MARSHALL — Timothy Mok, MD, has been named chief medical officer for the Avera Marshall region.

Avera Marshall announced the appointment on Monday. A press release said Mok will begin serving in this part-time role on Feb. 1, while also continuing to provide urgent care and occupational medicine services. He will spend an average of one day per week on CMO duties with the rest of his time dedicated to patient care.

Dr. Mok succeeds Dr. Steve Meister who stepped back from the CMO role earlier this month to resume a full-time family medicine practice.

As CMO, Dr. Mok will represent the physician perspective as a member of the administrative team, according to Avera Marshall. He will partner with senior leadership to implement strategies across the region.

“With a focus on quality, safety and service, he will help to promote positive clinical outcomes and cost-effective care,” the release stated. “He will also work to develop and strengthen physician relationships across the region and overall in connection to the Avera system. This is a regional role serving Avera Marshall, Avera Granite Falls and Avera Tyler.”

Avera Marshall Regional President and CEO Debbie Streier said Dr. Mok’s “collaborative and analytical nature, as well as his belief in holistic and dignified care,” make him well-suited for the CMO role.

“He has demonstrated his leadership skills in a number of ways during his years at Avera Marshall,” Streier said of Mok. “He has been instrumental in leading Urgent Care services during the pandemic. He has served as an excellent mentor to advanced practice providers. And his interest in clinical quality has made him a valuable contributor on a number of medical group committees.”

Streier also shared her appreciation for Dr. Meister’s years of service as CMO.

“We are grateful to Dr. Meister for his dedication to serving our region in this role for the past two years. His leadership and insight have made a significant impact. We are happy to have him as a valued member of our clinical team, and we know his patients are happy to have expanded access to him for their care,” she said.

Dr. Mok joined Avera Marshall in 2016, originally as a member of the family medicine team. He transitioned to the emergency department for a time before moving into his current role in urgent care.

He earned his medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean in St. Maarten, completed a family medicine residency at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Neb. and is board certified through the American Board of Family Medicine. He is also part of a select group currently completing a leadership development program through Avera called the Avera Medical Group Physician Academy.

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to take on this new role,” Mok said in the release. “We have an excellent medical group across our region of Avera, and I am proud to be a part of this team. I am committed to partnering with my colleagues to ensure we continue to provide high-quality, efficient, comprehensive health care to our patients in the ever-changing landscape of health care during the pandemic and beyond.”