Asante names Medical Affairs VP for Ashland

Steven Hersch, MD, an internist in private practice, will join Asante Ashland Community Hospital as vice president of Medical Affairs and hospital administrator on Aug. 30.

Dr. Hersch is founder of Meducation, a concierge practice in Ashland that works with patients as partners and emphasizes “whole-person” care. He has served on Asante’s medical staff since 2002, when he became one of the first hospitalists at ARRMC. That year, he and his wife, Jill, a psychotherapist, moved from Southern California to Ashland.

A Southern California native, Dr. Hersch attended undergraduate and medical school at the University of Southern California before moving to Boston for his residency at Beth Israel Hospital. After completing his residency, he returned to Southern California, where he practiced internal medicine with a small group for 13 years.

Outside of his practice, Dr. Hersch has pursued several other medical roles, including editor-in-chief of inpatient documents for ExitCare, a patient-education website; board chairman of Asante Health Network; and member of the medical executive and credentials committees at Asante Ashland Community Hospital.

“Dr. Hersch brings years of complex clinical knowledge and skills to this role,” said Jamie Grebosky, MD, chief medical officer for Asante. “He has worked in group practice, as a hospitalist and in solo practice as well as led population health efforts through Asante Health Network.”

Dr. Hersch lives in Ashland with his wife and teenage daughter. He enjoys sailing and spending time building his wood-turning skills in his basement wood shop. He and his family enjoy movies, theater and travel.

He succeeds Lee Shapley, MD, who is returning to the East Coast after six years at Asante Ashland, first as a hospitalist, then in a leadership capacity.

“Dr. Shapley not only served as the vice president of Medical Affairs and hospital administrator, he was also an active member of the medical staff, taking shifts as a hospitalist,” Dr. Grebosky said. “During his leadership, Dr. Shapley helped lead pandemic preparations, co-established the monoclonal antibodies infusion center and was instrumental in the planning phase of the age-friendly initiative at Asante Ashland.”