Sound Physicians Announces Leadership Change

Sound Announces the Addition of Jeff Alter as Chief Executive Officer

Tacoma, WA — September 6, 2023 — Sound Physicians, a physician-founded and led medical group with over eight million patient visits annually across hospital medicine, emergency medicine, critical care, and anesthesia practices, today announced that Jeff Alter has been named as Chief Executive Officer. Alter succeeds Robert Bessler, MD, founder, who will continue to advise Sound as a member of the organization’s board of directors.

Alter joins Sound Physicians with nearly 30 years of leadership experience on both the provider and payer sides of healthcare. Most recently, he served as CEO of Summit Health, the largest independent multispecialty and urgent care practice in the United States, from October 2021 until the company’s acquisition by VillageMD in January 2023. Before joining Summit Health, Alter spent more than 15 years in senior executive roles at both Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and UnitedHealthcare.

“Sound Physicians has a phenomenal reputation for partnering with health systems to deliver the highest-quality patient care,” said Alter. “The group’s patient-centric approach, commitment to physician leadership, and thought leadership in value-based care make Sound a destination of choice for clinicians and a partner of choice for hospitals. I’m thrilled to lead the company’s next chapter.”

“It’s been a great privilege to lead Sound, to have contributed to building this remarkable team, and to see it thrive,” said Dr. Bessler. “After 22 years, the time is right to transition to new leadership. Jeff brings extensive experience leading and building value-oriented medical groups, and I am confident that he is a great fit to lead this organization. We are fortunate to have him in this role.”