Cullman Regional has named a longtime surgeon as its first chief medical officer.

Cullman Regional CEO James Clements named William E. Smith, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S. as the first chief medical officer (CMO) of Cullman Regional, a role he has served in in a limited capacity over the past two years. 

Smith, a general surgery specialist, practiced 31 years at Surgical Arts of Cullman.

“As healthcare evolves and changes, it becomes more critical to have dedicated physician leadership to help drive clinical quality improvement,” Clements said. “We’re excited to have someone of Dr. Smith’s caliber leading the initiatives for clinical quality improvement.”

Smith, a board-certified surgeon by the American Board of Surgery, is also a certified professional in healthcare quality. He grew up in Demopolis, completed his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at the University of Alabama and obtained his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Following an internship in general surgery, he completed his surgical residency at Carraway Methodist Medical Center in Birmingham. 

As chief medical officer, Smith becomes an employee of Cullman Regional and will use his experience to review and improve clinical processes.

“Dr. Smith was among several candidates interviewed. Among those sitting on the interviews were local physicians,” said Lindsey Dossey, vice president, Business Development & Outreach at Cullman Regional. “He will be involved in reviewing the clinical processes and recommending plans for greater efficiency and improvement for the hospital and for the patients.”

During his training, he was active in nutrition research, presenting his results at the Southern Medical Association annual meeting and again to the Alabama Chapter of the American College of Surgeons. Smith was also active in the development of the Trauma Service and “Life Saver” helicopter transport system at Carraway Methodist Medical Center where he served as chief surgery resident.

Smith is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a Fellow of the Southeastern Surgical Congress. He has also served as a member of the state Committee on Trauma and Committee on Applicants for the Alabama Chapter of the American College of Surgeons. He is a member of the American Society of General Surgeons, Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgery, Medical Association of the State of Alabama and Cullman County Medical Society. Prior to becoming CMO he has served as chief of surgery and chairman of the Quality Management Council, vice chief of staff and chief of staff for Cullman Regional.

Smith is especially interested in surgical education. In the field of thoracoscopic chest surgery, he performed the first such minimally invasive videoscopic lung procedure in North Alabama in early 1991. He has been active in taking this technology to surgeons across the country. He has traveled to various major cities including Chicago, New York and Houston teaching other chest surgeons the technique of videoscopic lung surgery. In addition, he has extensive experience in other minimally invasive procedures including laparoscopic gall bladder and anti-reflux procedures, colon resection, hernia repair and appendectomy.