SPEAKER BIOS

David Pickul, MD

A medical practitioner in the Merrimack Valley for more than 20 years, David Pickul, MD, is President of the Mill City Medical Group, a thriving, and highly respected primary care practice in Lowell, MA. An active physician at Lowell General Hospital, Dr. Pickul represents more than 400 physicians through his participation as President of the Medical Staff and Medical Director of the Lowell General Physician Hospital Organization (PHO) where he serves on the Finance, Contracting, Peer Review and Medical Executive Committees. 

A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Dr. Pickul completed his internship and residency at George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, DC, where he also served as Chief Resident. Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Dr. Pickul has been a leader in the Greater Lowell medical community since establishing his private practice in 1987.  In addition, he is on staff at Saints Medical Center in Lowell and serves on the Board of Trustees at Lowell General Hospital.

Robert V. Reece

Robert Reece is President of Cambridge Research Institute, a national healthcare consulting firm specializing in strategic planning, governance restructuring, and medical staff development. Rob has 25 years of consulting experience working with large and small hospital systems, community teaching hospitals, university medical centers and medical groups across the country.

Rob is a proven facilitator, and is known for his skill in working with complex organizations and challenging environments. The hallmark of his work is an ability to effectively engage an organization’s leadership and stakeholders around key strategic issues, and to provide frameworks that enable the right strategic decisions to be made and executed.

He is a recognized thought leader on strategy, governance and physician relations, and frequently lectures on these topics before leadership groups which include ACHE, AHA, NEHA and Hospital Conferences.  His article, “The Role of Physician Leaders in Strategic Planning,” appeared in The Physician Leader’s Guide.  The Governance Institute has published his articles “Physician Relations: The Fit with Strategic Planning” and “Hospital-Physician Relations:  Separating the Enduring Truths from Short-Term Fads.”  He explored the issue of Strategy and the Board in his article, “Stewarding Strategic Success:  Five Strategy Questions Every Board Must Ask” which was the lead article in the Governance Institute’s September 2006 E-Briefings.

Rob received a B.A. degree from Colgate University and an M.B.A. degree from Rutgers University.

David F. Torchiana, MD

Dr. David Torchiana is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization. The MGPO, associated with the Massachusetts General Hospital, is a member of the Partners HealthCare System and a teaching affiliate of the Harvard Medical School. The organization is a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation and the largest physician group practice in New England, representing more than 1,500 physicians.

Dr. Torchiana graduated from Yale College in 1976 and Harvard Medical School in 1981. He completed residencies in general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery at the MGH before joining the Department of Surgery in 1989.  Dr. Torchiana became Chief of Cardiac Surgery at MGH in 1998 and CEO of the MGPO in 2003.