September 20, 2021 – Lee Health is pleased to announce Stephanie Stovall, M.D. has been named Chief Officer of Quality and Safety. She is responsible for patient safety error prevention and assessment, quality improvement and standardization, as well as national hospital grading and benchmarking and conformance risk assessments. In addition, Dr. Stovall also leads the health system’s COVID-19 responses as its scientific liaison and infection prevention expert.
Dr. Stovall joined Lee Health in 2011 as an attending physician for pediatric infectious diseases at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. Since joining Golisano Children’s Hospital, she has also served as division director of pediatric infectious diseases, medical director of epidemiology and infection prevention, and medical director of quality and patient safety. Dr. Stovall is a former president of the Medical Staff and Medical Executive Committee, and she was the medical director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program.
Before joining Golisano Children’s Hospital and Lee Health, Dr. Stovall was an attending physician for pediatric infectious diseases at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) where she also served as assistant professor of pediatrics. Additionally, she served as the medical director of the Clinical Microbiology and Virology Laboratory and co-director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Team.
“Dr. Stovall is a true leader within our health system, and her experience and expertise make her the perfect choice for this key role,” said Dr. Scott Nygaard, Lee Health’s Chief Operating Officer. “Dr. Stovall often serves as a community leader in infection prevention, tapped by different organizations for her expert guidance on the handling of COVID-19 safety precautions. She is committed to the health and safety of our patients, team members and community, and I look forward to all that she’ll accomplish in her new role.”
She earned her medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and completed a fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She received her master’s degree in patient safety and healthcare quality from the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Stovall is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. She is frequently invited to speak at symposiums and conferences, presenting topics ranging from pediatric HIV to the effects of influenza on health care workers. She also frequently appears in the media as a subject matter expert on topics such as vaccines, antibiotics and COVID-19.
About Lee Health
Since the opening of the first hospital in 1916, Lee Health has been a health care leader in Southwest Florida, constantly evolving to meet the needs of the community. A non-profit, integrated health care services organization, Lee Health is committed to the well-being of every individual served, focused on healthy living and maintaining good health. Staffed by caring people, inspiring health, services are conveniently located throughout the community in four acute care hospitals, two specialty hospitals, outpatient centers, walk-in medical centers, primary care and specialty physician practices and other services across the continuum of care. Learn more at www.LeeHealth.org.
