January 15, 1999

Thibault

George Thibault, MD, is putting a lot of mileage on his car as he spends the first few weeks of his new job as the first Partners vice president of Clinical Affairs, meeting with colleagues, physicians and staff throughout the network. Like most new jobs, meetings and greetings are normal, but for Thibault, these encounters are essential and will continue in his new role.

"I see myself as a facilitator, an enabler and a communicator of the ideas that others generate," says Thibault. "In an organization as complex as ours, getting to know one another and getting everyone to appreciate the capabilities and opportunities at each of our sites is a major task. I hope to facilitate connections among all of the talented people to take full advantage of the richness found in each institution and throughout the PCHI network."

One of Thibault’s main goals is to demonstrate that bringing together Partners institutions and physicians as a system will enhance patient care. To help achieve this goal, he will be working closely with physicians and administrators at the MGH to step up communications and collaborations among the Partners sites. He says he hopes to collaborate with staff to address improvements such as timely transfer of patients between institutions, getting patients back to community care sooner, disseminating technology more effectively, sharing research and improving communications systemwide.

Addressing issues involving patient care is key to Thibault’s new role, and it is an area he holds dear. When he was a child he would accompany his physician father on house calls, an experience that inspired him to pursue a career in medicine. Since then, patient care and teaching have been the centerpiece of his medical career.

After graduating from Harvard Medical School in 1969, Thibault embarked on what would become a long-standing relationship with the MGH. He completed his residency and was chief medical resident in the Department of Medicine. He later completed a cardiac fellowship at the MGH and held several leadership roles, including founding director of the Medical Practice Evaluation Unit, Medical ICU director, director of the Internal Medicine Training Program and associate chief of Medical Services.

After 20 years at the MGH, Thibault was appointed vice chairman of Medicine at BWH and chief of Medicine and director of Health Services Research and Development at Brockton/West Roxbury VA Medical Center. In 1995, he was appointed chief medical officer at BWH.

"It has been 10 years since I left the MGH, but it feels like I never left," says Thibault. "The institution and my teachers there have affected the way I think and the way I approach my work. I also still have many friends and colleagues there. This is like a homecoming for me."

Thibault has already started the process of cross-institution planning with the MGH by working with James J. Mongan, MD, MGH president, as co-chair on the Clinical Integration Implementation Committee to identify ways to enhance cooperation and coordination between the clinical departments of the MGH and BWH.

"I look forward to spending even more time at the MGH," says Thibault. "I have a very high regard for the institution and its physicians. The MGH has already achieved excellence in what it does, now within an integrated system, it can have an even greater impact."