Dr. Malissa Wood Appointed as Lee Health’s Heart Institute’s Vice President and Chief Physician Executive

(Fort Myers, Fla. – July 10, 2023) --- Widely respected throughout the national and international cardiovascular community, Dr. Malissa Wood has been selected to serve as Lee Health’s new vice president and chief physician executive of the Lee Health Heart Institute.

Dr. Wood comes to Lee Health from Massachusetts General Hospital, where she was a staff physician in the Cardiac Ultrasound Laboratory as well as the co-director of the Corrigan Women's Heart Health Program and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. She was the principal investigator of the Happy Heart Trial, a primary prevention study designed to improve the cardiovascular health of high-risk, low-income women. Dr. Wood has also conducted clinical research for the U.S. Olympic Committee, Harvard University athletes, marathon runners and rowers and has published extensively on cardiac adaptations to exercise.

She received her Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Missouri Kansas City, and she completed both her Internal Medicine and Cardiology training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, where she served as chief medical resident.

Dr. Wood was recently honored with the 2023 Wenger Award for Excellence in Medical Leadership for her extraordinary contributions to women’s heart health. She also recently completed a term as the Chairman of the Board of Governors and Secretary of the American College of Cardiology.

In her new role, Dr. Wood will co-lead the cardiology service line across acute care and ambulatory settings. She and vice president of operations of the Lee Health Heart Institute, Adam DeJong, will work together to ensure high-quality care for Southwest Florida patients while positioning the Lee Health Heart Institute as a state and national destination for cardiovascular care.

They will also work closely with leadership to actively seek innovations in heart care and support a culture of performance, quality, service, accountability and transparency for physicians and providers.

“Dr. Wood will help us further solidify Lee Health and Southwest Florida as a premier location for high-quality cardiovascular care. She has demonstrated a commitment to research, innovation and a dedication to excellent patient treatment. Visionary clinicians like Dr. Wood can fundamentally change the healthcare landscape and our whole community will benefit,” said Dr. Iahn Gonsenhauser, Lee Health’s chief medical officer.

Dr. Wood began her role with Lee Health on July 10.