William Meador, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Neurology, has been appointed vice chair for clinical affairs, a role that will help guide the department's clinical strategy and coordinate neurological care across UAB and UAB St. Vincent's.
As demand for neurological care continues to grow across Alabama and the region, Meador will lead efforts to strengthen clinical operations, support providers, and expand access to high-quality patient care. In announcing the appointment, David G. Standaert, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair, John N. Whitaker Endowed Chair in the Department of Neurology, noted that the position includes responsibilities related to enhancing growth and quality of care across the health system, supporting and overseeing the department's medical directors, and promoting collaboration with other departments, nursing leadership, and hospital administration.
The appointment builds on Meador's existing leadership roles as the Department's Value Officer and Medical Director for the Neurosciences Acute Care Unit (NACU; formerly M8). As value officer, he works to advance quality and safety initiatives that affect the department's delivery of care while aligning departmental priorities with those of UAB Hospital and UAB Medicine. As medical director for NACU, he oversees inpatient neurology operations and supports efforts focused on process improvement, quality, and patient safety.
Together, those roles provide a broad perspective on both the day-to-day delivery of care and the department's long-term goals.
Delivering high-quality care has been a driving force throughout Meador's career.
"These roles allow me to influence a larger-scale volume of high-quality health care delivery projects and initiatives," Meador said. "The vice chair role provides an opportunity for greater impact through refining our processes and structure across the entire neurology department."
The position comes at a time when demand for neurological services continues to outpace available resources.
"The demand for our services from our local and regional community exceeds our current capacity," Meador said. "Our single greatest opportunity is finding a way to rise to the occasion of delivering high-quality care to more patients across our region with constrained resources."
Recent advances in treatment are also creating new possibilities for patients with neurological conditions.
"We have a great opportunity in recent advances in meaningful therapies in memory disorders, neuromuscular disorders, epilepsy, and beyond," Meador noted. "I'm excited about the opportunity to develop ways we can share state-of-the-art therapies with as many patients as possible while serving an often-underserved population."
Looking ahead, Meador is particularly excited about helping shape the department's future through strategic planning, clinical growth, and expanded partnerships across the health system.
"I look forward to the opportunity to participate in high-level strategy decisions that will lead to the development of new clinical services, further expansion into our community, supporting and treating more patients who need our expertise, all while trying to improve the workflows of our providers to enhance their career needs and job satisfaction,” Meador said.
That vision is rooted in a leadership philosophy centered on collaboration and shared priorities.
“The starting point is always delivering high-quality care,” Meador said. “My next area of focus is distilling out what the various interests and needs of the relevant parties are and how we can align our goals such that we are all rowing in the same direction.”
Meador succeeds David Geldmacher, M.D., University Professor, Warren Family Endowed Chair, and director of the Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology in the Department of Neurology, who served as vice chair for clinical affairs for more than a decade. In announcing the transition, Standaert noted that Geldmacher was instrumental in developing many of the department's clinical programs, including the consultation service.
As the department continues to grow, Meador said his focus will remain on supporting providers and ensuring patients have access to the expertise and care for which UAB Neurology is known, noting that patients appreciate the expertise of UAB Neurology providers and the evidence-based treatments and recommendations they receive for complex neurological conditions. More than half of the department's clinical providers have achieved patient satisfaction top-box scores above 95 percent.
"My hope is that the actions taken through my roles will ultimately make it easier for our providers to deliver the excellent care they provide daily to the patients we serve," Meador said.