The Monroe County Medical Society has named a new executive director.
Lucia Acosta-Castillejo is slated to start in the MCMS post Nov. 16. The agency’s current executive director, Christopher Bell, plans to work with Acosta-Castillejo through the end of the year.
Acosta-Castillejo most recently headed the Alliance for Senior Care Communities, which represents the area’s five largest nonprofit skilled nursing and senior living organizations. Previously, she served as executive director of Health Reach, a Rochester Regional Health provider of health care for the homeless, and before that for Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Bell has held the MCMS post since 2016, when he took over from MCMS executive director Nancy Adams, who retired after some two decades at the agency’s helm. Bell is slated in January to move to Gastroenterology Group of Rochester as the eight-physician private group’s practice administrator.
His successor, says Bell, “has extensive experience working with adult, pediatric and specialty physicians/practices as well with health systems, third-party payers, federal and local grant funders and throughout her career, has advocated and supported physicians and medical providers.”
Bell also cites Acosta-Castillejo’s equal proficiency in Spanish and English as a plus for the organization.
“I am overjoyed to have the opportunity to continue the good work the Medical Society is doing,” Acosta-Castillejo says.
A nonprofit that provides continuing medical education and other support services for area physicians, MCMS represents 1,250 doctors practicing in Monroe, Livingston, Ontario, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne and Yates counties. Members include privately practicing doctors as well as physicians employed by area health systems like RRH and the University of Rochester’s UR Medicine. Its Albany-based parent, the Medical Society of the State of New York, lobbies state government extensively on physicians’ behalf.
Will Astor is Rochester Beacon senior writer.