MSMA 2021-2022 President:
Alexander R. Hover, Jr., MD, FACP, AGAF
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Alexander Richmond Hover, Jr., MD, FACP, AGAF, will serve as president of Missouri State Medical Association for 2021-2022. He was installed at the annual House of delegates virtual meeting April 9, 2021.
Dr. Hover was born in Hawaii but has lived most of his life in Missouri. Dr. Hover was raised in Kansas City, Missouri, and was an Eagle Scout in the Heart of America Council. He graduated cum laude with a BS in chemistry from Missouri State University in 1968. He attended Saint Louis University School of Medicine and graduated cum laude in 1976. Dr. Hover was also honored to be admitted to Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He joined the United States Air Force Medical Corps in 1973 and completed internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship at Wilford Hall United States Air Force Medical Center Lackland AFB 59th Medical Wing in San Antonio, Texas. There he received recognition for advising that incoming airmen be immunized for childhood communicable illnesses. That eliminated one of the few remaining United States reservoirs for rubeola. He served on active duty until 1984. Dr. Hover returned to Springfield to join Smith Glynn Calloway multispecialty clinic. He has also served as a health system Senior Vice President for Clinical Excellence from 2009 to 2017 and also as chair of its Institutional Review Board. He was certified by the Intermountain Healthcare Institute for their Advanced Training Program in 1994. He was also certified by the Healthcare Quality Certification Board in November 1998, and the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians in October 1994. He was recognized by the Missouri Association for Healthcare Quality with the Distinguished Quality Professional Award in 2005. He completed certification in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety from Northwestern University, Chicago Illinois in 2012. Dr. Hover has served as the MSMA representative to the former Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement. He was a former member of the American Medical Group Association Quality Directors Leadership Council and has participated in the Missouri Hospital Association physician executive group. Dr. Hover has published research in gastroenterology, hemochromatosis and healthcare quality improvement and patient Safety. In addition to population research on hemochromatosis, he served on the Expert Panel for the Centers for Disease Control on Hereditary Hemochromatosis. He has been recognized by advancement to Fellow in the American College of Physicians, and the American Gastroenterological Association. Springfield community activities have included longstanding service in Greene County Medical Society and having served as a past president. His support for the Springfield DWI task force included published research on an interventional program for cessation of teen drinking and driving. He has served as graduate adjunct faculty for Missouri State University Physician Assistant program and continues as a preceptor as part of his volunteer work at the Missouri State University Care Clinic for the un-insured. During his tenure as president, Dr. Hover intends to focus on advocating for patient-centered practice of medicine unencumbered by inappropriate authorization demands, continuing communication with Missouri physicians, and advocating for access to health care for all Missourians. Currently, Dr. Hover is grateful to be able continue clinical practice in gastroenterology for Cox Health system in Branson, Missouri, and very much enjoys being able to help patients with chronic digestive diseases. He has been married 49 years to his college sweetheart Barbara, who was also a chemistry major. He and Barbara are blessed to have five children and 15 grandchildren. When he is not playing with grandchildren, he enjoys keeping a ‘47 Plymouth coupe running and traveling with Barbara. |
