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Diane L. Wells
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Cooperstown, N.Y. - January 20, 2009 - William F. Streck, M.D., president and CEO of Bassett Healthcare, announced that Charles L. Hyman, M.D., (at right) has joined Bassett as physician-in-chief. Dr. Hyman was formerly the chief of medicine at Kings County Hospital and vice-chair for the Department of Medicine at SUNY Downstate.
"We are most pleased to have Dr. Hyman join Bassett as the chief of the Department of Medicine, Bassett's largest clinical department," said Dr. Streck. "His experience and accomplishments as a clinician and as an administrator provide Bassett with the expertise required to continue the excellent work of the Department of Medicine and to provide overall leadership to the Bassett organization."
As Bassett's physician-in-chief, Dr. Hyman will provide senior physician leadership in the direction and provision of care provided by the Bassett Physician Group, and the Department of Medicine. "I am a believer in the staff model and have been interested in Bassett's physician group practice for many years. I am impressed by the vibrancy of medical care here, the growth of the organization and its crucial role in meeting the health care needs of the rural population it serves," said Dr. Hyman. "Bassett's core value as a teaching hospital resonates with me. The practice of medicine is honed when taught and I believe this translates into better care."
Dr. Hyman, who is board certified in internal medicine and infectious diseases, also plans to provide care and consultations to patients in the Infectious Diseases Clinic. "It is important to me personally to continue clinical practice, and it is also important to be a user of the system for which I am responsible," said Dr. Hyman.
Dr. Hyman began his career as a professional musician, earning a Bachelor of Music at The Mannes College of Music in New York City, and later earned a medical degree at The Sackler School of Medicine, at Tel Aviv University. His residency in internal medicine and infectious disease fellowship were done at Kings County-Downstate, in Brooklyn. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and of the Infectious Disease Society of America and a member of the American Society of Internal Medicine and the Society of Hospital Medicine.
Dr. Hyman is married to Dr. Ofra Hyman, a social worker with a doctorate in social work from Adelphi University. She has joined Bassett in the Department of Psychiatry. They have a grown daughter who lives in Boston. The Hyman's are very much at home in the Cooperstown area, having close family ties and frequently visiting for the past 25 years. Dr. Hyman succeeds Walter A. Franck, M.D., physician-in-chief since 1981. Dr. Franck will remain the associate dean at Bassett Healthcare for Columbia's College of Physicians and Surgeons and continue to have a role in Bassett's medical school initiatives.
Bassett Healthcare
Bassett Healthcare is a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System and a leading provider of health services in the central New York region, offering quality primary and specialty care services targeted to address this region's health care needs. For more information about Bassett, visit www.bassett.org.
