The Division of Family & Community Medicine (FCM) is pleased to announce the appointment of Susan Pohl, MD, as Executive Medical Director, effective April 1, 2026.
Dr. Pohl joins the FCM executive leadership team, where she will support overall management of the division’s provider group operations. In this role, she will supervise the health center medical directors while leading the FCM clinical enterprise, which includes eight urgent care locations, 11 primary care locations, and virtual urgent care services. Dr. Pohl will work closely with Associate Director for Clinical Operations, Casey Chandler, and serve as a key advocate for our providers, representing their voice to FCM leadership.
Dr. Pohl is board‑certified in family medicine and obesity medicine. She earned her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and completed her residency at Banner Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix.
Since joining the University of Utah in 2009, Dr. Pohl has served in numerous educational and administrative roles and is currently an Associate Professor. Her contributions include leadership in resident education in practice‑based learning and quality improvement, as well as service as Medical Director for two family medicine clinics.
Dr. Pohl currently serves as the Health Systems Science Pillar Lead for the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, where she leads educational efforts in high‑value care, quality improvement, and systems‑based practice. Most recently, she has served as Quality Co-Director and Centerville Health Center’s Medical Director.
As Dr. Pohl transitions into her new role, she will step down as Quality Improvement Co-Director. We are pleased to share that Sonja Van Hala, MD, will assume the role of Quality Improvement Lead. Dr. Van Hala has been a valued member of the family medicine faculty since 2001 and previously co-developed a skills-based quality improvement curriculum for the residency program with Dr. Pohl. Under their leadership, this work has grown into a robust team-based operation embedded in our residency and faculty clinics, equipping residents with essential quality improvement and leadership skills.
Additionally, we are pleased to announce that Valerie Burstein, MD, will step into the role of Medical Director for the Centerville Health Center beginning April 16, 2026. Dr. Burstein’s clinical interests include chronic disease management, women’s health, prenatal care, mental health, LGBTQ+ care, and office-based procedures. Dr. Burstein has a strong interest in clinical operations, physician leadership, electronic medical record efficiency, and clinician wellness. She has served as an Epic Super User and is actively involved in recruitment, teaching, mentoring, and quality improvement initiatives.
As the division continues to grow, expanding our leadership structure is an important step in supporting our teams and advancing our mission. Congratulations to Drs. Pohl, Van Hala, and Burstein in their new roles.
