Thomas McNamara, DO, Takes The Helm at Carilion Stonewall Jackson Hospital

Dr. McNamara is the first physician to serve as President/CEO of CSJH

LEXINGTON, Va. (April 1, 2008) Thomas McNamara, DO, a family physician serving the Shenandoah Valley region for more than 15 years, has been named President and CEO of Carilion Stonewall Jackson Hospital (CSJH). He replaces Steve Arner, who has been appointed Vice President of Cardiac and Vascular Services for Carilion Clinic, CSJH’s parent organization.

McNamara joined Carilion Family Medicine, Associated Physicians in Waynesboro in 1992, serving as regional Medical Director for the Carilion Medical Group. In addition to his medical degree from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, McNamara holds a BA in economics from Columbia University, and a Masters degree in Medical Management (MMM) from Carnegie Mellon University.

“It’s not easy to pull yourself off the front lines of medicine in mid-career”, McNamara says. “But I like looking at the big picture, and medicine is facing major challenges. It is important for physicians to take a leadership role and work toward solutions that are in the best interests of our patients and communities.”

McNamara believes CSJH is well-positioned to move in that direction. His association with the hospital dates back to 1992, when he worked part-time in the Emergency Department of the old Stonewall Jackson Hospital facility.

“The hospital has made impressive advancements since those days”, McNamara says. “I’m pleased to be working with people who are so committed to their patients. We will continue working together to focus on our core services. I want our community to know that they will receive the highest quality OB, orthopedic, surgical, pediatric and general medical care right here at home.”

McNamara believes his years of experience in family medicine will be helpful in the hospital’s ongoing relationship with the region’s physicians.

“I look at the hospital as a resource for physicians, not a rival,” McNamara says. “A patient’s primary care physician should be their medical ‘home’. The hospital is here to support those physicians, working with them in the patient’s best interest.”

McNamara is used to being in the middle of things. He played center on the Columbia University football team during all four undergraduate years. It was football that actually led him to first consider a career in osteopathic medicine, when a DO successfully treated a nagging shoulder injury.

“I was interested in how he worked, and impressed with how much the treatment helped me. It made me think about a career in family medicine as an Osteopath,” he says.

McNamara’s first day on the job is April 1, 2008. Though he will leave the Carilion Family Medicine practice in Waynesboro, Dr. McNamara hopes to continue seeing patients on a limited basis. He plans to work some weekend and off-hour shifts as a Hospitalist at CSJH, hoping to keep his focus on patient care, from the President’s office all the way to the bedside.