Successful National Recruitments for Top Physician Leaders

As our health system continues to grow at a rapid pace, Phoenix Children’s has a responsibility to take certain measures to support the needs of hospitalized and ambulatory patients. This has prompted several significant moves at the clinical leadership level – a new division, and three new division chiefs.

Wassim Ballan, MD

In September, we created the Division of Infectious Diseases to expand our health system’s capabilities in caring for children at high risk for infection — including those undergoing transplant or chemotherapy — as well as patients facing novel illnesses like COVID-19, MIS-C and monkeypox. At the helm of the division is Wassim Ballan, MD, who served as a thought leader for clinicians nationwide and a go-to source for local and national media during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Katherine Perry, MD

A national search for a new chief of the Division of Nephrology led us to Katherine Perry, MD, who assumed her post in September after a 15-year career at UCLA Health. Now heading up Arizona’s largest treatment center for children with kidney disease and high blood pressure, Dr. Perry’s top priorities include the continued growth of nephrology services, the recruitment of top doctors to serve families at clinical sites statewide and the expansion of pediatric nephrology research at Phoenix Children’s.

Matt Halanski, MD

In November, Matt Halanski, MD, takes up his role as chief of the Division of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. As demand for this specialty escalates across the state, it was important to identify a division chief who could lead a large clinical team, maintain and improve quality, and expand research opportunities. Dr. Halanski proved the perfect candidate. A nationally and internally renowned physician leader, he comes to Phoenix from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where he served as professor of Orthopedic Surgery and the division chief of Pediatric Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. Dr. Halanski, who holds four patents, is also a prolific clinical and laboratory-based researcher and most recently has studied advancing the treatment of club foot with technology, and eliminating cast saw injuries. He has served as principal investigator on numerous National Institutes of Health- and Department of Health and Human Services-funded research projects. Dr. Halanski has also earned multiple coveted R21 grants from the NIH, intended for exploratory and developmental research.