14 Buffalo Business Autumn 2019
BETTERWITHBUSINESS
NORMAN MCCULLOCH JR., MD/MBA '07
The Diving Doctor
Every day, Dr. Norman McCulloch Jr. brings to-
gether three key aspects of his background: medicine,
management—and scuba diving.
Based in Dalton, Ga., McCulloch is the first
hyperbaric oxygen therapy specialist in the Ham-
ilton Health Care System. With his clinical part-
ner, he leads the Wound and Hyperbaric Services
Department to treat 30-40 patients a day with chron-
ic wounds caused by diabetes, infection, burns and
other conditions. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy uses
pressurized oxygen to promote healing, essentially
simulating the physics of diving underwater.
"This really combines the best of all worlds for
me," says McCulloch, who completed residency at
NYU Winthrop Hospital and an undersea and hy-
perbaric medicine fellowship at SUNY Upstate Med-
ical University. "My aunt went through hyperbaric
oxygen therapy while I was in residency, and around
the same time, I started scuba diving. I learned about
all of the extraordinary and dangerous things that can
happen when you're many feet underwater, and knew
this was the specialty I wanted to pursue."
In addition, as assistant medical director,
McCulloch uses the skills he gained in the UB MBA
program to lead his staff, implement new strategies,
reduce waste and improve efficiency.
"There's a duality in health care, which I learned
early in my career," McCulloch says. "There's the
clinical side and the business side, and my journey
has given me the insights to navigate both to improve
measurable outcomes."
For McCulloch, the most rewarding aspect of
his work is the moment when a patient successful-
ly "graduates" from his clinic, when the entire staff
lines the hall to clap and celebrate as the patient goes
home.
"The MBA program went by in a flash, but the
benefit it gave me was invaluable," he says. "Earn-
ing my dual degrees really positioned me well for my
career as a physician—and a physician leader in my
field."
There's a duality in health
care, which I learned
early in my career. There's
the clinical side and the
business side, and my
journey has given me the
insights to navigate both
to improve measurable
outcomes."
