At the ApolloMD Leadership Conference each year, we honor several exceptional physicians and advanced practice clinicians (APCs) for their outstanding dedication and extraordinary contribution to patient care. These clinicians are given a distinguished service achievement award. Prestigious honors, including Medical Director of the Year and Lead APC of the Year, are included, with peers joining in to applaud their achievements. This year, we are proud to recognize the following outstanding members of the ApolloMD team:

Medical Directors of the Year

Kyle Roedersheimer, MD

Atrium Health Union, Union West & Waxhaw – EM

“About three years ago, Dr. Roedersheimer stepped into the role of Medical Director, overseeing the opening of a new emergency department and guiding its ongoing expansion. His innovative approach has enhanced workflows and assisted the ED teams while his exceptional recruiting efforts have significantly increased clinicians as we continue to grow. Under his leadership, his team has excelled, achieving top metrics across the system and the hospital’s service line.

What truly stands out, however, is his recent focus on wellness, balancing the demands of being a leader, father, husband, and clinician, while encouraging all of us to do the same. His dedication has even inspired over 10 colleagues and friends to join him in running a half marathon this November in the Charlotte area. If anyone would like to join, feel free!

It’s my privilege to congratulate Dr. Roedersheimer as our Medical Director of the Year!”

Jeff Mullins, MD
Regional Vice President

John Winthers, DO

UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital – HM

“Jonathan Winthers at SwedishAmerican Hospital doesn’t shy away from difficult or unflattering data—instead, he takes full ownership of it and often comes with a solution, which is remarkable. He celebrates the team’s successes with a humble, servant-leader approach, always acknowledging their contributions. His administrators are always well aware of what his team has accomplished.”

John Sullivan, MD, SFHM
Chief Medical Officer, Hospital Medicine

Deval Patel, MD

Wellstar Health System – EM

“When asked to step into a leadership role, Dr. Deval Patel said yes, even though it meant leaving a practice where he had been Assistant Director for years and had built deep professional and personal relationships. He left that familiar environment to become the Medical Director at a hospital he had never even visited before. Dr. Patel leads by example, consistently competing with his Assistant Director to be the most efficient physician—not only in his hospital but across all the EDs in the system.”

Brett Cannon, MD, JD, MBA, FACEP
Divisional President

Christen Zuschke, MD

USA Health Providence Hospital

“After an extraordinary career marked by compassion, skill, and a tireless commitment to his patients, Dr. Zuschke is soon stepping into a well-deserved retirement. Known for his incredible bedside manner—sitting on the edge of the bed and holding hands as he spoke—he was adored by his patients.

A true master of his craft, Dr. Zuschke was fearless in the procedure room, brilliant in his diagnostics, and endlessly supportive of the team, always taking time to teach and assist without hesitation. He embodies what it means to be both a healer and an innovator. His legacy of kindness, intelligence, and mentorship will continue to inspire us all. Congratulations on a remarkable career and this well-deserved recognition!”

Ted Patras, MD
Divisional President

New Medical Directors of the Year

Phil Chapman, MD

Riverside Medical Center – EM

“There are three key qualities that truly set this Medical Director apart: performance, his unique path to leadership, and his emotional intelligence.

First, let’s talk about performance. His department has the highest patient experience and walkout scores in the company.

Second, his journey to leadership is remarkable. This individual didn’t start in medicine directly. He initially led a $30 million EMR company as a project manager and spent a significant amount of time in revenue cycle management (RCM) before deciding to pursue a career in medicine. After residency, his first job didn’t go as planned when his group collapsed. Luckily, we brought him on board, where he quickly rose from Assistant Medical Director, with a focus on EMS, to Medical Director. This week is particularly special because it marks his one-year anniversary in that role, and in such a short time.

Lastly, and most importantly, is his emotional intelligence. There’s a saying: ‘Hearing is an act of the senses, but listening is an act of will. And wisdom is the reward for a lifetime of listening.’ Dr. Phil Jackson embodies this wisdom. His ability to truly listen and lead with empathy is what makes him such a remarkable leader.”

Richard T. Benson II, MD
Regional Vice President

**Click here to learn more about Dr. Chapman’s journey. 

Selvana Takla, MD

UMass Memorial Health – Marlborough Hospital – HM

“We often emphasize that strong leadership on the ground is crucial to the success of our programs, and after just over a year, Dr. Takla has proven this by recruiting a full team of dedicated, full-time physicians. She has faced daily challenges head-on, navigating the complexities of managing travelers. Despite these hurdles, she has improved performance metrics across the board. Dr. Takla is not only a skilled physician and leader, but also a mother, wife, and friend who never gets a day off. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Takla for her outstanding representation of UMass.”

Ashley Varner, MD
National Medical Director, Hospital Medicine

Lead APCs of the Year

Charles Kitchens, FNP

Wellstar Spalding Regional Hospital

“I have known and worked with this lead APC since I started at our hospital in July 2014. He earned his leadership position around the same time as me, so we have grown together as leaders. There are many things I could talk about when asked about how he earned the honor of APC of the year. I could talk about his clinical knowledge. I could talk about how many new APCs he has guided and taught over the years. I could talk about how he consistently sees double the number of patients that his colleagues see. I could talk about his cool, collected, and mature demeanor in every situation. Although all these things are a big part of why he deserves this award, I believe there is one characteristic more than anything else that makes them all possible. Selflessness.

Since he became the lead APC, he has put the needs of our emergency department above all else. When we were short on staffing, he was doing 20-24 shifts per month to make sure our patients had the care they needed. He made sure there was not one day when we did not have enough APCs to see patients in a timely manner. Throughout this time, he kept a smile on his face as well as that cool and calm demeanor. He has been so dedicated to our department that many people in the community know him by name and see him as part of the community. It is this selflessness that I believe is the most important characteristic of a leader and he has epitomized this quality every day in our ED.”

Jehangir Pirzada, DO
Medical Director

Michael Schill, NP

St. Joseph’s University Medical Center 

“This lead APC is a powerhouse of hard work and medical knowledge. He had an extensive career before joining the team at St. Joe’s having worked as an ER nurse, paramedic, and 911 dispatcher. He was a stellar student with a 4.0 average in nursing school and a 3.82 in his DNP program. He joined our team in 2022 and quickly became a competent nurse practitioner in our department. It is hard to believe that this is his first job as an APN. He mastered skills with lightning speed and has really good clinical judgement (like, really good). He is always cool, calm, and collected. His work ethic is unparalleled. He teaches in his spare time and still finds time to spend with his wife and dogs. He is someone who was recognized as having the ability to lead and he took on our lead APC position. This was not an easy task. We are a facility that is new to APCs. As the team of APCs began to take shape, with most who were right out of school, he recognized the need for education. He began integrating the APCs and training them with monthly SIM labs. Today we have a team of competent, hardworking APCs and he is a big reason why this program is a success.”

Margie Langer, MD, FACEP
Medical Director

Robert Arledge, PA

Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital

“I am thankful for the opportunity to present this APC as Lead APC of the Year. he has been an instrumental member of the ER Leadership team. He fills in shifts when he cannot get shifts filled. He often takes the shifts that no one else is willing to take. He routinely meets with the hospital president, CNO, and COO on various projects. He steps in as needed for the medical director on various challenges. He is a selfless leader that puts his team, his shop, and his patients at the highest level.

He joined ApolloMD at our hospital in 2021 and assumed the role of Lead APC where he has made an enormous impact on the department and hospital as a whole. Upon arrival to our hospital, he acquired a relatively young, newer team and spent several months getting them additional training and experience. He began teaching the team better charting techniques, HALO (high acuity low opportunity) procedures, and efficiency in delivering care. He is an instructor / preceptor for our Post Graduate Program, where he conducts a rotation for our postgraduates and participates in our bi-weekly case presentations. In his ED, our post grads get a wealth of experience with HALO procedures, and they all have given him rave reviews about their time with him.”

Brian Doss, PA
Lead APC

Kaitlin Smith, PA

Grandview Medical Center 

“I have had the privilege of knowing this APC for the last 6 years. When I was just starting as a physician at our hospital, she was someone who I looked up to as I got settled, and I continue to look up to her and seek her counsel to this day. As I began to settle in, I discovered that she was pretty much the perfect ED clinician. She is punctual, efficient, clinically sound, and a fantastic teammate. Even before accepting a formal leadership role, she was viewed as a leader in our department. She is highly respected by physicians and APCs alike as well as by our hospital and corporate administration. As I transitioned into the medical director, one of the things that we felt like would strengthen our department was to give Kaitlin a formal leadership role and title. She is incredibly involved in our various ED initiatives… She has played a significant role in the development and improvement of our sepsis program, helping lead our department to the 98th percentile for septic shock patients receiving antibiotics within one hour of arrival, the results of which have led to a decrease in our sepsis in-hospital mortality. She has also participated in committees at the system corporate and hospital level that helped develop our current ED sepsis protocol. She represents our group of APCs and our group as a whole very well. I am proud she is on our team!”

Kevin Cope, DO
Medical Director

Dixie Peterson, NP

Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown and Northside Campus 

“Dixie Peterson is always present and readily available to support both the entire team and her individual APCs. With her vast experience, organization, and approachable nature, she serves as a trusted resource for both APCs and physicians. She is truly the glue that holds our entire HM team together.”

Ashley Varner, MD
National Medical Director, Hospital Medicine

Lead APC Rookies of the Year

Holly Loveland, NP

Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital 

“This APC stands out as an exemplary leader in our ED, where she excels as Lead APC. Her outstanding clinical skills and forward-thinking leadership have set a new benchmark for timely and efficient patient care. By spearheading improvements in our front-end processes, she has played a pivotal role in reducing LWBS rates and discharge LOS times. Her approach is both hands-on and inspirational; she leads by example, willingly taking on tasks herself before expecting others to follow suit. Holly’s commitment to excellence and her dedication to streamlining patient flow have earned her immense respect and admiration from her colleagues. Her intelligence, work ethic, and unwavering dedication to optimizing department efficiency make her not just a leader, but a cherished and respected member of our team.”

Ben Bowman, MD
Medical Director

Kayla Scott, FNP

North Okaloosa Medical Center

“This rookie lead APC remains a pillar of the ED. Our APC team is the strongest it has been in years. Kayla has rapport with the hospital administration and a solid grasp on the requirements to keep the ER running smoothly. I prefer working on the days she is there because I have full confidence in her care and ability to adapt to the various challenges that present each and every shift.”

Joshua Latham, DO

Above & Beyond Award

Ayaz Pathan, MD, MBA

Richard T. Benson II, MD

Mark Kastner, MD

“When we set out to expand our outreach a year and a half ago, we had one mission: to share our story. The work that this team does is important – the impact that we have as a company matters. This group is part of something bigger; and the individuals awarded have gone above and beyond, representing the very best of ApolloMD. I am so grateful to them and proud to be able to recognize them for their dedication, their leadership, and their immeasurable support.”

Sydney Hamm
Residency & Fellowship Outreach Coordinator

Join us in celebrating these incredible individuals! If you’re inspired to join a team of superstars and work alongside talented clinicians like these, please visit our Careers Page to explore exciting opportunities and start your journey with us today!