Effective leadership is about more than decision-making—it’s about advocacy, collaboration, and advancing a shared mission. In partnership with the Association of Departments of Family Medicine (ADFM), STFM kicks off a three-part series on The STFM Podcast exploring the lifecycle of leadership in academic family medicine. In this first episode, Grant Greenberg, MD, and Wanda Cruz-Knight, MD, MBA, CPE, FAAFP, discuss how to lead within the complex ecosystems of academic medical centers and health systems. From advocating for departments to building coalitions and managing institutional change, they share insights on what it takes to lead with impact.

Hosted by Omari A. Hodge, MD, FAAFP and Jay-Sheree Allen Akambase, MD

Copyright © Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, 2025

Resources:

• STFM Understanding Health Systems Courses
• STFM Leading Change Course
• STFM Emerging Leaders Fellowship
• STFM Quick Consult - Connecting STFM members for professional development, coaching, and mentorship
• ADFM Leader Development Committee -  Resources from the Leader Development Committee for New & Interim Chairs
• ADFM LEADS Fellowship

Guest Bios:

Grant Greenberg, MD

Dr. Greenberg is the Chief Medical Executive for Primary Care with oversight of Family Medicine, General Internal Medicine, and ExpressCARE operations.  Since joining Lehigh Valley Health Network in October 2016, Dr. Greenberg has also served as the Leonard Parker Pool Endowed Chair of Family Medicine and is a Professor of Medical Education and Family Medicine for the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. 

Dr. Greenberg received his undergraduate degree in Biology and English from the University of Michigan.  Before medical school, he received a master’s degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN.  He received his medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, MI.  He completed his residency training in Family Medicine at the University of Michigan and completed a master’s degree in health services administration from the University of Michigan School of Public Health.  He has also completed the Health Management Academy’s GE Scholars Fellowship. 

Dr. Greenberg is active with the Association of Departments of Family Medicine, serving as the Chair of the Membership Committee, participating on the Leadership Development Committee, contributes to the steering committee for the “LEADS” fellowship, and is on the Board of Directors.  Dr. Greenberg is a contributor to the MP3 collaborative “Making Primary Care and Population Health Primary” sponsored by  the ABFM.  Dr. Greenberg has been a member of the American Cancer Society National Lung Cancer Round Table since its inception, serving on the Screening and Implementation Work Group, the Early Detection Strategies Work Group,  and the Fiscal Health Work Group.  He has 4 children (mostly adult, but still “on the payroll”).

Wanda Cruz-Knight, MD, MBA, CPE, FAAFP

Dr. Cruz-Knight is the Owen L. Coon Endowed Chair for the Department of Family Medicine at Endeavor Health and Clinical Professor at University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. She is a graduate of Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and completed her residency training in Family Medicine a