SVP & Executive Medical Director, Strategic Innovation, Houston Methodist

Dr. Sarah N. Pletcher is the System Vice President and Executive Medical Director for Strategic Innovation at Houston Methodist. In this role, she leads the health system on strategy, development, acceleration and execution of new care models and innovations that will move the health system into its next decade. Prior to joining Houston Methodist, Dr. Pletcher was the founder of the Centers for Connected Care & Telehealth at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, where she led the health system in the selection and implementation of new strategies utilizing telehealth technology platforms, and developed new clinical products and telemedicine programs across multiple specialties, and in multiple settings. This work includes a national scale telemedicine program which includes more than 60 specialties and six 24/7 hospital service lines, covering 100 hospitals across 10 states, and providing care through 20,000 patient encounters every month. As a consultant, Dr. Pletcher has advised health systems, policy makers, and investors about disruptive technologies and new business models that can provide value in serving populations. With over 25 years of healthcare innovation experience, she is frequently sought as a thought leader and invited speaker in areas of telemedicine, mhealth, innovation, clinical quality improvement, provider education and rural program development; and has been the principal investigator on over 15 million dollars of grant and foundational funding to advance these initiatives.

-MD, Michigan State; General Surgery residency, Dartmouth-Hitchcock; MHCDS, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth