Darryl K. Nelson, MD, is a board-certified family medicine physician who has taken care of Lee’s Summit families for more than 20 years. A smalltown physician with an old-fashioned bedside manner and a drive to advance the quality of medical care, Dr. Nelson is now seeing the second generation of some of his patients at Family Health Specialists of Lee’s Summit. His dedication to his patients recently led to his appointment as the lead physician for HCA Midwest Health System, the area’s largest healthcare network and largest private-sector employer. HCA Midwest announced today that Dr. Nelson has been named the system’s chief medical officer.
Dr. Nelson has practiced within the system since the 1980s when it was formerly Health Midwest. He completed his family medicine residency in 1989 with Goppert Family Care and has been in private practice since. He will continue to see patients on a limited basis. Dr. Nelson is a past president of Lee’s Summit Medical Center staff and the Missouri Academy of Family physicians. He also serves as chief medical officer for Midwest Physicians, the physician practice of HCA Midwest Health System.
As the chief medical officer for Midwest Physicians, Dr. Nelson has been instrumental in leading HCA Midwest Health System’s ambulatory electronic medical record (EMR) development and launch in Kansas City and has served as the national senior medical director for the ambulatory EMR initiative for HCA. In his new role, Nelson will lead the efforts of HCA Midwest Health System’s 2,000-plus physicians in continuing to improve quality of care, medical staff development and implementation of hospital-based electronic health records (EHR).
Dr. Nelson is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Missouri Academy of Family Physicians and the Kansas City Academy of Family Physicians.
HCA Midwest is the Kansas City area’s largest healthcare network and private sector employee, consisting of 10 hospitals, outpatient centers, clinics, physician practices, surgery centers and more than 8,000 employees. In addition, HCA Midwest and its hospitals provide an array of other innovative services to meet the healthcare needs of the greater Kansas City area. Midwest Physicians currently represents 273 physicians, including 113 primary care providers and 160 specialists with 70 physician practices providing care in 112 locations to serve the community.
Steve Corbeil, president and chief executive officer of HCA Midwest, says Dr. Nelson’s decades of experience in family healthcare and proven, results-oriented leadership will enhance HCA Midwest’s ability to deliver quality patient care through complex challenges. “Darryl’s career shows his passion about adding value to an organization through strategic vision and operational excellence,” says Corbeil. “He has been a tremendous resource to HCA Midwest and Midwest Physicians, and his role will be critical as we continue to grow.”
Dr. Nelson says he’s looking forward to his added responsibilities with HCA Midwest. “Our network of physicians and hospitals is innovative and efficient in providing progressive, patient-centered healthcare,” he says. “The quality and breadth of services and programs offered in the Kansas City area through HCA Midwest Health System is excellent.”