Southern New Hampshire Medical Center welcomes new Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Timothy Scherer

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center has appointed a new chief medical officer.

“I am very excited for the opportunity to look at health care in this setting,” said Dr. Timothy Scherer, who will begin his duties on Wednesday. “I was always interested in moving forward into the new health care environment.”

Currently, Scherer serves as medical director for Dartmouth -Hitchcock in Nashua, but has been working in the medical field for more than 15 years.

Scherer said he is impressed with Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, which he described as a versatile organization with a strong mission.

“I think my first goal is to go in and listen and understand what is happening in the hospital,” said Scherer, adding he wants to meet with employees at every level to discuss their needs.

He described himself as an inclusive leader who hopes to help facilitate answers and solutions proposed jointly by staff and hospital officials.

Scherer, 47, of Hollis, is a board-certified gastroenterologist with a clinical practice in hepatology and advanced endoscopy. He has degrees from the State University of New York and the State University of New York Health Science Center.

His priority is delivering the best quality of care in the hospital, and to ensure that the outcomes are being measured, he said.

Making sure the facility provides a positive environment for workers is also critical, according to Scherer, who said happy employees will result in better patient experiences.

“Dr. Scherer is an extremely accomplished and talented leader, highly regarded among his peers in southern New Hampshire and nationally, particularly with regard to his groundbreaking work in the area of population health,” Tate Curti, senior vice president and chief operating officer at SNHMC, said in a statement. “His extensive clinical experience and leadership skills make him an asset to both the Medical Center and Southern New Hampshire Health.”

According to a release, Scherer served on Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s board of trustees and the board of directors of The Surgery Center of Greater Nashua.

He is replacing Kenneth Howe, who retired from his role as chief medical officer but remains a general surgeon at SNHMC, the release said.