Hospital Medicine Welcomes 40 New Faculty
October 22, 2025 - by Alexandra Medina and Samantha Wang, MD
This month, the Stanford Division of Hospital Medicine hosted its first Hospital Medicine Academic Orientation Day, welcoming over 40 new faculty to the 2025 cohort.
Samantha Wang, MD and Marcel Hite, M. Ed, opening Hospital Medicine Academic Oirentation Day
Amid growing clinical demands across Stanford Health Care, the division has strategically expanded by hiring over 40 new physicians. This brings the total to over 170 across multiple clinical sites. The new faculty come from top academic institutions nationwide, many with advanced degrees, chief residencies, and fellowship training.
Preserving the division's strong academic identity has been a priority during this time of growth, Stanford Hospital Medicine has distinguished itself as one of the nation’s leading research-focused hospitalist programs and has sustained it’s academic mission of scholarship, quality improvement, and innovation.
The event kicked off with a welcome from Samantha Wang, MD, grounding the day around the pillars of division culture, including academic excellence, intellectual curiosity, and the spirit of innovation. The day began with gratitude, reflecting months of thoughtful planning and opening with a heartfelt thanks to the colleagues who made the day possible, including Jeff Chi, MD, Associate Division Chief, Tami Scott, DBA, Administrative Division Director, and a special acknowledgement to the hospitalists covering clinical services so new faculty could be present.
The line-up featured an impressive group of hospitalist speakers whose leadership and impact span every corner of Stanford Health Care. Division interim co-chiefs Jason Hom, MD, and Kevin Schulman, MD, highlighted the division’s remarkable infrastructure, academic output, and opportunities ahead. Neera Ahuja, MD and Niraj Sehgal, MD spoke to how the division has become a cornerstone of the Department of Medicine, driving quality, safety, and system-wide improvement.
The program also showcased Hospital Medicine’s robust faculty development ecosystem. Marcel Hite, M.Ed, outlined a structured network of initiatives, including the MODEL Program, PODs (peer-coaching groups), Hospital Medicine Labs, and SMART-HM — a five-year professional development pathway led by Andre Kumar, MD, MEd — that connects mentorship, scholarship, and networking. These programs underscore how Stanford Hospital Medicine invests in growth at every stage of its facultys' careers.
Jason Hom, MD and Niraj Sehgal, MD welcomed the new cohort of faculty.
Neera Ahuja, MD and Kevin Schulman, MD served as speakers at the inaugural Academic Orientation Day.
Charles Laio, MD and David Svec, MD shared their own pathways to hospital medicine.
A session on Pathways in Hospital Medicine showcased four mid-career faculty who have advanced into leadership roles across education, operations, and research. Charles Liao, MD, spoke about the importance of grounding early professional years in clinical mastery. Will Collins, MD, drew on his musical background to describe how academic careers develop their own rhythm through improvisation, listening, adapting, and collaborating. Minjoung Go, MD, emphasized the importance of exploring until one finds both professional and personal fulfillment. Lastly, David Svec, MD, reminded the group to keep a sense of adventure and perspective.
Panelist (left to right): Ginger Yang, MD, Kate Luenprakansit, MD, Will Collins, MD and Minjoung Go, MD
A subsequent panel brought together Collins, Go, Ginger Yang, MD, and Kate Luenprakansit, MD, to share candid insights on how early projects mature into lasting opportunities, balancing ambition and family, and how to say no without closing doors. The group spoke to their experience leading national multi-center clinical trials, creating new GME programs, and forging individualized career paths. The conversation captured definitive characteristics of division culture, specifically the wisdom earned through experience, and generosity in mentorship.
In the afternoon, new faculty joined Medicine Grand Rounds, where Errol Ozdalga, MD, welcomed the group and acknowledged the amazing energy they brought to the auditorium. The day continued with a campus-wide team challenge and concluded with an evening networking reception that connected new faculty with ongoing divisional projects, collaborations, and current faculty. The program closed with reflections from Wang and Hite, who hoped that the day mirrored the division’s vibrant, innovative, and deeply collaborative spirit.
One new faculty member summarized it best:
“I asked my physician friends at other institutions if they had anything like this. No one did. This division is truly one of a kind.
Photos courtesy of Alexandra Medina and Clinton Louie
Hospital Medicine is the fastest growing division within the Stanford Department of Medicine, with 160+ primary CE/UML faculty across Stanford Health Care, Sequoia Hospital, and SHC–Tri-Valley, and 40 affiliate faculty at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System and the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.