LifeBridge Health Announces Dr. Joseph Bennett as New Chief of Surgery
LifeBridge Health has announced the appointment of Joseph Bennett, M.D., MBA., as the new chief of surgery for the health system, whose acute care hospitals include Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Northwest Hospital, Carroll Hospital and Grace Medical Center. Dr. Bennett is a surgical oncologist who joins LifeBridge Health from ChristianaCare Health System in Delaware where he served as division chief of surgical oncology for a 1,000-bed teaching hospital. He began his tenure on July 1.
“Along with his clinical expertise and experience, Dr. Bennett also stands out for having the respect of his peers and colleagues, as well as his ability to work collaboratively. He has a proven track record of success and leadership, and we are excited that he has joined our LifeBridge Health team,” says Matthew Poffenroth, M.D., chief physician executive and senior vice president at LifeBridge Health. Dr. Poffenroth is also president of LifeBridge Health Medical Group.
“I feel privileged to join the LifeBridge Health community and am eager to work with our teams to build on the foundation here of surgical excellence and community-focused patient care. I also look forward to partnering with Drs. Marcie Feinman and Christina Li, who will continue as vice chairs at Sinai and Northwest, and Dr. Sarah Lentz, chair at Carroll Hospital, as well as all the surgeons, other physician colleagues and LifeBridge Health team members,” says Dr. Bennett.
Dr. Bennett joins LifeBridge Health following the retirement of Dr. Mark Katlic, who is stepping away from active surgical practice as chief of surgery at Sinai Hospital, Grace Medical Center and Northwest Hospital. Dr. Katlic will continue as emeritus chief and director of the Aging Surgeon Program. He will also remain active in teaching and working with surgical residents.
Medical education and teaching were also important factors in Dr. Bennett’s selection as chief of surgery, which came following a national search.
Dr. Poffenroth adds, “In addition to Dr. Bennett’s busy clinical practice as a general surgeon and surgical oncologist, in his previous role, he also served as a core teacher for the surgical residency, as well as a researcher and medical innovator. This commitment to education and innovation also made him a great fit with our philosophy and mission at LifeBridge Health.”
In addition to his role as division chief at ChristianaCare, Dr. Bennett served as president of the ChristianaCare medical staff and medical executive committee, and as a hospital board member. He has also held the positions of president of the Delaware chapter of the American College of Surgeons and president of the Delaware Society of Clinical Oncology.
Dr. Bennett graduated summa cum laude and is an Alpha Omega Alpha honoree from the SUNY Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn, where he earned his M.D. He completed his general surgery residency at the University of Chicago and pursued two surgical oncology fellowships at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He obtained his bachelor’s degree with honors in chemistry from Colgate University and earned a master’s in business administration with a concentration in healthcare administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
About LifeBridge Health: LifeBridge Health is one of the largest, most comprehensive providers of health services in Maryland. LifeBridge Health includes Sinai Hospital, Northwest Hospital, Carroll Hospital, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, Grace Medical Center and related subsidiaries and affiliates. For more information, visit https://www.lifebridgehealth.org/
Contact: Theo Hayes, 410-601-2296, thayes3@lifebridgehealth.org