DOM LEADERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT

Brandon Darrington named Vice President of Internal Medicine and Executive Administrator

Dear colleagues,

The Department of Medicine is pleased to announce that, after an extensive search, Brandon Darrington, MPH, MHA, CLSSGB, CCCM, FACHE, has been named Vice President for Internal Medicine/Executive Administrator for Clinical Affairs and Administration.

Working closely with the Physician Division and Department of Medicine leadership, Brandon will also plan and develop operational budgets, direct financial planning and analysis, and oversee the EHC compensation component of physician compensation and deployment for all internal medical specialties. He will report directly to Penny Castellano, MD, President of the Physician Division, and Carlos del Rio, MD, Chair of the Department of Medicine and the  H. Cliff Sauls Distinguished Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases. He will also partner with John Sauer, the department’s Executive Administrator for Academic Affairs and Administration, to develop departmental long- and short-term strategic goals and objectives. His role will also include working closely with the department chair, academic executive administrator, and division leadership to plan and develop comprehensive budgets, oversee physician compensation and deployment, prepare and submit capital requests, and lead overall operations for the internal medicine specialties.

Brandon comes to Emory with a long history of healthcare administrative experience. He is a nationally recognized healthcare leader with a proven track record in operational excellence, strategic development, and effective team building. He comes to us from the University Hospitals healthcare system in northeast Ohio, where he has served as Senior Director of Ambulatory Access and Strategy since 2023. In this role, Brandon provided senior leadership support to Care Connections Access, an enterprise-level division that improves patient access through system-wide departments and initiatives. With a focus on continuous improvement, he has successfully led department and system-level performance improvement projects, streamlined access and scheduling utilization, developed new business growth, and developed digital capabilities.

Prior to joining University Hospitals in 2020, Brandon served in leadership roles at Jefferson Health, Smith Hill Global Consulting, LLC, and Tulane Health System. Brandon obtained a Bachelor of Arts from St. John’s University, as well as a Master of Health Administration and Master of Public Health from Tulane University. Outside of work, Brandon is civically engaged to elevate not only healthcare but our Atlanta community through his service on the Board of Directors for East Atlanta Kids Club and the national board for the National Association of Health Service Executives.

Brandon replaces Melissa Schuermann, who previously held this role since 2022 and who, this past summer, was named Senior Vice President of Physician Services on the EHC Physician Division leadership team. We are incredibly thankful for her leadership in the Department of Medicine.

Please join me in congratulating Brandon on his new role in the Department of Medicine and Emory Healthcare. We look forward to seeing how his leadership will continue to advance the department’s clinical operations and strategic vision.

Sincerely,

Carlos del Rio, MD
Chair, Emory University Department of Medicine