Dean Pollnow, MD was placed as the chief medical officer at Holy Family Memorial in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The Holy Family health network is the largest provider of healthcare services in Manitowoc County, with more than 1,150 healthcare professionals, including 80 providers. Network services encompass an inpatient and outpatient medical center (with Level III trauma center designation), walk-in care, more than 15 clinics, retail pharmacies, a medically-based wellness center, and a state-of-the-art rehab facility. Holy Family meets or exceeds all reported measures related to the National Quality Improvement Goals, and has been recognized for achievements in patient safety, transparency of metrics, and continuous quality improvement. Dr. Pollnow is a top executive within the organization, leading a 100-provider medical group practice and providing strategic and organizational leadership to HFM’s CEO and board regarding quality, medical care delivery, population health, provider group governance, and network-wide care operations. He designs and oversees all areas of provider culture, as well as the medical staff and medical director functions, and integrates these with operational service line deployment and provider leadership development.
Before joining Holy Family, Dr. Pollnow served as the medical director of medical and surgical specialties, pediatrics, psychiatry, ENT/audiology, and women’s health for Ministry Medical Group’s Northern Region, and the chief of staff/medical staff president for Ministry St. Mary’s and Sacred Heart Hospitals in Wisconsin. He provided leadership for the medical staff and its committees, improved patient satisfaction and the collaboration between staff and providers and between specialties, served as a board member, and was involved in strategic planning. Dr. Pollnow oversaw the creation of service level agreements between the hospitalist service and orthopedics, general surgery, and interventional radiology, and facilitated successful reaccreditation by the Joint Commission in 2015. He was a key participant in increasing operating room utilization efficiencies from less than 40% to greater than 60%, and was involved in several root cause analysis events, green belt projects, and QI restructuring to both a peer review and a central clearing house for quality improvement projects.
Dr. Pollnow was previously at Aurora Health Care in Milwaukee, where he served as a vice chief of surgery, chief of surgery, and chief of OB, as well as participating on the credentials, performance improvement, executive, and quality assurance committees. He spent one year as a medical director at Ascension Health in St. Louis before joining Ministry Health Care in 2007.
Dr. Pollnow is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He completed his bachelor’s degree in zoology and biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, his medical degree at the Medical College of Wisconsin (with an internship and residency in obstetrics and gynecology), and his MBA at the University of Tennessee. Dr. Pollnow is a diplomat of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and a member of the Society of Pelvic Reconstructive Surgeons, the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists, and the State Medical Society of Wisconsin. Outside of work, Dr. Pollnow enjoys spending time with his family and being in the outdoors, and is an instrument-rated private pilot.
QLK’s Scott Sammon led the search to recruit Dr. Pollnow to Holy Family Memorial, where he has been in place since August 24, 2016.
