Julie Ann Freischlag, MD, FACS, FRCSEd(Hon), DFSVS, MAMSE is chief academic officer and executive vice president of Advocate Health, chief executive officer and chief academic officer of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and executive vice president for health affairs of Wake Forest University. As chief academic officer, Freischlag oversees research and discovery for the entire Advocate Health system, including all educational and research programs at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Atrium Health Cabarrus College of Health Sciences and Atrium Health Carolinas College of Health Sciences.
Freischlag joined Wake Forest Baptist in 2017, after nearly 30 years of experience as a practicing vascular surgeon, leader and educator within medical institutions throughout the U.S. Consistently ranked among the nation’s top medical centers, Wake Forest Baptist includes a growing, multi-hospital health system and physician network, the state-of-the-art and highly competitive Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and the school’s technology transfer and commercialization arm, Wake Forest Innovations. As CEO, Freischlag has the overall responsibility for the health system’s clinical, academic and innovation enterprises and its annual operating budget of $4 billion. Freischlag is the immediate past dean of Wake Forest University School of Medicine and previously served as vice chancellor for Human Health Sciences and dean of the School of Medicine at UC Davis.
An internationally recognized expert in the diagnosis and treatment of thoracic outlet syndrome, Freischlag treats patients from around the world. In addition, she has published more than 300 original papers, written close to 60 textbook chapters, held leadership positions in many medical and surgical organizations and is a sought-after speaker in areas such as women’s leadership in medicine and vascular surgery. She served as the 2021-2022 President of the American College of Surgeons and as past president of the Society for Vascular Surgery, the Society for Vascular Surgery Foundation, the Association of VA Surgeons and the Society of Surgical Chairs.
Freischlag has dedicated her career to serving as a role model for students, a respected colleague across health professions, a strong community leader and a national voice for improving health and health care.
Freischlag joined Wake Forest Baptist in 2017, after nearly 30 years of experience as a practicing vascular surgeon, leader and educator within medical institutions throughout the U.S. Consistently ranked among the nation’s top medical centers, Wake Forest Baptist includes a growing, multi-hospital health system and physician network, the state-of-the-art and highly competitive Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and the school’s technology transfer and commercialization arm, Wake Forest Innovations. As CEO, Freischlag has the overall responsibility for the health system’s clinical, academic and innovation enterprises and its annual operating budget of $4 billion. Freischlag is the immediate past dean of Wake Forest University School of Medicine and previously served as vice chancellor for Human Health Sciences and dean of the School of Medicine at UC Davis.
An internationally recognized expert in the diagnosis and treatment of thoracic outlet syndrome, Freischlag treats patients from around the world. In addition, she has published more than 300 original papers, written close to 60 textbook chapters, held leadership positions in many medical and surgical organizations and is a sought-after speaker in areas such as women’s leadership in medicine and vascular surgery. She served as the 2021-2022 President of the American College of Surgeons and as past president of the Society for Vascular Surgery, the Society for Vascular Surgery Foundation, the Association of VA Surgeons and the Society of Surgical Chairs.
Freischlag has dedicated her career to serving as a role model for students, a respected colleague across health professions, a strong community leader and a national voice for improving health and health care.