Dr. Steven Spencer, MD, MPH named Onslow Memo­r­i­al Hospital’s First Chief Med­ical Officer

ONSLOW COUNTY, N.C. - Onslow Memorial Hospital (OMH) is pleased to announce its first Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Steven Spencer, MD, MPH. As Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Spencer will serve to enhance physician engagement and promote collaboration across the continuum of patient care delivery. The addition of the CMO will bring a new clinical perspective to the hospital’s vision and strategy, which will drive quality outcomes, enhance service line growth and transform the delivery of patient care at OMH.

“The addition of Dr. Steven Spencer to the OMH Leadership Team is a long awaited one,” said OMH President and CEO, Dr. Penney Burlingame Deal, DHA, RN, FACHE. “We searched for months, in concert with our medical staff leadership and with the assistance of our incredible partners with UNC Health for the ideal candidate. Our goal was to find a dedicated physician leader who could represent the medical staff on important organizational and community issues. Given Dr. Spencer’s background in population health, and his passion for quality improvement projects, not to mention his pleasant demeanor, I am excited at the opportunities that he will bring to our organization for the benefit of our medical staff and community at large. He’s an incredible asset to our Team.”

Dr. Spencer brings nearly two decades of experience as an internal medicine physician with a passionate dedication to public health. His physician leadership experience includes population health, telehealth, quality improvement and clinical technology. He most recently served as the Director of Population Management for Abington - Jefferson Health in Pennsylvania, as well as, Associate Medical Director for Delaware Valley Accountable Care Organization, and practiced Internal Medicine at Internal Medicine Associates of Abington. Dr. Spencer is excited about OMH and our community here in Southeastern North Carolina. While most of his time will be spent serving in his administrative duties, he will continue to practice as an internal medicine physician in both the inpatient and outpatient setting.

“I was looking for an opportunity with an institution that has established success with quality of care and clinical management of patients, but also where I can be instrumental in improvements, growth, and expanding capabilities.” said Dr. Spencer. “Community outreach has always been a big focus of mine. Proper education about healthcare and improving the health literacy of our communities is very important to me.”

Onslow Memorial Hospital’s affiliation with UNC Health is something Dr. Spencer holds in high regard. Their vision and work in the areas of population health, quality improvement and health equity, among others, align with his areas of passion and expertise. He is looking forward to collaborating with the other Chief Medical Officers across the UNC Health system.

“Dr. Spencer is an important addition to the Onslow Memorial Hospital Medical Staff team,” said Michael Josilevich, MD. “Steven’s knowledge, experience and insights will be critical for us to achieve our objectives in providing quality healthcare to our patients in Onslow County. He is uniquely qualified to bridge the gap between public health and health care, ensuring greater alignment between our community and hospital, in addition to serving as a key liaison to clinicians and clinical leaders across our community.”

“Healthcare is a dynamic and complex enterprise which requires multi-disciplined executive leadership,” said Mr. Pat Alford, OMH Board Chair. “Physician executives need to be involved in the core processes that drive the success of healthcare organizations, and adding a Chief Medical Officer to the Executive Team at Onslow Memorial Hospital is an important step in ensuring that we adapt successfully to emerging strategic trends in health care as they relate to our community. Dr. Spencer brings a multitude of skills, knowledge and experience to this role. We are excited to see this come to fruition with the addition of Dr. Spencer to the hospital's leadership team.”

Dr. Spencer completed his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology at Brown University and Medical Degree at Brown Medical School in Providence, Rhode Island. He also completed his Master’s Degree in Public Health focusing on Health Care Management at the Harvard School of Public Health. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at Temple University Hospital. He has a Master’s in Health Informatics Certificate from Drexel University. Dr. Spencer is board certified in Internal Medicine, and a fellow in the American College of Physicians. In addition, Dr. Spencer will soon complete a Master’s in Business Administration, Health Care Management from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.