In this episode Scott Becker interviews Dr. Zeyad Baker.

Zeyad Baker, MD is President and Chief Executive Officer of ProHEALTH Care, the largest, independent, physician-run healthcare organization in the Northeast. Dr. Baker previously served as Co-President of Riverside Medical Group, where from 2010 until 2018, he built the practice to almost 300 providers with 100 locations. Under Dr. Baker’s leadership, Riverside Medical Group was recognized as the best deliverer of value-best care in the state of New Jersey, winning extensive awards and commendations for quality of care, patient access and measurable improvements in the health of the patient population.  Riverside Medical Group became an Optum Partner in 2016.

Prior to joining the Riverside Medical Group, Dr. Baker was an attending physician in Pediatrics at Hackensack University Medical Center. Coupled with his responsibilities as a physician, Dr. Baker was the Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), teaching medical students and pediatric residents. In addition to his teaching role at Hackensack University Medical Center, he has also held teaching positions as the Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Rutgers Medical School and Columbia University.  Dr. Baker has taught over 1,000 medical students and residents in primary care.

After graduating from Georgetown University, Dr. Baker attended medical school at Ross University. He completed his residency in pediatrics at UMDNJ, receiving the highest honors and recognition given to pediatricians in residency training through the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Award for Humanism and Excellence in Teaching, and twice receiving the prestigious Golden Apple Award, an honor bestowed by a medical school’s student body upon the doctors most recognized for their excellence in teaching.

Dr. Baker has been asked to present at numerous prestigious speaking engagements including the Harvard Club at “The Future of Healthcare Transformation”. He is also the youngest physician to be appointed to the highest governing board in New Jersey, The New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners. Dr. Baker has received multiple awards while a practicing physician including the New Jersey Top Doc award, the Compassionate Doctor Award, and the Patient Choice Award. Throughout his career, Dr. Zeyad Baker has managed over 1,000 physicians and has brought together a rare combination of clinical, academic and operational experience to successfully lead two substantial organizations, where the patient is the top priority.

Since taking the helm of ProHEALTH Care in July, 2018, as the new President and CEO, Dr. Baker has launched a bold agenda of patient-centered reforms destined to transform the healthcare system.  In his first year, he has brought forward plans, which include a forward-thinking schedule of key initiatives designed to dramatically improve patient care, create an entirely new paradigm for the healthcare and patient experience, and make healthcare significantly more accessible than ever before.  Some of these innovations already launched include:

- Creating the longest hours open for primary care services in the northeast through the Extended Hours Center, which along with ProHEALTH Care’s primary care services, provide continual access to medical care 365 days a year, 7 days a week

- Creating the Care Coordination Center, a telemedicine approach that will provide patients with access to their providers on critical matters such as appointments, referrals, prescription refills, and medical questions answered 7 days/week, 24 hours a day.

- Launching The Parenting Lounge, the first health system integrated, free prenatal and post-natal series of family educational programs in the Northeast dedicated to providing all families with the critical knowledge to support their children’s healthy beginnings.