Buonanno appointed to lead Beebe Medical Group

Beebe Healthcare announced the appointment of Anthony Buonanno, MD, MBA, as vice president and chief medical officer of Beebe Medical Group, effective Tuesday, Jan. 31.

In his new role, Buonanno will provide executive and clinical oversight for Beebe Medical Group, the physician network group that employs hospital-based physicians, walk-in care providers and a diverse line of clinical specialists who practice in more than 30 primary care and specialty practices across Sussex County. His leadership will be instrumental as Beebe continues to expand its clinical capabilities and reach to best serve those who live, work, visit and seek care in Sussex County. 

Buonanno has completed residencies in both internal medicine and pediatrics, and is currently board certified in internal medicine. He joins Beebe after serving as chief medical officer at Lehigh Valley Physicians Group in Allentown, Pa., an affiliate of the Lehigh Valley Health Network which encompasses nine hospital campuses, more than 275 physician practices, 25 health centers and 20 express care locations.

“Dr. Buonanno will bring collaborative leadership, goal-oriented vision and experience-based perspective to Beebe Medical Group, and we are grateful he has chosen to take the next step in his career and leadership journey with us,” said Dr. David A. Tam, Beebe Healthcare president and CEO. “Beebe will benefit greatly from his knowledge as well as his commitment to advancing care approaches and strategies to best serve our diverse and growing population.”

With focus on clinical operations and practice transformation during his time at Lehigh Valley, Buonanno guided process improvement plans, strategies to increase ambulatory access to care across the network, program development, and communication initiatives focused on optimization of patient experience. He was actively involved in programs and committees designed to optimize operations and clinical workflows, serving as a member of Lehigh Valley’s COVID-19 Command Center, the CEO Council Strategic Planning Committee and the Provider Compensation Committee.

Earlier in his career, Buonanno served as Lehigh Valley’s senior vice chair of emergency and hospital medicine, and medical director of clinical nutrition. Collectively, his experiences as both a clinical leader and healthcare visionary have positioned him to make a meaningful difference for Beebe and the patient population it serves.

“It is an incredible honor to join Beebe Healthcare and to have an opportunity to be part of an executive leadership team that is focused on growth for all of the right reasons,” said Buonanno. “Beebe is a growing and well-respected community healthcare system that is known for its commitment to quality care and the delivery of specialized healthcare services in line with what its community needs. Here, patients have access to the latest evidence- and outcomes-based care, from a team of providers who understand the importance of health equity in their day-to-day work.”

Buonanno earned his medical degree at State University New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn. He went on to pursue a combined residency program with concentration in internal medical and pediatric care at Duke University Health System, during which time he served as chief resident and earned multiple medical student teaching awards. Buonanno also earned a master of business administration degree in healthcare systems management from DeSales University. Over the course of his career, his research has been published in multiple professional journals, with the most recent appearing in Annals of Emergency Medicine, concentrating on enhanced emergency department workflows.

Beebe Medical Group includes physician practices that specialize in cardiothoracic surgery, dermatology, endocrinology, family medicine, gastroenterology, general and bariatric surgery, hospital medicine, infectious diseases and travel medicine, internal medicine, palliative care, pediatric neurology, pulmonary and sleep disorders, surgical oncology, urology and women’s healthcare. Four walk-in care centers serve the community from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily in Rehoboth Beach, Georgetown, Millsboro and Millville. A fifth location in Milford is expected to open later this year.