Samaritan announces changes to health care leadership team

Mount Laurel-based Samaritan, a not-for-profit, leading provider of home-based primary care, palliative medicine and hospice care, recently announced changes to its health care leadership team. Dr. Sara Pagliaro has been elevated to chief medical officer of Samaritan and Dr. Stephen Goldfine will transition to a new, part-time role as physician executive of the organization.

“Dr. Pagliaro and Dr. Goldfine have consistently provided excellent leadership, clinical expertise and extraordinary compassion that is invaluable to the lives of our patients and their families,” Phillip Heath, Samaritan CEO and president, said. “We are delighted to congratulate Dr. Pagliaro on her promotion to chief medical officer, while we are grateful to have Dr. Goldfine continuing on in the role of physician executive.”

In her new role Pagliaro will immediately assume all responsibilities of the executive leadership position and full oversight of the organization’s clinical health care services, including the delivery of care to more than 11,000 patients, clients and their families each year.

Pagliaro first joined Samaritan in 2012 as a hospice & palliative physician, and later advanced to associate director of palliative medicine and then vice president of medical services. As a respected leader, advocate and educator, Pagliaro works closely with Samaritan’s hospice teams and oversees the organization’s expanding inpatient palliative services at area hospitals and nursing facilities. She is medical director of Jefferson Health East Palliative Medicine and serves on Jefferson’s Ethics and Cancer committees. A recognized expert in dementia care, she also regularly collaborates with the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation. Prior to joining Samaritan, Pagliaro served as medical director at University Doctors and assistant professor at Rowan University of Osteopathic Medicine.

Goldfine has served as Samaritan’s chief medical officer since 2003, when he first joined the organization. For over 20 years, he has provided dedicated oversight and care for Samaritan patients and their families, while leading the expansion of the organization’s health care services from hospice to palliative medicine, primary care and more. As physician executive, Goldfine will continue to support Samaritan’s established Home Visit Physicians and Palliative Medical Partners programs.