Salem and West Valley hospitals to combine Medical Staff Peer Review

Now accepting nominations for open positions

With support from the Medical Executive Committees of both hospitals, the Multidisciplinary Peer Review Committees (MPRCs) for Salem and West Valley hospitals will become one committee in 2027. Nominations for election to membership for specific open positions are being accepted now through Friday, Oct. 30. Membership terms are three years beginning Jan. 1, 2027, with eligibility for additional terms. 

Each hospital will have designated positions on the committee, and the corresponding Medical Staff members will elect their representatives. Practitioners who are privileged at both hospitals will receive a separate ballot for each hospital.

Minimum qualifications for MPRC Membership: 

• At least three years of clinical experience
• Board certification
• Be a physician member of the Medical Staff in “good standing*” and with Active or Associate Staff status

*“Good standing” describes Medical Staff members who maintain qualifications for privileges and assigned Medical Staff category and are not currently under a suspension or restriction.

Nominations for the following positions to represent Salem Hospital (SH) are open:

• Pulmonology/Intensive Care (currently held by Kamran Firoozi, MD, who is running for re-election)
• Anesthesiology (currently held by Jennifer Williams, MD, Physician Chair MPRC, who is running for re-election)
• Member at large, no specific specialty (currently held by Gloria Alexander, MD, Adult Hospital Medicine, who will not be running for re-election)
  

Nominations for the following positions to represent West Valley Hospital (WVH) are open:

• Emergency Medicine
• Adult Hospital Medicine
  

MPRC members with positions not up for re-election this year:

• Kelly Donovan, MD (OB/GYN)
• Amy Dourgarian, MD (Emergency Medicine) Privileges at SH and WVH
• Nervin Fanous, MD (Cardiothoracic Surgery)
• Harminder Gandhok, MD (Cardiology) Privileges at SH and WVH
• Neha Naik-Desai, MD (Family Medicine/Primary Care)
• Jake Sharp, MD (Radiology) Privileges at SH and WVH
• Sumit Singhal, MD (Adult Hospital Medicine) Privileges at SH and WVH
• Nicole VanDerHeyden, MD (General Surgery)

Expectations and responsibilities include:

• Attend MPRC virtual meetings on the first and third Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8 a.m.
• Oversee the operation of the Medical Staff peer review system including reviews of performance data as well as of cases involving clinical performance.
• Review case files prior to meetings to be prepared to discuss and finalize all determinations and recommendations.
• Develop, recommend and consistently implement policies and procedures for all peer review activities.
• The MPRC is established by and subject to the authority of each hospital’s Medical Executive Committee (MEC) and the Salem Health Board of Trustees.
• For more information, the systemwide Peer Review Manual is available upon request.
  

Selection process:

Each candidate must be nominated or endorsed by their Section Chief or Department Chair. A Section Chief/Department Chair may nominate more than one candidate. Nominations may be emailed to MPRC Chair jennifer.williams@salemhealth.org. 

• Interested candidates will receive an application after they are nominated and return it by email to peerreview@salemhealth.org no later than 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30.   
• Candidates are approved by the current MPRC and the corresponding Medical Staff Executive Committee prior to being placed on the ballot.
• Election to the committee is by majority vote of all active status medical staff members for each hospital.

For more information, email Dr. Williams, Multidisciplinary Peer Review Committee Chair, at jennifer.williams@salemhealth.org or Peer Review staff at peerreview@salemhealth.org.