Nationally Regarded Physician Leader to Join UM Capital Region Health as Chief Medical Officer

Cheverly, MD (May 23, 2018) – Joseph L. Wright, MD, MPH, FAAP has been named the new Senior Vice President & Chief Medical Officer for University of Maryland Capital Region Health, effective September 10. After a national search, Wright was selected to join the senior executive team to champion the overall clinical vision, direction and partnership with medical staff across UM Capital Region Health. He is expected to help drive the mission of the organization to provide state-of-the-art clinical care and community leadership with compassion while meeting the highest standards of patient safety.

Wright most recently served as Professor and Chairman of Pediatrics at the Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, DC. He previously served as Senior Vice President within the Children's National Health System, where he provided strategic leadership for the organization's advocacy mission, public policy positions, community partnership initiatives, and served as founding director of the Child Health Advocacy Institute.

"I am thrilled to have Dr. Wright join us in this critical role in service to our patients," says Sherry B. Perkins, PhD, RN, FAAN, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "Dr. Wright has a keen understanding of UM Capital Region having served as a member of the board of directors for the past two years. His experience and leadership acumen for a large, academically-affiliated, complex healthcare delivery system will propel us to greater heights."

Wright maintains adjunct appointments as professor of emergency medicine and health policy and management at the George Washington University Schools of Medicine and Public Health. He also holds an appointment as professor of family science at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. Wright served 17 years as the state pediatric medical director within the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems, in addition to eight years as principal investigator and medical director of the federally-funded Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) National Resource Center.

"I have tremendous respect for UM Capital Region Health and anticipate joining a talented and dynamic team that is poised to offer premiere health care in Prince George's County and throughout the southern Maryland region," says Wright. "Having served as a board member, I know first-hand the excellent and high-quality care that the community can expect going forward."

Currently, Wright is chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Pediatric Emergency Medicine after having served as inaugural chair of the AAP Violence Prevention Subcommittee. He is also currently chairing the AAP Task Force on Addressing Bias and Discrimination.

Wright has been recognized throughout his career for his advocacy work highlighted by receipt of two lifetime achievement awards from the American Academy of Pediatrics for distinguished contributions to the disciplines of injury prevention and emergency medicine, respectively. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Shining Star Award from the Los Angeles-based Starlight Foundation for outstanding service to communities of color and was recently named by National Medical Association as an honoree in its inaugural salute to outstanding African Americans in Medicine.

Wright earned a B.A. from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, his M.D. from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and a Masters of Public Health in Administrative Medicine and Management from the George Washington University.

About University of Maryland Capital Region Health

Providing primary and specialty health care services to Prince George's County and the neighboring area, University of Maryland Capital Region Health was established in September 2017 upon the formal affiliation of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) and the former Dimensions Healthcare System. University of Maryland Capital Region Health operates the University of Maryland Prince George's Hospital Center in Cheverly, University of Maryland Laurel Regional Hospital, University of Maryland Bowie Health Campus, and the University of Maryland Family Health & Wellness Center in Suitland. University of Maryland School of Medicine (SOM) faculty direct several University of Maryland Capital Region Health clinical programs, including anesthesiology, critical care, emergency medicine, neonatology, orthopedics and vascular surgery, and the State's second-busiest Trauma Center. University of Maryland School of Medicine faculty also lead the highly-regarded cardiac surgery program at UM Prince George's Hospital Center. A new state-of-the-art regional medical center is expected to open in Largo in 2021. For more information, visit http://www.umcapitalregion.org/