David S. Hecht was named Chief of Staff effective July 1, 2012. In this role, Dr. Hecht is responsible for all clinical issues that affect the medical staff and for overseeing the clinical, teaching and research services provided by it. In addition, he serves as a Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery and Associate Dean for Veterans Affairs at East Tennessee State University’s James H. Quillen College of Medicine.

Prior to this appointment, Dr. Hecht held the position of Chief of Surgery at James H. Quillen VA Medical Center. During his tenure as Surgery Chief, he facilitated the coordination of significant process improvements that led to increased productivity and efficiency throughout the operating theater and surgical wards while improving quality initiatives as measured by the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

Dr. Hecht graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in psychology in 1992 and from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in 1996. He completed his General Surgery Residency at the University of Florida, Shands Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida in 2001 where he was Chief Resident and received the Emmett F. Ferguson, Jr., Award for Outstanding Surgical Resident. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. In December 2009, he completed the Physician Executive MBA Program at the University of Tennessee.

Prior to coming to JHQVAMC, he was CEO of Mountain Empire Medical and Surgical Associates, PLLC, a multi-specialty private practice in Elizabethton, Tennessee. Dr. Hecht joined James H. Quillen VAMC as Chief of General Surgery section in August 2008, and was appointed Chief of Surgery in July 2010.