Jackson Health System Announces the Hiring of New Executive Vice President, Chief Physician Executive, and Chief Clinical Officer

Miami, FL – Jackson is proud to announce the recent hiring of Chris A. Ghaemmaghami, MD, MHCM, FACHE, FACEP, who will serve as executive vice president, chief physician executive, and chief clinical officer for the health system. Dr. Ghaemmaghami has vast experience in hospital leadership, public health, and academic medicine.

“Dr. Ghaemmaghami is an experienced physician with an extensive history of working compassionately and competently with a diverse patient population, and his focus on quality, safety, and effective communication, will complement our already outstanding team,” said Carlos A. Migoya, president of Jackson Health System. “We are committed to advancing world-class clinical care throughout our community, and we feel he is a great addition to help us further our promise to implement best practices, enhance our efficiency, and create an excellent, high-quality care experience for our patients.”

Dr. Ghaemmaghami, whose medical background is in emergency medicine, will work closely with Jackson’s hospital-based chief medical officers, and oversee clinical strategic development, research and grants, quality, safety, risk, regulatory affairs, medical staff services, and graduate medical education. He will also work with UHealth – University of Miami Health System in continuing to develop streamlined care delivery models across both organizations.

Dr. Ghaemmaghami has roots in South Florida, receiving both his Bachelor of Science in chemistry and his medical degree from the University of Miami. He is looking forward to returning to the community.
“I’m very excited to come back to Miami, where it all began for me, clinically. With Jackson’s rich history of providing critical medical resources to those who need it most, I am looking forward to working hard to make sure that we are delivering the highest level of care with the highest level of safety and quality possible,” he said. “I think we have such great potential to build on what’s been done here over the last decade and beyond.”

Previously, Dr. Ghaemmaghami worked at the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), where he most recently served as a leader for the statewide COVID-19 vaccination and therapeutics programs. While in that role, he developed Virginia’s COVID vaccine delivery initiative. Under his guidance, Virginia has become the 10th most vaccinated state in the country, with more than 16 million vaccine doses administered and more than 7 million people vaccinated to date.

From the start of the COVID pandemic, Dr. Ghaemmaghami played a critical role at the VDH, working as the leader of Virginia’s statewide containment program and launching the statewide COVID therapeutics program. His contributions include developing and implementing COVIDWISE, the nation’s first COVID exposure notification app, and developing a widespread monoclonal antibody and oral antiviral treatment network.

Prior to his work in public health, Dr. Ghaemmaghami served as a faculty member in the University of Virginia (UVA) Health System for 24 years. He held several leadership positions, including chief medical officer at UVA Health, and most recently, interim chief executive officer at University of Virginia Medical Center – a public academic health center that includes a 600-bed adult and pediatric hospital, Level I trauma center, comprehensive stroke center, and more than 75 primary care and specialty clinics.

Additionally, Dr. Ghaemmaghami has extensive experience with graduate medical education, and served as a residency and fellowship program director for several years. As CEO, he oversaw UVA’s more than 700 residents and fellows.

Dr. Ghaemmaghami resides with his wife, Maya, a retired hematologist and oncologist, who is passionate about nonprofit work, and is looking forward to giving back to the community.