Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) announced today the appointment of Varadarajan Subbiah, MD, MBA, FACP, CHCQM, as chief medical officer effective Oct. 1, 2018. In this position he will oversee the delivery of all medical services to meet ARMC’s health care goals.

Dr. Subbiah brings more than a decade of experience in internal medicine care, health care quality, and hospital operations to his new position. Prior to joining ARMC, he most recently served in several leadership roles at Christiana Care Health System, one of the country’s largest health care providers located in Wilmington, Delaware. These include Medical Director of Patient Access and Flow, Medical Director of Care Management, Senior Physician Advisor for Utilization Review, and Clinical Assistant Professor/Inpatient Hospitalist.

Prior to joining Christiana Care Health System, he was Director of Academic Programs for Crozer Hospitalists at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pennsylvania; and prior to that he was Attending Physician at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, consistently ranked as one of the top hospitals in the United States.

“Dr. Subbiah has superior experience in internal medicine, and a track record as a physician leader focused on improving quality and efficiency of a large health system,” said Hospital Director, William Gilbert. “Combined with his passion for education these qualities support ARMC’s commitment as a learning organization and we are honored to have him join our dedicated team.”

Dr. Subbiah earned his medical degree at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He completed his residency at Temple University Hospital, and is board certified in Internal Medicine. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from the University Of Massachusetts. He has presented at several medical conferences and special sessions, and last year authored “Effectiveness of Multiple Observation Units in Reducing Length of Stay,” which appeared in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.

Arrowhead Regional Medical Center’s (ARMC) Graduate Medical Education (GME) department is hosting a “Women in Medicine Rising Up,” event from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., on Thursday, Aug. 23, for faculty and resident physicians. The special guest speaker is Roozehra Khan, D.O., FCCP, Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, and an attending critical care physician in the Neurosurgical ICU.

A special lunch will be presented by ARMC Executive Chef Joe Eidem, recently selected for induction into the American Academy of Chefs, Culinary Hall of Fame for 2018. The luncheon will take place in the Oak Conference Room on the first floor of the hospital at 400 North Pepper Avenue, in Colton.

This event kicks off National Women in Medicine Month, designated for September by the American Medical Association, to celebrate the accomplishments of women in health care. Dr. Kahn, notably a former ARMC Internal Medicine resident and widely recognized blogger at www.thefemaledoc.com, will share challenges that women can face in the medical field. She will also highlight the progress women have made in this field.

According to a recent blog by Dr. Kahn, it is noted that for the first time in history female medical school matriculation rates have surpassed 50 percent, representing a greater number of females pursuing medical degrees. Approximately 50 percent of ARMC resident physicians are female.