April 30, 2026 NGMC names new leader for its graduate medical education program View »

Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) is preparing to welcome its new Designated Institutional Official (DIO) to oversee and further develop its Graduate Medical Education (GME) program, which empowers the physician leaders of tomorrow.

Dereck DeLeon, MD will join NGMC on May 6. As the new DIO, Dr. DeLeon will be responsible for oversight and administration of all aspects of the GME program, including compliance with all specialty, subspecialty and institutional requirements of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

"As I begin this journey, I have a deep respect for the meaningful work that happens here every day - caring for patients, teaching the next generation and striving for continuous improvement," said Dr. DeLeon. "NGMC prides itself on ensuring its physician residency and fellowship programs are hardwired for excellence, and that's evident the minute you walk in the door.

"NGMC stands out not only for its clinical excellence and growth, but also for its deep commitment to community and its investment in building a strong physician workforce for the future. Graduate medical education is about more than training physicians; it is about shaping professionals who will carry forward our core values of respectful compassion, passion for excellence, responsible stewardship and deep interdependence in every patient interaction."

Dr. DeLeon most recently served as Chief Academic Officer for Nuvance Health, leading the organization's physician residency and fellowship programs which are affiliated with Yale University and serve communities in Connecticut and New York. Prior to that, he held the same role at Cone Health in Greensboro, North Carolina, and he also created the first physician residency program at Kaiser Permanente San Diego.

NGMC's GME program currently offers physician residency slots in seven specialties and fellowship slots in cardiovascular disease and pulmonary/critical care medicine, employing more than 230 physician learners in total as one of the largest graduate medical education programs in Georgia.

Learn more about NGMC's residency and fellowship programs at ngmcgme.org