The 2017 Leaders in Health Care Awards: Outstanding Medical Director/Chief Medical Officer

Former Seattle Seahawks football coach Chuck Knox once said: Nothing speaks so loudly as your actions. Dr. Jeff Tomlin refers to that quotation when describing his leadership position at EvergreenHealth. People look to see what you do, how you behave and that the principles you espouse are things that you actually believe in doing, he says. Tomlin is responsible for EvergreenHealth Medical Groups clinical results and safety practices. He also oversees patient relations, risk management, infection control and research, employed specialist practices and the medical staff office. He joined EvergreenHealth in 1990 as a staff anesthesiologist after completing medical school and his residency at the University of Washington. He was subsequently named medical director for the Evergreen Surgical Center and then added the medical directorship for surgical services at EvergreenHealth. He is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and spent six years as a Marine Corps pilot prior to medical school. In addition to leading by example, Tomlin believes in leading by caring. You can be the smartest person out there, know you need to get from point A to point B, but the only way to motivate people to support you as a leader, and ultimately the organization, is to demonstrate that you really care for people as individuals.