who we are
Meera Alexander MD, MMM, CPE
Dr. Alexander is a board certified internal medicine physician with 35 years of experience as a physician and 20+ years as an executive. She served in leadership roles such as Chief Medical Officer and VP for Quality and Patient Safety for traditional healthcare systems, and in Regional Chief Medical Officer Leadership roles for National Value-Based Care, transformative organizations. Recognizing the need for physicians in healthcare decision making, she obtained her Certified Physician Executive (CPE) through American Association for Physician Leadership and then Masters in Medical Management (MMM) from Carnegie Mellon University. She also had the benefit of working with a coach personally to assist in both life planning and career transition, an experience that has been life changing.
Throughout her career she has:
- maintained her passion for the physician-patient relationship at the core of healthcare delivery
- partnered with, hired and coached many physicians, nurse practitioners and others.
- overseen departments such as risk management, patient safety, credentialing, performance improvement, medical staff services, surgical services, working with both with employed and independent physicians
- engaged with finance, strategy, operations, board members, and community stakeholders
- led the roll out of strategic initiatives
- mentored physicians who were "disruptive", helping them to be their best self and thrive within complex organizations.
- supported clinicians struggling with burnout.
- assisted physicians in navigating complex systems towards win-win situations, moving those ideas forward.
- performance managed others with great success and sometimes, amicable separation.
- transitioned from avoiding difficult conversations to embracing them as a gift that is too often skipped over, in the process failing to give someone a chance
- and much more.
Throughout her career, Dr. Alexander has been recognized as someone who rolled up her sleeves, walked side by side with others, and asked questions to get to the root of issues. Authenticity, integrity, and embracing opportunities for joy are core values for her. She stepped down from her employed physician executive role in 2026 to establish Trusted Physician Advisors, fostering high performing teams and coaching individuals. She is obtaining Certification as an Authentic Leadership Coach (CALC) and International Certified Coach (ICF) through Authentic Leadership Advisors. She lives with her husband and their dog in Raleigh, NC.
Jim Palombaro MD, FACEP
Dr. Jim Palombaro is a Board-Certified Emergency Medicine physician with more than 30 years of experience in medicine, leadership, management, and physician development. A graduate of Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, NY, he served nine years on active duty in the U.S. Navy, including as a Navy Flight Surgeon with Carrier Air Wing Six aboard the USS Forrestal during Operation Desert Storm. His Navy experience provided a strong foundation in leadership, teamwork, accountability, and managing people in high-performance environments.
After completing his Emergency Medicine residency and two years as an attending at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego, Dr. Palombaro joined Wake Emergency Physicians, PA (WEPPA) in Raleigh, NC, where he served as President for 24 years until his retirement in 2024. During his tenure, the organization grew from 28 physicians and 3 APPs to more than 150 physicians and 100 APPs, with responsibility for a $90 million budget and 13 emergency departments across five hospital systems. Physician turnover remained below 2% over his final 15 years with WEPPA.
Throughout his career, Dr. Palombaro held numerous physician leadership positions, including Chair of Emergency Medicine, Assistant Chief Medical Information Officer, Medical Executive Committee member, and President of the WakeMed Medical Staff. One of the most rewarding aspects of his leadership was coaching and developing physician colleagues as they transitioned into leadership roles, including department chairs, committee leaders, and other organizational positions. Several of these physicians went on to become Medical Staff Presidents.
Today, Dr. Palombaro brings that experience to his work as a physician leadership coach. He is dedicated to helping physicians successfully navigate the transition from exceptional clinician to effective, respected physician leader. Drawing on decades of leadership and executive experience, he coaches physician leaders to strengthen the communication, emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and management skills needed to lead with confidence, inspire teams, build trust, and earn the respect of colleagues and staff.
Dr. Palombaro believes that leadership is not defined by a title—it is earned through trust, service, integrity, and the ability to bring out the very best in others.
Dr. Palombaro is currently in the process of completing his Executive Coaching Certification.