Welela Tereffe was named chief medical executive of MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Tereffe began the position and joined the institution’s Executive Leadership Team Jan. 1. Previously, Tereffe served as the institution’s chief medical officer, a position she held for two years.
In this role, Tereffe will engage physicians and advanced practice providers in the delivery of research-driven clinical care that includes the Texas Medical Center campus, community and academic settings in Texas and MD Anderson Cancer Network. She will work closely with leadership to recruit faculty, promote research excellence and enhance the wellness and development of providers.
“Welela is a servant leader with strong emotional intelligence and drive. She has intimate knowledge of medical practice, extensive understanding of academic health care, and is known for partnering and engaging others,” Peter WT Pisters, president of MD Anderson, said in a statement. “Her commitment to MD Anderson, to our providers and—most importantly—to our patients is undeniable. She is passionate about improving equity in access to safe, quality care, and to reducing disparities in cancer care and outcomes. We welcome her to our Executive Leadership Team.”
Since joining MD Anderson in 2005, Tereffe has earned a Master of Public Health in 2009, and currently she is working toward a Master of Health Care Management at the Harvard School of Public Health.
