Neuroradiologist Clifford J. Belden, MD, was appointed Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health System’s chief clinical officer and executive vice president, integrated delivery system.

Belden, a former department chair who has served as interim chief clinical officer for the past year, rounds out a four-person leadership team charged with implementing Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s new operating strategy.

The health system recently organized into four operating units, including enterprise strategy, led by James N. Weinstein, MD, CEO and president; population health management, led by Rob Greene, MD; enterprise support services, led by John Birkmeyer, MD; and integrated delivery system, led by Belden.

"Since coming to Dartmouth-Hitchcock in 2008, [Belden] has established himself as an innovative leader with a demonstrated commitment to creating a sustainable health system that is population and value-based, with new payment models that improve quality while lowering cost," Weinstein said in a prepared statement.

Under Belden’s leadership, Dartmouth-Hitchcock has achieved the lowest imaging utilization rates in the nation, according to the announcement of his appointment.

"In a fee-for-service world, hospitals and health providers rely on imaging as a significant source of revenue: The more we image, the better the margin," Weinstein said in a prepared statement. "That may be good for the bottom line, but it's not good for patients and the evidence doesn't support it. Cliff has been a leader in making sure we're doing procedures appropriately, with the right protocols, at the right time and in the best location. He can now apply this ethos across our clinical operations, so that patients, when well-informed about options, receive only the care they want and need."

Belden said in a prepared statement: "This is an exciting time to be at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. We are uniquely positioned to become the premiere value-based academic health system in the country. Working with the clinical leaders across our system, we are building a care delivery system that will deliver on the promise of higher quality care at a competitive cost. Ultimately—and most importantly—our patients are the ones who will benefit from better outcomes, lower costs and improved access."

Prior to serving as interim chief clinical officer, Belden was chair of the department of radiology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Board certified in diagnostic radiology and neuroradiology, he specializes in head and neck cancer.