Leadership for Methodist Medical Group
George Williams, MD, MMM, FACEP, President, Methodist Medical Group
President, Methodist Medical Group
George Williams joined Methodist Health System in January 2016 as President of the Methodist Medical Group and Senior Vice President for Physician Services. Methodist Medical Group is the multi-specialty physician group affiliated with Methodist Health System and is comprised of 130 medical providers and over 450 total employees.
Under Dr. Williams’ leadership, Methodist Medical Group has reorganized its committee structure and closely aligned its strategic objectives with those of the Methodist Health System. The medical group endeavors to accentuate the system’s commitment to continuous quality improvement, patient experience, financial stewardship, innovation, employee engagement, and leadership development.
Dr. Williams was previously employed by the MultiCare Health System in Tacoma, Washington. He served as the senior physician executive providing operational, clinical, and strategic leadership for MultiCare’s Neurosciences, Surgery, Cancer, Women’s Health, and Cardiovascular Carelines.
Prior to 2011, Dr. Williams practiced emergency medicine with the St. Joseph Mercy Health System in southeast Michigan. Simultaneously, he was appointed to the Board of Emergency Physicians Medical Group and elected Chief of Staff at St. Joseph Mercy Saline Hospital. He has held multiple emergency department medical directorships and provided medical leadership for the Observation Unit and Chest Pain Center at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He also served in the U.S. Air Force Medical Corps.
His educational accomplishments include attending Baylor University, obtaining a medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine, and completing emergency medicine residency training at the University of Michigan. In 2010, he earned a Masters of Medical Management degree from the University of Southern California. Dr. Williams is board certified in Emergency Medicine and Administrative Medicine. He is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Association for Physician Leadership.
Maria Valdez-Pouwels, CPA, Chief Financial Officer
Maria Valdez-Pouwels, CPA, is a healthcare executive with more than 20 years of healthcare operational and financial experience. Maria’s finance and operational leadership have resulted in her attracting and holding key positions for multi-state healthcare companies which include Vice President of Physician Operations and Physician Group CFO. Maria has also served as a consultant for the nation’s premier healthcare management consulting firm and has served as an independent consultant for various organizations. Maria’s background in physician alignment and regulatory healthcare compliance, has assisted corporate executives and physician leadership in the implementation of their physician employment strategy. With a wealth of financial and operational health care knowledge and experience, Maria understands both the finance and operations that drives and impacts the performance critical to the success of a healthcare organization and what needs to be done to assist the organization, their leaders, providers and staff to work together effectively to respond to these and other challenges. Her passion is helping health care organizations and their leaders manage with quality and compliance while improving their bottom line.
Stephanie Sturgin, MHA,Vice President of Operations
Stephanie Sturgin, MHA, has more than 20 years of healthcare administration experience. She obtained her Bachelor degree from Texas A & M University and her Masters’ of Healthcare Administration from Texas Woman’s University. Prior to joining Methodist Medical Group, Stephanie worked through many levels of administration from managing large private practices to directing operations for a multispecialty practices of more than 400 providers. Most recently, she was the Director of Operations for the Continental Division of HCA Physician Services Group in Denver, Colorado and Wichita, Kansas, Markets. Stephanie believes strongly in the virtue of servant leadership, and sees her role as vice president of operations for Methodist Medical Group as one that removes barriers to success. Stephanie has been married to her husband, Chamberlain, since 2002, and they are the parents of one son, Liam.
Jae Schmidt, MBA, Vice President of Business Development
Jae Schmidt, MBA, comes to MMG from HCA Healthcare/Medical City Healthcare where he served as the director of development for HCA North Texas’ Physician Services Group, and previously as the vice president of Neurosciences, Orthopedics, and Rehabilitation Services across HCA’s 10 hospital system including 4 comprehensive and 6 primary stroke centers. Under his leadership the medical group tripled in size across numerous key programs including neurosciences, orthopedics, cardiology, transplant and women’s services.
Before his recruitment to HCA North Texas, Jae worked at Emory University School of Medicine from 1998-2013 and was accountable for the operations and financial performance for several progressively larger departments culminating in the executive leadership of the Department of Neurosurgery and Emory’s MBNA Stroke Center – a program consistently ranked among the top-20 in the United States. While in Atlanta he also started a European bicycle import business that was highlighted by CNN, WSJ, and was included in Atlanta Magazine’s annual “Best of Atlanta” awards.
Jae earned his bachelor’s degree from Goucher College in Baltimore, MD and his MBA from Emory University in Atlanta, GA.
Michael Marshall, MD, FAAP, FACP, Chief Medical Officer
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Stephen Mueller, MD, Medical Director, Specialty Care
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Brian Jones, MD, Associate Chief Medical Officer
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Tracy Giacoma, RN, MSN, MBA, FACHE, Vice President of Transplant Services
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Paulita Barron-Velasquez, MBA, Regional Director, Primary Care
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Nishu Wadhawan, MBBS, MBA, Regional Director, Specialty Care
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Robert Davis, MBA, Regional Director, Primary Care
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Ruth Barclay, Marketing Director
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Tim Gee, Director of Finance
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Scott Harris, Director of Virtual Care
Scott Harris joined Methodist Medical Group in April 2020 as the Director of Virtual Care. He obtained his Bachelor or Arts in Business Administration from the University of Mississippi and a masters of Business Administration specializing in healthcare administration from the University of Alabama Birmingham. Prior to joining Methodist Medical Group, he led several virtual care expansion and growth initiatives. He also helped develop, implement and build a multi-faceted comprehensive telemedicine program for CHISTUS Health. His cumulative experience allows him to engage process owners through hands-on support and guidance to unleash innovation and implement proven best practices resulting in a more coordinated, efficient, quality-driven care delivery system. Scott has been married to his wife Mary since 2011, and they are the proud parents of three girls - Allie, Arden and Eleanor.