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Contact: Sarah Bello

Dr. Jimmy Heilman and Jennifer Peach-Guzman are new CMO and VP of Patient Care Services

CMH is pleased to welcome two new members to the executive leadership team. Dr. Jimmy Heilman is the new chief medical officer, and Jennifer Peach-Guzman is the new vice president of patient care services. Both Dr. Heilman and Jennifer started work at CMH the week of May 5.

Jimmy Heilman, MD, MBA: Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Jimmy Heilman, chief medical officer (CMO), is a familiar face at CMH, having been the member representing OHSU on CMH’s Board of Trustees for six years. He is an experienced physician leader with a proven track record of implementing strategic initiatives and improving operational performance.

“I am thrilled to start the chief medical officer role at Columbia Memorial Hospital. CMH is an incredible organization with a clear mission to serve the community by helping people live their healthiest lives,” Dr. Heilman says. “I look forward to listening and learning from everyone and to helping to lead collaborative efforts to consistently provide support and enhance systems of care for patients and caregivers. Improving the coordination between CMH and OHSU in clinical and educational spaces is also a top priority and something I look forward to working on.”

For the last 12 years, Dr. Heilman has worked at OHSU, starting as an emergency physician and assistant professor of emergency medicine in 2013, then serving as director of quality improvement and executive vice chair for the department, transfer center medical director for OHSU, and finally moving into a strategy role as the vice president for strategic outreach. While at OHSU, he has worked clinically in the adult and pediatric emergency departments and the Hillsboro Medical Center emergency department.

In his most recent role, Dr. Heilman led cross-functional teams working to advance clinical and educational collaboration initiatives with health systems, hospitals and clinics in the Pacific Northwest.

As a member of the CMH Board, Dr. Heilman chaired the Quality Oversight Committee and helped develop and implement the High Reliability Organization program emphasizing safety over 2023-2024. He was also a part of the Medical Staff Credentialing Committee.

Dr. Heilman attended the University of Oregon for his bachelor’s degree and earned his medical degree at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia. He completed an emergency medicine residency at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and a health care administration fellowship focused on emergency medicine at OHSU. He also earned a master’s in business administration in a joint program developed by OHSU and Portland State University.

As CMO, Dr. Heilman will help improve coordination between CMH and OHSU to achieve seamless care that benefits patients and supports providers. He will oversee quality and patient safety, help direct clinical strategy, support providers in the CMH-OHSU Health Medical Group, and serve as an important member of the executive leadership team.

Jennifer Peach-Guzman, RN, BSN, MBA: Vice President of Patient Care Services
Jennifer Peach-Guzman joins CMH as vice president of patient care services with more than 20 years of experience as a nurse. She started her career as an Emergency Department nurse, and her most recent bedside experience was as a Critical Care transport nurse. She has served in several roles, including clinical educator, case manager, team leader, clinical director and pediatric clinical instructor.

With a strong background in innovative management, Jennifer has a history of implementing successful processes and marketing initiatives designed to increase patient volumes and grow revenue and staff engagement in the health care setting.

“What I gained from my interactions with many of you [while interviewing] is that Columbia Memorial Hospital is not just a team of individuals, but a community bound together by shared purpose and a common goal to provide the best quality health care to our community,” she says. “I look forward to collaborating with you, am eager to work alongside you and am excited for the journey ahead.”

For the last 10 years, she has been in leadership roles, directing ICU units, a pediatric department, an emergency department, and strategic partnerships for medical centers in California. Most recently, she was executive director of nursing operations for Jefferson Healthcare in Port Townsend, Washington.

While there, Jennifer oversaw the clinical and operational practices and processes for 12 hospital-based departments. She also worked to develop and implement strategic plans, restructuring the inpatient nursing staff to align with patient and operational needs, and improving quality outcomes along with departmental leadership.

Jennifer earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s of business administration degree, both from the University of Phoenix.

Jennifer will oversee nursing services, pharmacy, clinical education, employee health and surgical services. She is grateful and excited for the opportunity to serve at CMH.