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Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Kaleida Health
As executive vice president and chief medical officer of Kaleida Health, Margaret W. Paroski ’76, MD, MMM, is at the upper echelon of Western New York’s health care system. Similarly, her clinical practice and medical specialty in adult neurology represents a new frontier in medicine. But Paroski says her greatest accomplishment is “Educating the next generation of physicians.”
During her tenure as interim vice president for health affairs and interim dean of UB’s School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Paroski changed the way things were taught. She employed an interdisciplinary, team-building approach which resulted in students being able to spend less time in classroom lectures and more time engaged in interactive problem solving. Under Paroski’s leadership, the medical school earned one of the country’s first eight-year accreditations. She currently serves as a professor of neurology and clinical course coordinator at UB.
Paroski’s impact on the medical community is paralleled by her efforts in the community. A member of the Canisius College Medical Advisory Board, she oversees its Talent Retention Committee, which explores ways to minimize the area’s looming physician shortage. Paroski says, “We want students to know there are interesting and promising opportunities here in Western New York. We want them to know they are wanted and valuable, and that people are willing to put their support and resources behind them so they stay.”
Paroski also serves on several local boards and recently chaired the Upstate New York Transplant Services Board of Directors.
Her civic and professional efforts have earned Paroski numerous commendations including the coveted Seigel Award, presented by UB medical students. She was also one of 10 women recognized with Erie County’s “Women Making History” award. Most recently, alma mater presented Paroski with its Distinguished Alumni Award in recognition of her efforts to make life better for her patients, her students and her community. Paroski credits her Canisius education for laying the foundation for her future.
“At Canisius, the small class sizes were tremendously helpful to me. The teachers all knew my name, they had great expectations and it was important for me not to disappoint them. I really was made to feel as though I played a large part in what the professors were trying to do and when you receive an education like that, with such tremendous value, you want to provide that same type of education for the next generation. That’s what I am trying to do.”