Newswise — ALEXANDRIA, VA – The American Medical Group Association (AMGA) today announced that Howard B. Graman, M.D., FACP, has joined AMGA Consulting Services as Vice President. Dr. Graman joins AMGA’s consulting arm after decades of service in leadership positions at some of the most prominent healthcare organizations in the U.S.

Most recently, Dr. Graman was CEO of PeaceHealth Medical Group, a 900-provider multispecialty group with operations in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. He helped to lead the transformation of a nine-hospital healthcare system with regionally distinct medical groups into a single medical group with closer integration into the hospital system. For the five years prior to this position, he served as Chair of Primary Care and Regional Medicine at Carilion Clinic, in Roanoke, Virginia, as an integral part of Carilion’s senior management team. There he was engaged in transforming a traditional hospital system with employed physicians into a physician-led multispecialty “Clinic Model” organization.

Before being recruited to Carilion, Dr. Graman was at Cleveland Clinic, where he served in roles as Medical Director of Cleveland Clinic Strongsville, a family health and surgery center, and then as Executive Director of Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston.

Dr. Graman joined The University of Vermont (UVM) as a clinician educator in the division of general internal medicine in 1978 after completing his residency at the University of Michigan and serving two years in a medical shortage area as part of the National Health Service Corps. At UVM, his focus was in practicing and teaching medicine with a specific academic interest in the doctor-patient relationship. He helped create and taught in UVM medical school’s interviewing course and was instrumental in bringing the use of videotaped interactions into residency training. Dr. Graman has also trained physicians nationally to teach interviewing skills in their respective institutions and has served as a consultant for several large medical groups by providing seminars to their employed physicians on doctor-patient communication skills as a Fellow of the American Academy on Communication in Healthcare.

Dr. Graman also has a long history of involvement with AMGA. He served on the Board of Directors for many years, including serving as Chair in 2014.

“We are excited to welcome Howard to AMGA Consulting Services and look forward to the value he can provide to our members,” said Donald W. Fisher, Ph.D., CAE, AMGA president and chief executive officer and chair of the AMGA Consulting Services board of directors. “With his vast knowledge and experience, we anticipate he will prove to be an invaluable resource to medical groups and health systems throughout the country.”

About AMGA Consulting ServicesAMGA Consulting Services, LLC, assists healthcare organizations navigate the changing industry environment. AMGA Consulting Services assists clients build their organizational capabilities through effective governance, operational improvement, strategic alignment, talent management, and total rewards solutions. www.amgaconsulting.com About AMGAThe American Medical Group Association is a 501(c)(6) trade association representing medical groups, health systems, and other organized systems of care, including some of the nation's largest, most prestigious integrated delivery systems. AMGA is a leading voice in advocating for efficient, team-based, and accountable care. AMGA members encompass all models of organized systems of care in the healthcare industry, including: physician-owned, independent group practices, integrated delivery systems, hospital-affiliated medical groups, independent practice associations (IPAs), academic and faculty practices, accountable care organizations, and high-performing health systems. More than 170,000 physicians practice in AMGA member organizations, providing healthcare services for 120 million patients (one in three Americans). Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, AMGA is the strategic partner for these organizations, providing a comprehensive package of benefits, including political advocacy, educational and networking programs, publications, benchmarking data services, and financial and operations assistance. www.amga.org

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