Leading the way
Meet Our Leaders
The administrative team at Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center guides the hospital in achieving its mission, offering valuable leadership that steers us toward improved patient care and safety. Each experienced member of our administration is dedicated to using his or her skills and knowledge to help patients and families in our community defeat cancer.
“No one should face cancer alone. Together, we provide support and tools to help patients live as fully as possible.”
– LEEANN MENGEL, BSN, MBA, Vice President
Vice President
LeeAnn Mengel, BSN, MBA
LeeAnn Mengel, BSN, MBA, is the vice president administrator of Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center. In her role, she is responsible for the operational and strategic direction of Baptist Health cancer programs.
Board-certified by the American College of Medical Practice Executives, Mengel has spent her career in healthcare both as a nurse and as an administrator. Mengel joined Baptist Health in 2010 as an operations administrator of Specialty Services and has been the administrator of Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center since 2017. Prior to that, she served as a healthcare consultant and worked in the healthcare field for over 10 years.
Mengel earned her master’s in business from Jacksonville University, and holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Florida State University.
She has served in various community leadership positions, including budget and finance chair for the ElderSource Board of Directors, local treasurer for the Boy Scouts of America, and is a member of the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA).
Medical Director
Bill Putnam, Jr., MD, FACS
As Medical Director of Baptist MD Anderson, Dr. Putnam is responsible for directing, planning and coordinating all clinical activities for Baptist MD Anderson and its physicians.
Before his role as Medical Director, Dr. Putnam worked as a professor of surgery and chairman of the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn, Ingram Professor of Cancer Research and program director for the residency program in Thoracic Surgery. Prior to Vanderbilt, Dr. Putnam was with the faculty of The Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He served as deputy chairman of the Department from 1995 to 2004.Dr. Putnam was activated during Operation Desert Storm as a Naval Reservist and served as Department Head of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Naval Hospital San Diego. He retired in 2011 as a Captain (O-6), Medical Corps, United States Naval Reserve after 21 years of service.
Certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Putnam received his undergraduate degree in chemistry with honors, and his medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C. He completed his surgical internship and junior assistant resident in surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md., his general surgery residency at The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in Rochester, N.Y. and residency in cardiothoracic surgery at The University of Michigan (Ann Arbor).
Meet Your Care Team
From our physicians and nurse navigators to our pharmacists and social workers, everyone at Baptist MD Anderson plays an invaluable role in your care. Across multiple specialties and services, we come together to take care of you through every step in your journey.
On behalf of our physicians, nurses, advanced practice providers, and many talented team members, we extend our deepest appreciation to all who support our shared mission of Making Cancer History!
—DR. BILL PUTNAM, Medical Director