Professional Role and Responsibilities
Dr. Leo J. Penzi serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at North American Partners in Anesthesia, headquartered in Melville, New York. He is also a member of NAPA’s Board of Directors and holds the title of Vice Chairman within the organization. Dr. Penzi has been affiliated with NAPA since 1991, dedicating the majority of his career to clinical anesthesiology and progressively taking on senior leadership roles. His tenure includes service as an Executive Vice Chairman at a quaternary care hospital within the NAPA network, reflecting deep operational and clinical leadership experience.
In his current executive capacity, Dr. Penzi leads NAPA’s quality and patient safety initiatives, focusing on the development and nurturing of a collaborative process improvement culture within the organization's anesthesia services. This culture is supported by a quality metric framework designed to promote continuous enhancements in clinical services, patient outcomes, and patient safety.
Clinical and Leadership Expertise
- Board Certification: Diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiologists.
- Medical Degree: New York University Grossman School of Medicine.
- Residency Training: Anesthesia residency completed at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
- Extensive experience with hospital and health system leadership committees emphasizing operating room (OR) operational efficiency, quality improvement, and patient safety.
Dr. Penzi’s leadership encompasses hands-on clinical expertise alongside strategic oversight for NAPA’s clinical teams. He actively promotes team-based quality improvement, as reflected in numerous public acknowledgments of NAPA clinicians’ role in delivering high-quality anesthesia care and patient safety.
Contributions to Clinical Quality and Patient Safety
Under Dr. Penzi's medical leadership:
- NAPA has developed and implemented the Anesthesia Risk Alerts (ARA) program, an innovative patient safety initiative aimed at proactively guiding clinicians through risk mitigation interventions in specific clinical scenarios, which has demonstrably reduced patient harm.
- He spearheaded the establishment of the NAPA Anesthesia Patient Safety Institute, one of only 115 agencies recognized by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
- The company’s anesthesia quality improvement programs, led by Dr. Penzi, have earned notable recognition, including the 2022 Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award.
- NAPA, under his leadership, collaborates with major healthcare payers like Sentara Health Plans to launch patient-centered, quality-based programs supporting enhanced clinical outcomes and risk reduction.
- NAPA consistently reports patient satisfaction ratings averaging 4.83 out of 5, with surgeon satisfaction scores reaching 97%, signifying high clinician and interdisciplinary partner endorsement.
Recognition and Influence
- Dr. Penzi was named to the 2025 Becker's Hospital Review "CMOs to Know" list, underscoring his reputation as a leading medical executive in the healthcare quality sphere.
- He has also been honored on the Long Island PowerList for his contributions to healthcare leadership.
- Frequently cited in healthcare leadership forums, podcasts, and professional articles, Dr. Penzi advocates for data-driven, team-based approaches to improve anesthesia care delivery.
- Actively engages in professional development forums, including speaking engagements such as the Michigan Association of Nurse Anesthetists.
Public Communications and Thought Leadership
Dr. Penzi regularly communicates on leadership, team collaboration, and quality in anesthesia through official company channels and professional social media, highlighting:
- Commitment to frontline clinical teams and the importance of clinician input in quality improvement.
- The role of inspired leadership in cultivating organizational cultures prioritizing patient safety and continuous improvement.
- Adaptations and responses to emergent healthcare challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the resilience and dedication of anesthesia teams.
- Sharing NAPA’s quality methodologies and success stories publicly positions Dr. Penzi as both an internal and external ambassador for the company’s clinical excellence.
Organizational Context
North American Partners in Anesthesia is recognized as the nation’s leading single-specialty anesthesia provider, a distinction partly attributable to Dr. Penzi’s strategic and clinical stewardship over the past three decades. NAPA maintains a robust infrastructure for data collection, analysis, and feedback critical to its quality improvement programs, which are led and advocated by Dr. Penzi.
NAPA’s operational headquarters is located at:
1300 Concord Terrace, Suite 420, Sunrise, FL 33323
Corporate Phone: (516) 945-3000
Patient Advocate Support: (833) 402-0575
Summary
Leo J. Penzi, MD combines extensive clinical anesthesiology expertise with executive leadership focused on quality, safety, and operational excellence at North American Partners in Anesthesia. His long-standing tenure with the organization and active role in quality initiatives such as the Anesthesia Risk Alerts program and establishment of a patient safety institute position him as a pivotal figure in NAPA’s continuous growth and clinical success. Recognized nationally for leadership in patient safety, Dr. Penzi emphasizes data-driven, collaborative clinical care models and demonstrates a commitment to empowering anesthesia clinicians and improving patient outcomes.
_LinkedIn Profile:_ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/leo-penzi-635a88168](https://www.linkedin.com/in/leo-penzi-635a88168)
_NAPA Executive Profile:_ [https://napaanesthesia.com/who-we-are/leo-penzi-md/](https://napaanesthesia.com/who-we-are/leo-penzi-md/)
