Gottschalk named CMO for three Seton hospitals

Who: Dr. Amy Gottschalk, 48

New role: Chief medical officer of Ascension's Seton Medical Center Austin, Seton Northwest Hospital and Seton Southwest Hospital, all in Austin, Texas. She replaces Dr. David Martin, who was promoted to CMO of Ascension Texas in August, which includes Seton Healthcare Family and Providence Healthcare Network in Waco.

Background: Gottschalk most recently was CMO of Verde Medical Center in Sedona, Ariz. Previously she was VP of quality at Northern Arizona Healthcare, which includes Verde.

Mentoring new physicians: Seton has partnered with the University of Texas at Austin's Dell Medical School to team medical students up with practicing physicians so they can gain clinical experience. The system is also currently constructing Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas, which will open in May. “The hope is to grow the physicians and then they will stay and do their residency here and serve our community,” she said.

Focus on technology: Seton recently pilot-tested Poli, a robot that assists staff with nonclinical tasks such as assembling packages and delivering supplies. The system has also amped up telehealth services. “As healthcare around the nation is transforming, technology is a critical piece of that transformation,” Gottschalk said.