2024 Health Care Champions Physician: Dr. Sadaf Sohrab

 A 15-year veteran of Mercy Springfield Communities, Dr. Sadaf Sohrab was promoted in April to become the health system’s new chief medical officer.

She succeeded Dr. Gregory Ledger, who had served in the role since 2021 and has since returned full time to his endocrinology practice at Mercy.

As chief medical officer, Sohrab provides leadership and guidance to Mercy’s services lines and physicians. It’s the latest advancement in a career that Sohrab says spans policy, patient care, community outreach and education, reflecting a holistic approach to local health care advocacy and service.

“My role is going to be even more vital in ensuring that we care for our local communities with special focus in improving our (emergency room) services and the quality and safety of the hospital,” she says. “Our local patients deserve the best care possible without having to travel out of town for it and in a timely manner.”

Sohrab, a pulmonologist who began her career at Mercy in 2009, says her professional motivation is deeply rooted in her grandmother’s values of hard work and compassion.

“Growing up, she shared her aspiration of becoming a physician – a dream she never had the opportunity to fulfill,” she says. “In honoring her legacy, I am driven to emulate her dedication to serving others and making a positive impact on the world.”

David Argueta, president of Mercy Southwest Missouri Communities, says Sohrab’s passion for health care and strength as a leader immediately caught his attention when he started at the health system in 2022. He says her passion convinced the leadership team to select her to guide the hospital’s cardiology team, even though she was not a trained cardiovascular surgeon.

“We needed a strong leader who has a passion for caring for our patients and can build trust amongst peers,” he says. “Dr. Sohrab was exactly what we needed.”

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Sohrab says she played a key role in policymaking to ensure safety of patients and health care workers, while maintaining essential services such as its outpatient clinics. She kept the clinics operational even as she personally saw up to 40 patients a day.

Her health care commitment extends beyond crises, as she spearheaded the 2015 establishment of the first lung cancer screening program in southwest Missouri for high-risk patients.

“This initiative underscored my dedication to early detection and prevention, a cornerstone of effective health care,” she says, adding she also organizes and conducts free monthly clinics for underserved populations in the community via MSU Care, a joint venture between Mercy and Missouri State University.

Sohrab also helps strategize Mercy’s involvement in the community, which results in sponsoring events and helping fundraise for nonprofits such as The Kitchen Inc. and Community Partnership of the Ozarks Inc. Additionally, she is a member of health care industry organizations, including the American College of Chest Physicians and the American Thoracic Society.