Trained at Johns Hopkins Hospital (Internal Medicine) and Massachusetts General Hospital (Neurology), he was a Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology at SUNY Buffalo School of Medicine and coauthor of a major text on Guillain-Barre Syndrome. He has been a leader in SUNYAB School of Medicine affairs, winner of the prestigious Siegel Award for Teaching Excellence and former President of the Medical School Faculty Council.

After serving in numerous departmental administrative roles at the Medical School and being Clinical Director of Neurology at SUNYAB’s major teaching affiliate, he entered hospital administration in 1991. He was recruited to overhaul quality at Western New York’s major public hospital, the Erie County Medical Center, which was under stipulation and order by the NY State Health Department at the time and was a 3-standard deviation outlier in Medicare mortality. The programs he implemented as Medical Director of the Erie County Medical Center successfully restored that facility’s accreditation with the health department and resulted in over a 33% improvement in Medicare mortality rates. In addition, he oversaw development of a nurse case management program and clinical pathway program that helped reduce length-of-stay by 3 days and contributed greatly to the improved quality outcomes as well as patient and family satisfaction.