Andrew Chu MD, medical director of the Alton Memorial Hospital lab, is the winner of the 2022 Alton Memorial Hospital Chairman’s Award. Dr. Chu won based on nominations submitted by employees and his fellow physicians.
He received the award recently from Gary Ayres, chairman of the AMH board of directors. Dr. Chu succeeded Dr. Susan Rayne, who retired in March 2021.
“I am honored to be in this position and grateful that so many people value what we are doing in the laboratory,” Dr. Chu said. “Having been at AMH for nearly seven years, I have had the privilege of working with many physicians who I feel are deserving of this recognition. I owe a special thanks to the entire lab team, and, in particular (manager) Ruth Tepen and (supervisor) Melissa Crouch.
Dr. Chu has been on staff at AMH since 2016 and has served as chief of pathology and laboratory medical director since April 2021. He is also the director of flow cytometry, hematology, and molecular diagnostics at Christian Hospital and the president of Analytical Pathology Services.
At that time Dr. Chu became medical director, the lab was getting ready to enter its regulatory compliance inspection window, conducted by the College of American Pathologists.
“Dr. Chu stepped up to the challenge and helped support lab management and frontline staff through a very successful inspection, which speaks to the quality of work provided by the lab and his commitment to excellence,” one nomination said. “Dr. Chu helped the lab develop workflow processes for the implementation of new procedures to be performed at Alton Memorial Hospital, which are crucial to diagnosing disease states in our patients.”
Other nomination comments for Dr. Chu include:
- “Dr. Chu routinely discusses the lab’s workflow performance with the radiologists and pulmonologists to ensure quality of care.”
- “Dr. Chu continuously strives to promote the values of AMH and BJC HealthCare. His care and thoughtfulness of the lab staff is evidence of his dedication to the “CREST” values that BJC and AMH hold very high.”
- “Dr. Chu routinely recognizes his staff and makes them feel that he truly cares, allowing them to feel safe to speak to lab/patient issues. The staff of AMH Lab have gained confidence and grown in their own leadership and technical abilities, in part to the excellent mentorship and oversight of this dedicated physician.”
- “Dr. Chu continually strives to improve clinical quality and patient safety through the adoption of new technologies and service innovations.”
- “Dr. Chu maintains a strong rapport with the medical staff. He routinely fields calls after hours from many of our providers regarding laboratory-related questions.”
Dr. Chu is triple board-certified in anatomic pathology, clinical pathology and hematopathology, having completed his training at Baylor University Medical Center and UT Southwestern. He is a graduate of Saint Louis University School of Medicine, where he met his wife Mandi, a radiologist. They live in St. Charles, Mo., with their sons Ethan and Miles, ages 6 and 4.
The Chairman’s Award recognizes a member of the AMH medical staff for the contribution the physician makes to the hospital and community, active participation in hospital and medical staff departmental affairs, and the promotion and practice of outstanding customer service with hospital patients and staff.
Previous recipients of the Chairman’s Award were Dr. Leo Green, Dr. Daniel Platt, Dr. David Riedel, Dr. Kathie Wuellner, Dr. Edward Cornell, Dr. Edward Harrow, Dr. Maudie Miller, Dr. Robert Hamilton, Dr. Edward Ragsdale, Dr. Laurence Monckton, Dr. Thomas Ryan, Dr. Mark Allendorph, Dr. John Hoelscher, Dr. David Burnside, Dr. Charles Schranck, Dr. Randall Rogalsky, Dr. Salvador Lo Bianco, Dr. Erik Stabell, Dr. James Hudson, Dr. Stanley Sidwell, Dr. John Wuellner, Dr. Geoffrey Turner, Dr. Angela Holbrook, Dr. Juri McDowell, Dr. Laura Hill, Dr. Julietta Avagyan and Dr. Narine Sargysan.
Pictured above: Dr. Andrew Chu (right), medical director of the Alton Memorial Hospital lab, received the 2022 Chairman’s Award recently from Gary Ayres, chairman of the AMH board of directors.