Newswise — Thomas Savides, MD has been named as the first Chief Experience Officer at UC San Diego Health System. In the newly created role, Savides will be responsible for the strategy, leadership and implementation of the plan to improve the total health care experience of patients, families, providers and staff.

“At UC San Diego Health System, we recognize that engaged employees drive the patient experience and understand that every encounter we have with patients and their loved ones influences their perceptions of the care we deliver, the compassion we show and the value we provide,” said Paul Viviano, CEO, UC San Diego Health System. “We are excited to have Dr. Savides champion employee engagement and patient experience so that we can exceed our patients’ expectation in everything we do.”

Savides is tasked with helping to develop and lead a cultural transformation that results in new levels of patient care excellence that are grounded in innovative health care programs. He will motivate and inspire employees to continually strive for service excellence while promoting a culture where patient service and satisfaction are top of mind and continuously improved.

In 1993, Savides joined the UC San Diego Division of Gastroenterology. He is a nationally recognized expert in interventional gastrointestinal endoscopy, and currently serves as professor of clinical medicine, vice-chair of strategic affairs for the Department of Medicine, and clinical services chief in the Division of Gastroenterology. During his tenure at UC San Diego Health System, Savides has served in other leadership positions including chair of Health Sciences Faculty Council, member of the UC San Diego Medical Group Board of Governors, interim chief of Gastroenterology and GI clinical services chief.

Through his demonstrated expertise in leading organizational and cultural change, Savides will help to ensure that service excellence practices are sustained and remain highly visible to all employees, physicians and volunteers across the Health System enterprise.

Savides completed his internal medicine and gastroenterology training at UCLA Medical Center after receiving his medical degree from UC San Diego School of Medicine and undergraduate degree from Harvard College. Savides has authored more than 175 publications including original research articles, invited reviews, books, chapters and videos. He has been a governing board member of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and president of the San Diego Gastroenterology Society.

He consistently is named a “Top Doc" in San Diego Magazine’s “Physicians of Exceptional Excellence" annual survey performed in collaboration with the San Diego County Medical Society, as well as U.S. News & World Report’s “Top Doctors” in gastroenterology in the United States. He is a two-time recipient of UC San Diego Health System’s Attending Physician of the Year Award, and also received UC San Diego Health Sciences’ Faculty Award for Excellence in Clinical Care.

UC San Diego Health SystemIn operation since 1966, UC San Diego Health System is the region’s only academic health system and is dedicated to delivering outstanding patient care through commitment to the community, groundbreaking research and inspired teaching. Ranked #1 in San Diego for the fourth consecutive year in 2014 in U.S. News & World Report’s metro ranking, it comprises UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest (recipient of the Everest Award in 2012 from Truven Health Analytics), and UC San Diego Thornton Hospital, Moores Cancer Center (one of only 41 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the country and the first and only San Diego-based National Comprehensive Cancer Network® Member Institution), Shiley Eye Center, Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center (named one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals for 2013 by Truven) and Jacobs Medical Center (opening 2016) in La Jolla, as well as other primary and specialty practices located throughout Southern California. To learn more about the UC San Diego Health System, visit: health.ucsd.edu