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Georgia Regents Medical Associates
- Board of Trustees

Georgia Regents Medical Associates - Board of Trustees

Peter Buckley, MD

Chairman, Board of Trustees

Buckley served as Chairman of the GHSU Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior before being named Dean of the Medical College of Georgia in 2011. He also serves as a Professor of Radiology, Psychiatry/Health Behavior, Pharmacology/Toxicology and Graduate Studies. He has extensively researched and treated schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders. He earned his medical degree from the University College of Dublin.
Jack C. Yu, MD

Chair of the Foundation

Yu, who treats congenital and acquired deformities of craniofacial structures, is Chief of the Section of Plastic Surgery, Hatcher Chair in Surgery, Professor of Surgery and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics. He researches the morphogenesis of the cranium, including cyclic stimulation of the musculoskeletal system to prevent age-related bone and muscle loss. In addition to teaching plastic surgery to residents, he designs and implements courses in medical student education. He earned master’s, M.D. and D.M.D. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.
Jatinder J. Bhatia, MD

Chair Elect of the Foundation,
Section Chief, Pediatrics, Neonatology

Dr. Jatinder Bhatia is a 1975 graduate of the Armed Forces Medical College of the University of Poona, India. He completed his pediatric residency, including a year as chief resident, at the Georgia Health Sciences University in Augusta followed by a joint fellowship in neonatology and pediatric nutrition at the University of Iowa under the mentorship of Drs. Allen Erenberg and the late Samuel J. Fomon, respectively.

In 1991, Dr. Bhatia returned to Georgia Regents University as a professor of pediatrics. Three years later he was named chief of the Section of Neonatology and program director of the Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine fellowship. He is also a professor in the Georgia Regents University College of Graduate Studies.

Dr. Bhatia is an honorary consultant for Philippine Children's Medical Center in Quezon City. He has been recognized for his academic and clinical work throughout his career with honors such as the Distinguished Faculty Award for Institutional Service at the Georgia Health Sciences University and the Georgia Nutrition Council Award of Excellence.
Adam E. Berman, MD

Secretary/Treasurer

Director of Cardiac Arrhythmia Ablation Services

Adam E. Berman, M.D. graduated from the University Of Mississippi School Of Medicine. Following this, he completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He then completed a fellowship in Cardiology at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans, where he also served as Chief Fellow. Dr. Berman then completed an advanced fellowship in Cardiac Electrophysiology at Duke University Medical Center.

Dr. Berman is board certified in Cardiac Electrophysiology, Cardiology, Adult Echocardiography, and Internal Medicine. He directs the Georgia Regents Medical Center Arrhythmia Ablation Services Program.

His clinical interests include complex arrhythmia ablation, including ablation of atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. He also specializes in the implantation and management of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy devices for congestive heart failure. Dr. Berman is actively enrolling patients in several research protocols at both Medical Center and Duke University Medical Center. These protocols focus on echocardiography and Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy, as well as novel applications of electroanatomic mapping techniques.
Cargill Herley Alleyne, MD

Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery

Alleyne, who joined the faculty in 2004, treats and researches conditions including aneurysms, vascular malformations, stroke, carotid stenosis, brain tumors and cervical spine disease. He holds the Allen Distinguished Chair in Neurosurgery and is a Professor of Radiology, Neurology and Neurosurgery. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Neurological Surgery and was a founding member of the Society of Endovascular Neurosurgeons. Alleyne earned his medical degree from Yale University and completed a fellowship in cerebrovascular and skull base surgery at Barrow Neurological Institute.
Ricardo Azziz, MD, MPH, MBA

President of Georgia Regents University (GRU)

CEO Georgia Regents Health System

Since assuming his leadership role, Dr. Azziz has focused on advancing the university’s education, research, and clinical programs; re-energizing philanthropy; and expanding GRU’s state, national and global reach. He has strengthened the university’s commitment to civic and scholarly engagement, embraced sustainability, and fostered collaborative partnerships both within and outside the university community.

In previous positions, Dr. Azziz served as a transformational leader of multiple institutions, including the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); and University of Alabama at Birmingham. In addition to maintaining a nationally recognized clinical practice, Dr. Azziz led institution-wide initiatives to measure and improve faculty productivity, new faculty development and retention, and academic excellence. He is an internationally recognized clinical translational researcher, developing an important research program into androgen-excess disorders in women, which has been funded by the NIH since 1988.

A native of Uruguay and an accomplished artist, Dr. Azziz brings a global and creative spirit to his leadership of Georgia Regents University. He and his wife, Cindy, are enjoying life in the South with their children, Ashlee, Jonathon, and Mallory, and their dog, Arlo..
Styles L. Bertrand, MD

Director of Pediatric Orthopaedics
David D. Bogorad, MD

Bogorad, Vice Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology, came to GHSU from the Henry Ford Health System Department of Ophthalmology, where he pioneered LASIK surgery. His areas of expertise include surgery of the anterior segment of the eye, as well as cataract, corneal and refractive surgery. A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Bogorad earned a medical degree with honors from New York University School of Medicine.
Janis S. Coffin, MD

Medical Director, Family Medicine
Michael P. Diamond, MD

Associate Deam for Research

Dr. Diamond holds the William H. Brooks, M.D., Distinguished Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Diamond, who is also Georgia Regents University's inaugural Vice President for Clinical and Translational Sciences, came to MCG in February 2013 from Wayne State University School of Medicine where he was Associate Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Diamond is a reproductive endocrinologist and expert in designing and implementing clinical trials whose study focus includes infertility and procedure-related adhesions. He has served as President of the Environment and Reproduction Special Interest Group of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and Chair of the society's Androgen Excess Special Interest Group. He is a past President of the Society of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and the Society of Reproductive Surgeons. He is a member of the Surgical Collaborative in Obstetrics and Gynecology, where he represents the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the Society for Reproductive Surgeons and the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University Medical School and completed an obstetrics-gynecology residency at Vanderbilt and a reproductive endocrinology and infertility fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine.
Ivan Florentino, MD

Pediatric Anesthesia Section Chief
David Hess, MD

Chairman, Department of Neurology

Hess, Chairman of the GHSU Department of Neurology since 2001, is extensively involved in many aspects of stroke research. He co-founded the telemedicine system, REACH, enabling rural health care providers to consult with GHSU stroke experts in real time. He earned his medical degree from the University of Maryland and completed an internal medicine internship and residency at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. He has been selected one of “America’s Top Doctors” multiple times.
Joseph Hobbs, MD

Chairman, Department of Family Medicine

Hobbs, who joined the faculty in 1997, holds the Joseph W. Tollison, M.D., Distinguished Chair in Family Medicine and is Senior Associate Dean of Administration in the Medical College of Georgia. His areas of expertise include electrolyte disturbances, chronic disease, rural medicine, chronic heart failure and diabetes. He received the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians’ 2008 President’s Award and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine’s 2010 President’s Award. Hobbs earned his medical degree from GHSU, where he also completed an internal medicine internship and family practice residency.
Charles G. Howell, MD

Chairman and Professor, Department of Surgery

Howell, who joined the faculty in 1978, completed earned his medical degree at GHSU. He completed a residency at GHSU and a pediatric surgery fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Howell, who is also Surgeon-in-Chief and Co-Medical Director of the Georgia Health Sciences Children’s Medical Center, is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha and the Black Key Honor Society. He is the primary author of nine books and a past President/CEO of GHSU’s Physicians Practice Group. His research interests include gastroesophageal reflux, 24-hour pH probes, minimally invasive surgery, ECMO neonatal surgery, pediatric oncology and head/neck disorders.
Monte Hunter, MD

Director of Sports Medicine

Hunter, a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, earned his medical degree from Wake Forest University.
Feng-Ming Kong, MD

Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology

Dr. Feng-Ming Kong is the inaugural Chairwoman of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University.

Kong also is Co-Leader of the Lung Cancer Multidisciplinary Clinic and Co-Director of Lung and Esophageal Cancer Programs at the GRU Cancer Center.

She joins the faculty as a joint report to the MCG Dean and the GRU Cancer Center Director. Kong comes to MCG from the University of Michigan where she was Associate Professor and Lead of Thoracic Radiation Oncology Research.
Stilianos E. Kountakis, MD

Chair, Department of Otolaryngology

Kountakis, Vice Chairman and Professor of Otolaryngology, specializes in rhinology/sinus surgery. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Crete and a medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center, where he also completed residencies in general surgery and otolaryngology/head and neck surgery. Kountakis, who joined the GHSU faculty in 2003, is a Fellow of the American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society; the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery; the American College of Surgeons; and the American Rhinologic Society. He is a Past President of the Georgia Society of Otolarynology and the American Rhinologic Society and is frequently included in Best Doctors in America.
Charles Linder, MD

Co-Medical Director of the Children’s Hospital of Georgia

Charles W. Linder, MD, is Associate Dean and Professor of Pediatrics Emeritus at the Medical College of Georgia of Georgia Regents University and Interim Chair of the Department of Pediatrics.

With more than 35 years of pediatric experience at the Medical College. Dr. Linder was instrumental in the establishment of the Children’s Hospital of Georgia, the division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, the Ronald McDonald House and many other child health programs.

Dr. Linder earned a B.S. from Furman University. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia and completed post-doctoral training and a residency at Fitzsimmons General Hospital in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Linder completed a Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Disease Fellowship at the Medical College of Georgia Children’s Medical Center.
Michael P. Madaio, MD

Chairman and Charbonnier Professor, Department of Medicine

Madaio held faculty positions at Tufts University, the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University before joining GHSU. He practices nephrology and researches immunology mechanisms of renal disease. He and his colleagues staff a multidisciplinary group focused on lupus treatment. Madaio earned his medical degree from Albany Medical College and completed a medicine residency at Medical College of Virginia, including a year as Chief Resident. Following clinical and research fellowships in nephrology at Boston University, he completed an immunology research fellowship at Tufts University.
Vaughn McCall, MD

Department Chair, Psychiatry and Health Behavior

Dr. McCall is an established and innovative leader, scientist and clinician who will lead the department into a period of clinical and academic growth and enhanced strategic collaboration, including the three-year-old partnership between GHSU and the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, which has the university co-managing East Central Regional Hospital, a state facility specializing in mental illness, substance abuse and mental retardation. He completed his medical degree and postgraduate psychiatric training at Duke University and a master’s degree in epidemiology from Wake Forest University in 1999.
Steffen Meiler, MD

Vice Chairperson of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
Walter J. Moore, MD

Interim Section Chief, General Internal Medicine

Dr. Walter Moore joined the MCG faculty in 2000. He is a professor of medicine and pediatrics, who served as the section chief of rheumatology and adult allergy for over twelve years, prior to assuming the role of Interim Chief of General Internal Medicine in the Department. Prior to joining the faculty, he completed over twenty three years of active duty service to his country in the United States Army, which included appointments as chief of the medical staff/deputy commander for clinical services, risk manager and medical claims consultant to legal affairs, Chief of the Department of Medicine, and Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency among a wide variety of other administrative responsibilities and clinical activities at Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Fort Gordon, Georgia.

At MCG, Dr. Moore currently serves as the senior associate dean for graduate medical education and VA Affairs. He is a member of the Medical Staff Executive Committee and has previously served as the President of the Medical Staff. He chairs the Graduate Medical Education Committee, the Internal Residency Review Committee and the Performance Improvement Committee for the MCG Medical Center. He is a current member the Quality Oversight Committee and a number of other medical school and hospital committees. He formerly served as the Director of Medical Student Education for the Department. Dr. Moore is an elected member of the Georgia Regents Medical Associates and the executive Board of Trustees. He also serves on the Managed Care Contract Committee.

Dr. Moore was recently recognized by the American College of Physicians as a master in the college, and he is one of America’s Top Doctors.
Dennis L. Murray, MD

Professor, Department of Pediatrics, and Chief, Section of Pediatric Infectious Disease

Murray, who joined the faculty in 2001, researches vaccines, viral diseases and pediatric infections. He is an Associate Medical Director of the Georgia Health Sciences Children’s Medical Center. He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society, the Infectious Disease Society of America and the American Pediatric Society. Murray earned his medical degree from the University of Michigan. He completed a pediatrics residency at the Children’s Hospital of Northern California and a pediatric infectious diseases fellowship at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
Julian Nussbaum, MD

Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology

Nussbaum, who joined the faculty in 2001, has overseen the Department of Ophthalmology’s growth in the Augusta community and surrounding region. In 2008, he helped coordinate the GHSU Vision Discovery Institute, uniting clinical and basic science faculty campuswide to offer a multidisciplinary approach to vision treatment and research. As the institute’s Clinical Co-Director, he has overseen a 25 percent increase in funding for vision research, including a 75 percent increase in funding from the National Institute of Health’s National Eye Institute. He earned his medical degree from the University of Miami and completed an ophthalmology residency at GHSU. He simultaneously completed fellowships in vitreous and retina surgery at Retina Associates in Cambridge, Mass.; clinical ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary of Harvard Medical School; and research at the Eye Research Institute of the Retina Foundation of Boston.
James Vincent Rawson, MD

Chairman and Warren Professor, Department of Radiology

Rawson joined GHSU in 1996 and is Medical Director and Chief of Radiology Services for Georgia Health Sciences Health System. He has helped develop several web-based instructional modules for various aspects of radiology. He earned his medical degree from Tufts University and completed a diagnostic radiology residency at New York Medical College. Rawson is Secretary of the Georgia Radiology Society and President of the Georgia Health Sciences Health System medical staff.
Amyn M. Rojiani, MD, PhD

Chairman of Pathology and E.R. Pund Distinguished Professor

Rojiani , who came to GHSU from the University of South Florida and the Moffitt Cancer Center, is a past Vice President of the American Association of Neuropathologists. He studies the role of vasculature and host microenvironment in metastasis of cancer of the central nervous system. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and his medical degree from the University of Karachi Sindh Medical College.
Richard B. Schwartz, MD

Chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine

Schwartz is a Professor of Emergency Medicine, Graduate Studies and Physician Assistant. He earned his medical degree from Wayne State University.
Lane Ulrich, MD

Associate Professor and Residency Program Director, Department of Ophthalmology

Ulrich, a comprehensive ophthalmologist, treats conditions including dry eyes, cataracts, early diabetic eye disease and glaucoma. He earned his medical degree from GHSU, where he also completed a medicine internship and ophthalmology residency. He is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. He has developed computer technology to enhance mobile retinopathy screening and has volunteered his expertise worldwide.
Amanda Hopkins Tirrell

FACHE, Ex-Officio (non voting)

Hopkins Tirrell, who most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer for the University of Connecticut Health Center’s UCONN Medical Group, starts Aug. 1.

Georgia Regents Medical Associates is the practice group for faculty of the Medical College of Georgia. As VP and COO, Tirrell will be responsible for administration and business operations.

“Our faculty practice group plays a fundamental part in helping Georgia Regents Medical Center advance its mission of leading Georgia and the world to better health by providing excellence in biomedical education, discovery, and service,” said Dr. Peter Buckley, Dean of the Medical College of Georgia and Interim CEO of GRMC. “Amanda’s experience will be a tremendous asset and I look forward to working with her to improve health care delivery, clinical care, medical education, and research at Georgia’s public academic health center.”
Steven M. Scott

Ex-Officio (non-voting), Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, GHS Medical Center

Previously, Scott served as Executive Administrator for Professional Services at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. Prior to that, he served as Vice President, Facilities and Ancillary Services for the Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County – Wishard Health Services in Indianapolis. Additionally, he worked as an administrator at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and a faculty practice director at Columbia University – Harlem Medical Center.Scott earned a master’s degree in Public Health in Health Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems. He recently served on the board of the Pacific Northwest Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross.