Good Samaritan Hospital, part of HCA Healthcare's Far West Division, has named Klaus Thaler, MD, MBA, as its new chief medical officer. In this role, Thaler will oversee patient safety and quality, regulatory compliance, development and implementation of innovative clinical programs, and physician relations. As a member of the executive leadership team, he will also assist with network development and serve as the liaison between hospital administration and the medical staff.
"I am pleased to welcome Dr. Thaler to Good Samaritan," said Joseph DeSchryver, chief executive officer of Good Samaritan Hospital. "He has the right mix of clinical and administrative experience to lead our efforts of continuous improvement to the high-quality care provided to our patients."
Dr. Thaler comes to Good Samaritan from HCA Healthcare's LewisGale Regional Health System in Salem, Virginia, where he has served as chief medical officer since January 2018. Prior to this position, Dr. Thaler served in a range of roles including as chief medical officer for Houston Methodist Healthcare East; as chairman of surgery for the Western Connecticut Health Network/Norwalk Hospital System; and as director of gastrointestinal surgery and professor of surgery at the University of Missouri. During his tenure with Western Connecticut Health Network, Dr. Thaler served as the physician champion representing the system in the Northeastern Purchasing Coalition and as executive director for the Cancer Network Service Line.
Among his achievements in these roles were leading the development and improvement of quality and safety programs, growth and integration of clinical service lines, cost savings initiatives, creation and implementation of three robotic programs and translational research of minimal invasive surgical devices.
Dr. Thaler earned his medical degree at the University of Vienna Medical School in Vienna, Austria, and completed his master of business administration at the University of Massachusetts. He is fellowship trained in minimally-invasive gastrointestinal surgery and is board certified by the American Board of Surgery.