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For Fourth Consecutive Year, ChristianaCare President and CEO Dr. Janice Nevin Recognized as One of 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives

Jun 23, 2023

3 min

(WILMINGTON, Del. – June 22, 2023) For a fourth year in a row, Modern Healthcare has recognized ChristianaCare President and CEO Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH, as one of the nation’s 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives.


The publication praised her and ChristianaCare for the innovative work being done to extend the reach of the health system via new offerings, including Hospital Care at Home, ChristianaCare Business Health Solutions and Virtual Primary Care.


“Dr. Nevin has a bold, courageous and clear-eyed vision for the future of health care regionally and nationally,” said Nicholas Marsini, chair of the Board of Directors of ChristianaCare. “In service of our system’s vision of creating health together so that every person can flourish, she has committed ChristianaCare to transforming care delivery by aspiring to keep people healthy at home, radically simplify access and much more.”


Dr. Nevin has led ChristianaCare since 2014. Under her leadership the health system has experienced substantial growth and maintained a high level of quality and safe care. In addition to numerous other accolades, Healthgrades has continually recognized ChristianaCare as one of America’s Top 50 Hospitals, and Forbes has repeatedly called ChristianaCare one of the country’s best health systems to work for.


Modern Healthcare’s annual list of the most influential clinical executives honors currently or previously licensed clinicians in executive roles who are deemed by their peers and the senior editors of Modern Healthcare to be paving the way to better health through their executive responsibility, leadership qualities, innovation, community service and achievements inside and outside of their respective organizations.


“These executives are broadening access to care through expansion and embracing digital tools to make their operations more efficient and their patients more connected,” said Mary Ellen Podmolik, editor-in-chief of Modern Healthcare. “They also are tackling workforce challenges by developing strategies to attract newcomers to the field.


The complete list is included Modern Healthcare’s June 19 issue with awardee profiles available at www.modernhealthcare.com/50mostinfluential.


About ChristianaCare


Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, ChristianaCare is one of the country’s most dynamic health care organizations, centered on improving health outcomes, making high-quality care more accessible and lowering health care costs. ChristianaCare includes an extensive network of primary care and outpatient services, home health care, urgent care centers, three hospitals (1,299 beds), a freestanding emergency department, a Level I trauma center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a comprehensive stroke center and regional centers of excellence in heart and vascular care, cancer care and women’s health. It also includes the pioneering Gene Editing Institute.


ChristianaCare is nationally recognized as a great place to work, rated by Forbes as the 5th best health system to work for in the United States and by IDG Computerworld as one of the nation’s Best Places to Work in IT. ChristianaCare is rated by HealthGrades as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals and continually ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek and other national quality ratings. ChristianaCare is a nonprofit teaching health system with more than 260 residents and fellows. With its groundbreaking Center for Virtual Health and a focus on population health and value-based care, ChristianaCare is shaping the future of health care.


About Modern Healthcare


Modern Healthcare is the most trusted business news and information brand in the healthcare industry. Modern Healthcare empowers healthcare leaders and influencers to make timely and informed business decisions. To learn more or subscribe, go to www.modernhealthcare.com/subscriptions.


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Brian Levine, M.D., Named Chief Academic Officer and Intellectual Property Administrator

ChristianaCare announced Feb. 12 the promotion of Brian Levine, M.D., to chief academic officer, along with his appointment as intellectual property administrator. He will also continue in his role as designated institutional official. As chief academic officer and leader of ChristianaCare’s Department of Academic Affairs, Levine oversees 38 residency and fellowship programs encompassing 315 residents and fellows, along with the education and training of students across the continuum of medical education. He leads the continued growth and strengthening of ChristianaCare’s undergraduate and graduate medical education infrastructure, ensuring that ChristianaCare continues to prepare physicians to care for our community well into the future. In addition, Levine oversees physician assistant education and allied health educational programming, supporting workforce development and long-term community health needs. As the largest academic medical center between Philadelphia and Baltimore, ChristianaCare has been a hub of academic excellence for over a century. ChristianaCare is one of the largest community-based teaching hospital systems in the United States. ChristianaCare also serves as the Delaware Branch Campus for Sidney Kimmel Medical College and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. This unique program allows medical students to complete their third and fourth years of clinical rotations exclusively at ChristianaCare, providing a clear pathway to launch their medical careers in Delaware. Each year, 55 students participate in the Branch Campus program, with many continuing into ChristianaCare’s highly sought-after residency programs and remaining in Delaware to serve local communities. ChristianaCare is a destination of choice for medical students and residents because of its strong patient-centered culture, reputation for excellence, and diversity of clinical experiences that include urban and suburban campuses with a wide range of pathologies. In his newly expanded role as intellectual property administrator, Levine manages and enforces ChristianaCare’s intellectual property policy, ensuring fair and consistent application in alignment with applicable laws and regulations. He also leads the multidisciplinary committee responsible for guiding organizational decisions related to intellectual property valuation, commercialization strategies and revenue distribution. Levine brings deep experience in academic medicine, health system education and scholarly publishing to these responsibilities. An emergency physician, he led the development of widely used clinical reference guides published by the Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association. These pocket-sized tools — covering topics such as antibiotic stewardship, orthopedic injury management, and EKG interpretation — are used by thousands of emergency medicine residents worldwide. Levine has held leadership roles at ChristianaCare for nearly two decades. Since 2018, he has served as associate chief academic officer and designated institutional official. Previously, he was program director of the Emergency Medicine Residency program from 2012 to 2018 and associate program director from 2006 to 2012. Levine is a clinical professor of Emergency Medicine at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University and previously served as associate medical director for the LifeNet aeromedical transport program. He earned his medical degree from the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine and completed his emergency medicine residency at ChristianaCare.

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ChristianaCare Plans to Build Health Campus in Georgetown, Delaware

At a time when there is uncertainty about the future of heath care in the U.S., ChristianaCare is doubling down on its investments to expand access to care in Delaware. As part of $865 million in new investments in Delaware over three years that ChristianaCare announced last July, ChristianaCare today submitted a Notice of Intent to the Delaware Health Resources Board to develop a new health campus in Georgetown. The proposed campus will bring more comprehensive care closer to home for residents of Sussex County, an area experiencing rapid population growth and long-standing gaps in access to essential health services. Designed to Meet the Needs of a Growing Community Similar to ChristianaCare’s West Grove Campus in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania, and its upcoming campuses in Springfield and Aston in Delaware County, the new campus will feature a health center offering primary care, specialty care, behavioral health and other outpatient services and a neighborhood hospital with eight emergency beds and eight inpatient beds. This facility is designed to make it easier for residents to receive timely, high-quality care in their own community. “Sussex county is home to a growing and aging population and is designated by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) as a Medically Underserved Area,” said Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH, president and CEO of ChristianaCare. “This new campus will help close gaps in access by bringing high-quality, equitable and more convenient care directly into the community that needs it most. Our goal is simple: ensure that every Delawarean can access the care they need, in the right place at the right time.” Expanding Access While Strengthening Regional Care This new ChristianaCare campus will add local outpatient care, emergency and inpatient care, creating a closer network of services connecting residents to advanced specialty care at ChristianaCare’s regional hospitals. ChristianaCare is partnering with Emerus Holdings, Inc. with respect to the neighborhood hospital component. Emerus is the nation’s leading developer of this care delivery model, partnering in the operation of more than 45 acute care facilities nationwide. This partnership reflects ChristianaCare’s commitment to bringing nationally recognized, high-quality care to Delaware. “We are proud to continue our partnership with ChristianaCare to bring sustainable, compassionate and high-quality health care to the residents of Sussex County,” said Vic Schmerbeck, CEO of Emerus Holdings Inc. “Together, we are building a next-generation model of care designed around the needs of the community—today and for the future.” The 42,000-square-foot Georgetown campus is expected to open in late 2028. The campus is planned for 20769 DuPont Boulevard in Georgetown. The campus is estimated to cost $65.1 million. Planning for Today’s Demand and Tomorrow’s Growth ChristianaCare already offers a range of services in Sussex County—including primary care, specialty care, virtual care and home health and hospice services. However, Sussex and Kent counties are projected to see an 8% population increase by 2030, with a significant rise in residents age 65 and older. As demand for emergency, primary and specialty care grows, this new campus is designed to make care more local, more connected and more responsive to community needs. In addition, ChristianaCare will continue to explore opportunities to expand access to care in other areas of Delaware, including in Kent County.

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New Study Finds Most Patients Can Safely Continue Weight Loss and Diabetes Drugs Before Gynecologic Surgery

Most patients taking popular weight loss and diabetes medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy can safely continue them before gynecologic surgery, according to a new journal article from ChristianaCare published in Obstetrics & Gynecology. The review found that serious anesthesia risks linked to these drugs are uncommon for most patients and can usually be managed through individualized planning rather than stopping the medication. The paper is the first to take a focused look at glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, commonly called GLP-1 drugs, in gynecologic surgery. These medications were first approved to treat diabetes and are now widely used to support weight loss and metabolic health, which refers to how the body processes sugar and energy. “Our study shows that the evidence does not support routinely stopping these medications before surgery and that the actual risk is low for most patients,” said Michelle Pacis, M.D., MPH, senior author of the study and a minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon at ChristianaCare. Why these medications raised concerns GLP-1 drugs work in part by slowing how quickly the stomach empties. This helps patients feel full longer, but it also raises concerns for surgery. Doctors worry that food remaining in the stomach could increase the risk of aspiration, when stomach contents enter the lungs during anesthesia. Because of this, early recommendations often advised stopping GLP-1 medications before surgery. The ChristianaCare review found that this approach was largely based on caution rather than strong evidence. The authors reviewed data from multiple studies, including large patient groups, that examined outcomes in people taking GLP-1 drugs during procedures. While some studies showed higher amounts of stomach contents, aspiration events were rare and occurred at rates similar to patients who were not taking the medications. New guidance reflects a change in thinking Recent national guidance from several medical societies now recommends a more tailored approach. Most patients can continue GLP-1 medications before surgery. For patients with higher risk factors, such as significant stomach symptoms or known delayed digestion, simple precautions can reduce risk. These precautions may include a clear liquid diet for 24 hours before surgery or closer monitoring during anesthesia. A clear liquid diet includes fluids like water, broth and clear juices. “This shift recognizes both the benefits of these medications and the importance of patient-specific decision making,” Pacis said. Why this matters for gynecologic surgery Many gynecologic surgeries require patients to be positioned in ways that can affect breathing and circulation. At the same time, many patients needing these procedures also have obesity or diabetes, which can increase surgical risk. GLP-1 medications can improve blood sugar control and support weight loss, helping patients enter surgery in better overall health and enhance recovery. Stopping these drugs without a clear reason may work against those benefits. Practical steps to support patient safety The study outlines several strategies care teams can use when patients remain on GLP-1 medications. These include thoughtful anesthesia planning, careful monitoring of heart and lung function, and, in select cases, the use of ultrasound to check stomach contents before surgery. “The goal is not to ignore risk, but to manage it wisely,” Pacis said. “For many patients, continuing these medications supports safer surgery and better recovery.” The authors note that more research is needed, particularly studies focused specifically on gynecologic surgery. Still, the findings offer clarity for patients and clinicians navigating a rapidly changing area of care. “This review helps bring evidence and balance to an issue that has caused a lot of confusion,” Pacis said. “It supports keeping patients on therapies that benefit their health whenever it is safe to do so.”

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