Long Beach Memorial has elected award-winning physician leader, researcher and educator, Maged Tanios, M.D., as its new chief of staff, hospital officials announced this week. 

Tanios, who replaces James Wells, M.D., will serve a two-year term in which he facilitates communication between Long Beach Memorial administration and board of directors. He is also a member of Long Beach Memorial’s Board of Trustees and led the Department of Internal Medicine for six years.

“It’s an honor to be selected by the medical staff and follow in the footsteps of Dr. Wells and the distinguished chiefs of staff that have served since the hospital opened in 1907,” Tanios said in a statement. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to help lead our 2,000 world-class Long Beach Memorial physicians and look forward to all we can accomplish together to improve the health of our patients and the communities we serve.”

Since 2012 he’s been the Director of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Training Program, as well as Medical Director of Long Beach Memorial’s Intensive Care Unit. Tanios also serves as Associate Clinical Professor at both the University of California Irvine (UCI) School of Medicine, where he was named UCI Department of Internal Medicine Attending Physician of the Year, and UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine.

He is board certified in Internal, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, according to a release.

“Dr. Tanios has been active in leadership, clinical and research capacities, is highly regarded by his fellow physicians and a perfect choice at this time,” John Bishop, CEO of Long Beach Memorial, Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach and Community Hospital Long Beach, said in a statement. “As chief of staff, he will work closely with our physicians and leadership to advance our culture of excellence in patient care and clinical outcomes.”

Tanios was part of the MemorialCare Health System Academic Advisory Board and was an expert medical reviewer for the Medical Board of California. He was honored by being named among America’s Top Physicians.

His Internal Medicine Residency was completed in Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital. Tonios also completed a master’s degree in Health Management and Policy at Tufts University School of Medicine, where he served as assistant professor of medicine. At Tufts Medical Center in Boston, he completed fellowships in pulmonary and critical care medicine along with serving as associate director of the medical intensive care unit.