Dr. Terrell Bacchus began his career at ChenMed in 2013 as a physician in the Atlanta market alongside other doctors. Before joining us, Dr. Bacchus believed he would have to return to Canada to fulfill his visa requirements; however, ChenMed allowed him to remain in the United States and begin practicing. Looking back at his time with us, he describes the heart-warming feeling of the impact ChenMed is making. When talking with other physicians in the network, there is a real sense of pride.

When he began practicing as a physician, leadership was desired, but his goal was to finish his residency and cross the finish line. That said, one year after starting at ChenMed, he made a partnership and got a taste of life as a physician leader. Dr. Bacchus’s goal now shifted to mastering leadership and ensuring patients have optimal outcomes through his influence as a leader.

Growth at ChenMed

At ChenMed, our physicians are offered a continuing medical education (CME) allowance and CME allotted days. Dr. Bacchus took advantage of this perk and attended the Family Medicine Experience event hosted by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Beyond this, he has used ChenMed U and the added materials available for staff training, in which he promotes “mastery before innovation.”

Dr. Bacchus’s goals for continued career development lie with growth, stating that “where can I add value is where I want to be.” Personal development and success also underpin his aspirations moving forward, ensuring that our patients at ChenMed continue to do better. In his current role, he is “blessed with a wonderful team of regional chief clinical officers with the same servant attitude,” making growth that much easier. However, he does add that those considering a similar role “Must be open and curious, and willing to learn and change quickly.” Adaptability is key in this field.

Driving Culture and Patient Care

Culture and our care delivery model are at the heart of ChenMed, and this is one of Dr. Bacchus’ favorite things about our organization. Our approach to patient care ensures that our physicians are protected and promotes a feel-good atmosphere within a great culture. Moreover, he adds that our intentional focus on culture and the availability of our care delivery model enables us to care for so many patients as new physicians can come straight in and learn a “rock solid model.”

“Learn the [care delivery] model through and through, then try to do everything else.”

Throughout his career, Dr. Bacchus has faced many challenges as he has transitioned from a primary care physician to the medical director of primary care, then to chief medical officer, and now a regional chief clinical officer. Stepping out of his comfort zone to take on a new challenge, switching markets, and not having the same notoriety in the new markets was hard as he had to prove himself at every step. Yet, throughout his career, Dr. Bacchus has been “big on relationships.” Getting to know his dedicated team of primary care physicians and certified medical directors enabled him to tackle any issue that came his way.

“It’s not your problem; it’s our problem.”

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