Julie Freischlag, MD became the CEO of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in 2017. Previously, she was Vice Chancellor for Human Health Sciences and Dean of the School of Medicine at UC Davis. Dr. Freischlag served as Professor and Chair of the Surgery Department at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. She has led innovation initiatives to expand research and specialty clinical services, improve patient-centered care and patient safety, and enhance academic career paths for faculty. She has held many leadership roles, including past chair of the Board of Regents of the American College of Surgeons and immediate past President of the Society for Vascular Surgery. Dr. Freischlag has published more than 225 manuscripts, abstracts, and book chapters, and has received numerous teaching awards, including an achievement award from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Freischlag has dedicated her career to serving as a role model for her students, a respected colleague across health professionals, a strong community leader, and a national voice for improving health and health care.