Our robust ApolloMD growth calls for the extension of clinical leadership roles to champion our dynamic teams. To answer that call, we introduce a team of Regional Vice Presidents that are clinical leaders managing a roster of facilities while supporting company operations in other areas. These leaders will work closely with the Regional and Divisional Presidents, and the operations support assigned to the geographic region.

We introduce those most recently appointed to these positions and welcome both their experience and expertise as we develop the scope of this new leadership level. These physicians have already proven to be outstanding leaders within their current teams, and we share our immense gratitude for their enthusiasm to take on broader responsibilities.

“The need for this added clinical leadership support has become evident as we continue to grow and develop more partnerships,” says Yogin Patel, ApolloMD President. “I am overjoyed to highlight and recognize these four individuals who have already proven themselves as skilled and dedicated clinical leaders and look forward to partnering with them in a new capacity.”

Meet the new ApolloMD Regional Vice Presidents:

Richard T. Benson, II, MD

Dr. Richard T. Benson, II joined ApolloMD in 2017 and immediately proved to be a dynamic leader with an inspirational vision and a knack for developing team unity. His strengths in this capacity remained evident in his work as Emergency Medicine Medical Director for both Maria Parham Health in Henderson and Franklin, NC – earning the ApolloMD’s EM Medical Director of the Year in 2020. He also brought that spirit onto the ApolloMD Strike Team as National Medical Director leading with unparalleled enthusiasm and determination. In addition to serving on the ApolloMD leadership team, Dr. Benson also leads Vance County’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and 911 call center, Vance-Granville Community College’s Paramedic program, and serves as the Chief of Staff for Maria Parham Health.

As Regional Vice President, Dr. Benson approaches this role with that same enthusiasm and continues his mission in service, now on a systems level. With a focus always on positive patient outcomes, Dr. Benson values the opportunity to grow high-functioning teams, particularly in under-resourced environments.

“What I’m most excited about is the ability to affect care on a systems level. Clinically, I love direct patient care… I’m able to use the resources that are available to us in the emergency department to diagnose, treat, refer, admit or transfer these patients to the appropriate disposition. I think as a regional director, we’ll be able to grow great departments on a systems level that allows physicians and physician assistants and nurse practitioners to function at the highest of their scope in a well-resourced environment.”

Raised in Southern California, Dr. Benson attended the prestigious Morehouse College and Meharry Medical College, where he earned his Doctor of Medicine. He then completed an Emergency Medicine residency at the University of Chicago, followed by an EMS fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

He is board-certified in Emergency Medicine, a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians, and is a proud advocate and living donor with the National Kidney Foundation. To read more about Dr. Benson in action, check out the blog post Driven to Heal.

James Patrick Capes, MD

Dr. Pat Capes joined the Erlanger Health System in 2018, practicing Emergency Medicine in Tennessee and Western North Carolina. Prior to associating with this practice, he knew many esteemed colleagues who worked with ApolloMD and respected the way the company valued high quality care and supported clinical teams in pursuit of excellence.

As Regional Vice President, Dr. Capes recognizes the many challenges currently facing the health care industry and views this role as an opportunity to seek solutions. He believes that integrating the priorities of medical staff leadership and emergency medicine leadership can prove to be a vital element of success.

“I think the ability to manage people, set expectations, come up with achievable goals in the challenging way that health care is being provided now [is important]. Having administrators and doctors and patients all achieving what they need out the situation [is my main goal].”

Dr. Capes completed his education in his home state of Georgia, earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta and his Doctor of Medicine from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. His post-graduate training took him to Charlotte, North Carolina for an internship and residency in Emergency Medicine at Carolinas Medical Center.

As an associate professor of Emergency Medicine at University of Tennessee School of Medicine, Dr. Capes instructs and inspires the next generation of physicians as part of the clinical faculty and director of administrative rotation. He holds certification with the American Board of Emergency Medicine, the North Carolina Board of Medical Examiners, and the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners.

Daniel Minior, MD, MBA, FACEP

Since 2013, Dr. Daniel Minior has served as the Medical Director and Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine of UNC Lenoir. Practicing with ApolloMD gives him an enormous amount of professional fulfillment as he enjoys the collaborative climate that allows him autonomy in his work while also supporting him fully as part of the larger group.

Dr. Minior draws on his experience as chairman and medical director to inform his approach as Regional Vice President. He continually feels drawn to the positions that present an opportunity to function as a servant leader, giving him the chance to fix a problem and aid his team. From this vantage point, he sees the direct correlation between helping an emergency department run at the optimum level by championing the needs of his clinical colleagues and enhancing the patient experience.

“I’m there to make [my team’s] jobs better and to protect them and support them– leadership through example; if something has to get done and changed, I have to change it in myself first, and I have to lead the way. And I can’t expect anything from anybody that I am not willing to do head on.”

After earning his Doctor of Medicine degree from Tufts University in Boston, Dr. Minior moved on to New York City for an Emergency Medicine residency at Lincoln Hospital, the 3rd busiest emergency department in the United States. Upon completing his training, he moved to North Carolina to practice Emergency Medicine while his wife also practices as a neonatologist. Once settled in North Carolina, Dr. Minior continued his education at Duke University Fuqua School of Business, earning his MBA in 2015.

Jeffrey Mullins, MD

Practicing at Atrium Health Union with ApolloMD since 2013, Dr. Jeffrey Mullins continually leads by example, modeling the leadership principles he gleaned from his own mentor during medical training and understanding the inherent value of serving alongside teammates. His attitude and acumen earned him the ApolloMD Rookie Physician of the Year Award in 2013, then moved him into position first as Assistant ED Medical Director and then as Medical Director within his two years of practice. He was named ApolloMD Emergency Medicine Medical Director of the Year in 2019. Dr. Mullins became the Regional Medical Director for the Charlotte area in 2018 and has served as Atrium Health System Medical Director for ApolloMD since 2020.

Dr. Mullins views his role as Regional Vice President as an extension of his commitment to collaboration. He looks forward to working with the entire EM service line across partner facilities, seeking input and observations to reinforce best practices and shape new perspectives for continuing excellence in patient care.

“I’m looking forward to strengthening our teams. To be able to go out to all the ApolloMD sites and to build best practices and different processes and protocols that help shape the care providers give.”

A native of Ohio, Dr. Mullins attended Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia where he earned an undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences and a Doctor of Medicine from the Marshall University School of Medicine. He then relocated to Columbia, South Carolina for his Emergency Medicine Residency at University of South Carolina’s Palmetto Health serving as Chief Resident in his third year.

Dr. Mullins holds certification with the American Board of Emergency Medicine and is also a member of the South Carolina Medical Association, as well as the South Carolina Chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society.

Please join us in welcoming these four exceptional clinical leaders to the executive team.

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