Salude CEO and Director of Rehab Named Finalists in the Gwinnett Chamber Healthcare Excellence Award

ATLANTA (Dec. 11, 2015) – Salude Chief Executive Officer Alan Wang, MD, SFHM, FACP and Director of Rehabilitation Vicki Braun have been named finalists for the Gwinnett Chamber Healthcare Excellence Awards. The winners in each award category will be unveiled at the Dec. 15 ceremony at the Infinite Energy Forum in Duluth during the ceremony at 5:30 p.m.

The program recognizes excellence and innovation and honors the efforts of individuals and organizations making a significant impact in the healthcare community. The finalists provide examples of best practices to emulate in providing quality healthcare.

“At Salude, it is our privilege to work in an environment that has a team-based patient and family-centered approach. We could not do what we do without our team working together to provide clinical excellence and superb rehabilitation services,” said Salude CEO Dr. Alan Wang. “We are humbled and honored to be recognized for the dedication and support we give each day to our patients in recovery care.”

Dr. Wang was named a finalist in the Physician of the Year – Specialist category while Vickie Braun was named a finalist in the Healthcare Professional category.

Dr. Wang helped start the Emory Hospital Medicine Program. He served as site medical director at several locations in Atlanta. From October 2008 – July 2013, he served as the director of the Emory Section of Hospital Medicine. Under his leadership, the Division of Hospital of Medicine grew to be the largest academic hospital medicine program in the country and the largest hospital medicine system in the state of Georgia. Dr. Wang is a Senior Fellow in Hospital Medicine and Fellow of the American College of Physicians.

Braun has been an occupational therapist for 35 years and a manager of therapy for 21 of those years. She helped start a 25-bed program for patients with traumatic brain injuries. She has spearheaded several research projects with the Veterans Administration focused on interventions to help improve family care giving of older veterans. Braun has worked in acute care, outpatient and home health care and skilled nursing facilities.

The Physician of the Year category recognizes an individual who has exhibited excellence by giving outstanding patient attention and responding to the needs of their families, while also leading a top-performing practice.

The Healthcare Professional category honors an individual who has demonstrated dedication, leadership and support to the industry from nurses and medical assistants to pharmacists and physical therapists.

Other categories include: Community Leadership, Corporate Achievement, Executive Administrator, Healthcare Agency, Healthcare Professional, Physician of the Year – Dentist, Primary Care and Specialist and Volunteer Service.