Sharif Omar Takes Over As Northwest Health System CEO

Sharif Omar Started Aug. 18

Sharif Omar
Sharif Omar

SPRINGDALE -- Northwest Health System named Sharif Omar as its new chief executive officer.

Omar, whose appointment was announced Thursday, started work Aug. 18. He replaces Dan McKay who took over Monday as CEO of Sparks Health System in Fort Smith.

Nashville-based Community Health Systems owns Northwest and purchased Sparks in January.

Northwest Health System operates Northwest Medical Centers in Springdale and Bentonville, Willow Creek Women's Hospital in Johnson and 40 clinics in Northwest Arkansas.

Omar has more than 15 years of hospital management experience and spent the past three years as CEO of Pottstown Memorial Medical Center, a 224-bed hospital in Pottstown, Pa. He joined the hospital as chief operating officer in 2009.

Pottstown Memorial Medical Center was named a "Top Performer on Key Quality Measures" by The Joint Commission, an independent accreditation organization for health care providers. The Pottstown hospital was also recognized as one of only 13 cancer programs in the U.S. to receive three consecutive Outstanding Achievement Awards from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.

Omar also oversaw efforts to increase physician and employee satisfaction and developed new service lines including breast health, urgent care, ambulance service and psychiatry.

He worked previously in leadership positions at Southwest Medical Center in Lafayette, La., and as associate vice president of Tulane University Hospital and Clinic.

Omar is a native of Louisiana and holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Louisiana State University and a master's degree in health administration from Tulane University.

NW News on 08/29/2014

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