Val Akopov, M.D., has been appointed as vice president and chief of hospitalist services by WellStar Health System. In his new role, Dr. Akopov will oversee 35 hospitalists at WellStar Cobb, Douglas, Kennestone, Paulding and Windy Hill Hospitals.
WellStar’s hospitalists play an important role in inpatient care and are typically trained in internal medicine. From admission through discharge, they focus exclusively on inpatient care and may order tests, monitor a patient’s recovery from surgery, prescribe medicine and implement treatment options to ensure a patient’s best outcome.
Dr. Akopov brings more than 25 years of healthcare experience to WellStar. Most recently, he served as director of hospital medicine services for Emory University Hospital Midtown (EUHM) where he helped establish the facility’s academic hospitalist program. Under his leadership, EUHM’s hospital medicine program grew from eight full-time employees to more than 30.
Academically, he served as Assistant Professor of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine and Associate Program Director with the J. Willis Hurst Internal Medicine Residency Program at EUHM. While at Emory, Dr. Akopov received a number of teaching awards including multiple Golden Apple Teaching Awards, Emory Hospital Medicine teaching Award and Overall Excellence in Hospital Medicine Award.
Dr. Akopov is board certified in internal medicine. He received his M.D. from Tbilisi (Republic of Georgia) Medical Institute and completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Emory University Hospital.
