the VA Medical Center in Reno, Nevada, from November 1990 to July 1994; and Chief Medical Officer of the Satellite VA Outpatient Clinic in Toledo, Ohio, where he first joined the Department of Veterans Affairs in July 1989. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Dr. Schlegelmilch served as a Captain in the USAF Medical Corps, where he held several clinical leadership positions at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, between July 1986 and July 1989.
Having completed his medical doctorate in 1983 at the State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Medicine, Dr. Schlegelmilch went on to internship and residency training in Internal Medicine at the University of Nevada. Dr. Schlegelmilch has been certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine since 1986 and earned his Board Certification in Healthcare Management through the American College of Healthcare Executives in May 1999. He is an active member of the American College of Physician Executives and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He is a graduate of Leadership VA 2000, and a life member of the Leadership VA Alumni Association.
Dr. Schlegelmilch has accepted numerous awards and honors including the VA Scissors Award and the Under Secretary for Health’s Patient Safety Improvement Award. He has twice been honored with the distinction of receiving former Vice-President Gore’s prestigious National Performance Review Hammer Award for his contributions to building a government that works better and costs less.
Dr. Schlegelmilch resides in Reno, NV, with his wife Moira. They have two grown sons.
Dr. Dael Waxman is the Medical Director, Behavioral and Integrative Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina. Dr. Waxman also hold the position of Associate Professor of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina.
In 2010 Dr. Waxman was elected to the Academy of Educators, University of North Carolina School of Medicine. In 2009 Dr. Waxman received the Spirit of Planetree, Physician Champion Award, Carolina Medical Center- Mercy.
Dr. Steven Horowitz
Steven F. Horowitz M.D. is a graduate of New York Medical College and did his medical residency at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. A popular, coming of age, non-fiction book entitled “Calling Dr. Horowitz” was published while Dr. Horowitz was still a resident in training. The book later served as the basis for the 20th Century Fox movie “Bad Medicine”. Dr. Horowitz did a Cardiology Residency and Research Fellowship at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City and became Director of Stress Testing and Nuclear Cardiology from 1979 to1988. He returned to Beth Israel as Chief of Cardiology from 1988 to 2002, where he introduced Cardiac PET imaging to New York City and opened a center with Dr. Dean Ornish for the prevention and treatment of coronary disease using intensive lifestyle change. In 1998, Dr. Horowitz created a Master’s program in integrative medicine, which he co-administered with Dr. Bernie Siegel. Since 2002, Dr. Horowitz has served as Cardiology Chief at Stamford Hospital in Connecticut and is a Professor of Clinical Medicine at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Horowitz is the longest serving member of the Planetree Board of Directors and in 2007 received the Spirit of Planetree Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2009, he opened the Center for Integrative Medicine and Wellness at Stamford Hospital. Dr. Horowitz has authored more than 200 scientific publications including articles, abstracts, book chapters, technical books and proceedings and has appeared on numerous Best Doctor lists over the years with multiple listings in Castle Connelly, Marquis Who’s Who, Best Doctor’s in America and New York Magazine.
Dr. Dorothea Wild
Dr. Dorothea Wild is board certified in Internal Medicine and Preventive Medicine. Dr. Wild works at Griffin Hospital in Derby, CT., overseeing eight hospitalists, three out-patient practices, and one integrative medicine center. As Chief Hospitalist at Griffin, Dr. Wild improved physician-patient communication scores. Dr. Wild is the Co-Director of Griffin stroke program. Planetree is honored to work with Dr. Wild as the Consultant for Planetree International for physician engagement, a member of Planetree’s Patient-Centered Care Advisory Council, and the recipient of the Planetree Physician Champion Award 2010.