MVHS Chief Medical Officer Retires

Albert D’Accurzio, MD, pauses with the late Sister Rose Vincent Gleason, OSF, then president/ CEO of St. Elizabeth Medical Center, in October 2001.

UTICA, N.Y. – Almost everyone who works at St. Elizabeth Medical Center (SEMC) knows who Dr. Albert D’Accurzio is. Whether they had direct interactions with him or not, they saw him in the hospital hallways and heard him speak at events and answer questions about hospital quality in the media. Plus, he worked there more than a quarter of a century. He retired on April 1.

Before joining SEMC as medical director in 1989, Dr. D’Accurzio had a private practice in Internal Medicine in Utica. A diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, during his career, he served as president of the St. Elizabeth Medical Staff, president of the Oneida County Medical Society and chairman of the Department of Medicine at St. Elizabeth and St. Luke’s-Memorial Hospital. He played a key role in the Cardiac Services Task Force, which successfully campaigned for state approval of the local cardiac surgery program that became the Mohawk Valley Heart Institute.

"I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. D'Accurzio my entire career, both clinically and in administration,” said Robert Scholefield, executive vice president/chief operating officer for the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS). “He has the tremendous quality of being able to see all perspectives of an issue and provide a fair and balanced resolution. He will be remembered fondly and certainly be missed.”

Dr. D’Accurzio was raised locally and graduated from Hamilton College in Clinton where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He completed his medical degree at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha, a national medical honor society. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Strong Memorial Hospital and has additional professional education in Quality Improvement and Medical Management through the American Association of Physician Leadership.

He spent most of his medical career, 25 years, as vice president – medical affairs and chief medical officer at SEMC. He played a vital role in the recruitment and retention of medical staff and was the champion of clinical quality throughout his career. Many people describe him as a very nice guy, one who did a tough job well.

When SEMC and Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare affiliated under MVHS, he was named the chief quality officer for the system. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Mohawk Valley Heart Institute and of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Utica Regional Advisory Board.

Throughout his career, Dr. D’Accurzio has been named the SEMC Employee of the Year, the Boss of the Year by the Observer-Dispatch, received the Distinguished Alumni Award from T.R. Proctor High School, the Excelsior Award from SEMC, the Central New York Academy of Medicine 2011 Scroll Award, and the Edward Gaffney Quality Award. He was voted into The Genesis Group and County Medical Societies’ Healthcare Hall of Distinction in 2013. He lives in Utica, is married and has two sons, one daughter and five grandchildren.

Michael F. Trevisani, MD, MBA, CPE, FASCRS, FACHE, previously the senior vice president/chief medical officer for Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare (FSLH), has been named medical director for both FSLH and SEMC. He assumed his new role with Dr. D'Accurzio's retirement.

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Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare and St. Elizabeth Medical Center are affiliates under the Mohawk Valley Health System.