Keith Doram, M.D., MBA, is a man of many passions. A devoted husband and father, he relishes family time. An involved church member, he enjoys Bible topic discussions and outreach activities. A commercial pilot and award-winning flight instructor, he is an accomplished aviator. Today Doram brings these passions, and his accomplished medical career, to his new position as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and vice president of Clinical Effectiveness at Adventist Health.

“The main purpose for the CMO is to put physician leadership into place at the senior level in the organization,” said Larry Dodds, senior vice president. Doram’s responsibilities include directing Quality, Accreditation and Clinical Decision Support from the corporate headquarters. “It’s important to have a physician on board when collaborating on patient safety and quality initiatives,” added Dodds.

One of Doram’s first objectives is to enhance physician leadership at every Adventist Health campus—physicians dedicated and passionate to ensuring quality care for all patients.

“Is there anything more important than quality of care?” he asked. “Our goal is to make sure that Adventist Health is known not only for its compassion, but also for excellence in quality care and safety for every patient, at every facility, in every community it serves.”

“Safety is first doing no harm. Quality is doing the right thing, the right way, all the time.” But, he said, “You can’t consistently achieve high performance without great organizational teamwork.”

To Doram, that teamwork is the daily collaboration of doctors, nurses and the entire health care team.

“Patients, physicians and nurses are the three most visible components of health care. Without all three, the safest quality care is not possible,” he said. Using an aviation analogy, he relates the relationship of passengers, pilots and flight attendants. “It’s the primary purpose of pilots and flight attendants to ensure passenger safety,” he added, referencing the similar mission of doctors and nurses.

One element Dr. Doram stresses is the importance of relationships. “Everyone is important,” he said. “You don’t accomplish anything noteworthy by yourself. It’s about leadership development and the mutual respect of the health care team.”

After many years as a clinical professor of medicine at Loma Linda University Medical School, Doram went back to school to study business. “Health care is a very important business—one of the largest industries in the United States,” he said. “I wanted to get my MBA to help me understand the world and language of business to effectively apply those principles in health care.”

“I was delighted to join the Adventist Health team,” he said. “We have a high and honored calling in fulfilling our mission of ‘Sharing God’s love by providing physical, mental, and spiritual healing.’”