Tower Health promotes two physicians to vice president

Tower Health has promoted two physicians to vice president. 

Tower Health, owner of Reading Hospital, said Dr. Charles Barbera has been named senior vice president and associate chief medical officer, effective Jan. 18 and Dr. John Derderian has been named vice president, Inpatient Medicine and Transition of Care Services, effective Feb. 1. 

Barbera will continue to serve as the physician administrative leader for Prehospital & Unscheduled Care, including providing clinical strategic direction and oversight for a diverse range of services, including Telehealth, Urgent Care, Tower Direct, and the Emergency Medicine Service Line. He will also provide administrative oversight for Infection Prevention and Epidemiology with concentration on engagement of physicians and advanced practice providers in collaboration with nursing to reduce variation in care, while improving clinical outcomes, according to a Tower Health statement. 

 Barbera will also provide leadership and direction for all Employee Health Services for Tower Health, focusing on maintaining the health and safety of the workforce. As associate chief medical officer, Barbera will support Dr. Suzanne Wenderoth, Tower Health’s interim chief medical officer, the statement said. 

Derderian will continue to serve as the physician leader for Hospitalist Services across the health system. He will also serve as the physician leader providing direction and oversight to clinical programs related to inpatient Care Pathways. 

He will collaborate with the chief medical and nursing officers, Clinical Documentation Improvement team, Physician Advisors, and Utilization Management to ensure physician and advanced practice provider documentation integrity supports the delivery of high-quality care and efficient utilization of healthcare services, according to Tower Health.  

Derderian will also oversee advances in Transitions of Care for patients recently discharged from a Tower Heath acute care facility who do not have a primary care provider or timely access to a provider.