Northern Arizona Orthopaedics (NAO) Board of Directors has selected Summit Center co-founder and veteran business leader Carl DeRosa, Ph.D. as chief executive officer, effective June 1, 2015. Dr. DeRosa joins NAO with more than 30 years of experience at some of Flagstaff’s leading organizations and institutions. As the new CEO, Dr. DeRosa’s top priorities will be strategizing to drive high-performance, high-quality and high-value orthopaedics that will contribute to improving and sustaining the health of our community.
Well connected to Northern Arizona’s medical, academic and business communities, Dr. DeRosa is a recognized leader in musculoskeletal care and rehabilitation, and a visionary in the future models of how it’s delivered. He is a member of Flagstaff 40, a local business-leadership group recognized for its commitment to improving the community’s quality of life.
“NAO has long been a leader in musculoskeletal care in Northern Arizona and is well positioned to meet and exceed the demands emerging health care changes will require. To help lead such a dedicated and caring group of individuals is a tremendous opportunity for me. It will be an honor to work with the talented individuals throughout this exceptional organization,” said DeRosa.
Much of the NAO staff has already known Dr. DeRosa for many years. He is owner and founder of DeRosa Physical Therapy, one of the three businesses originating inside the Summit Center; including NAO and the current Northern Arizona Healthcare Orthopedic Surgery Center. A founding father of the Summit Center, Dr. DeRosa has been serving on the NAO Executive Committee for more than 10 years and has historical knowledge of the NAO business. In addition, for 17 years, Dr. DeRosa was chair of the internationally renowned Advanced Degree Physical Therapy Program at NAU and as an NAU professor, received national and international recognition for his contributions to the advancement of musculoskeletal care.
“Carl has well demonstrated his commitment to Flagstaff and the greater Arizona communities in a large number of leadership roles,” said NAO President Timothy Bonatus, D.O. “We share a common vision of the future of musculoskeletal care in our region. He is our choice to lead NAO into the next era of healthcare.”
With the shift, current CEO Joe Smith will step down and return to his home in Florida. Smith was instrumental in many positive changes and improvements for the business, and will leave an impressive track record behind him.
“We would like to thank Joe Smith for an outstanding two years of leadership. Simply put, Joe was the right guy at the right time to set NAO on the path to solid financial footing, a strong corporate culture and promising partnerships,” said Dr. Bonatus. FBN
For more information, please contact Carrie Heinonen, director of marketing and relations, Northern Arizona Orthopaedics, at 928-226-2936 or by email: heinonenc@northazortho.com.