Paul J. Scheel, Jr., MD

President, WashU Medicine/BJC HealthCare Physician Provider Organization
Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs, WashU Medicine
Chief Executive Officer, WashU Medicine Physicians

Paul J. Scheel, Jr., MD, is vice chancellor for clinical affairs at WashU Medicine, chief executive officer of WashU Medicine Physicians—one of the nation’s largest academic group practices—and president of the WashU Medicine/BJC HealthCare Physician Provider Organization.

In these roles, Dr. Scheel works closely with leaders across WashU Medicine and BJC HealthCare, the East Region of BJC Health, to align academic and community physicians in support of delivering patient-focused, world-class care. At WashU Medicine, he oversees the operations, strategy, and growth of more than 2,100 clinical providers delivering care across Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, and other BJC HealthCare hospitals, with more than 130 unique clinic locations. He also leads the physician and provider services platform across WashU Medicine and BJC HealthCare, advancing recruitment, expanding services, improving patient and provider experience, and strengthening quality and safety throughout the region.

Dr. Scheel joined WashU Medicine in 2017 from Johns Hopkins Medicine, where he served as vice president of the Office of Johns Hopkins Physicians and director of The Division of Nephrology. At Johns Hopkins, he led multidisciplinary teams to improve quality, efficiency, and patient experience across the health system, while also directing specialty programs in nephrology.

An internationally recognized expert in retroperitoneal inflammatory disorders, Dr. Scheel developed a medical therapy for retroperitoneal fibrosis that has significantly reduced the need for surgery worldwide. His clinical expertise also includes Erdheim-Chester disease and IgG4-related disease. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and contributed to consensus guidelines that shape care for these complex conditions.

Dr. Scheel earned his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine and completed his internal medicine residency and nephrology fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University. Board-certified in internal medicine and nephrology, he is active in national professional organizations and serves as a thought leader at the intersection of clinical excellence, academic medicine, and health system leadership.