By: DoM Communications
Bruce Weinstein, MD, began his journey toward becoming a physician in high school. However, by the end of his residency, he was uncertain of which path to take to further his medical career. It was during a fellowship in General Internal Medicine at UMass Memorial that he discovered a lifelong passion for internal medicine and primary care.
“I’m not absolutely sure why I made the choice I did. It would be sobering to re-read my medical school application essays and compare what I wrote then to what I know (or don’t know) now,” said Dr. Weinstein. “I think a big part of it is that I don’t like broken things. I’m a fixer, and there’s a piece of me who wants to solve medical ‘breaks’, whether it’s in people’s lives or in medical systems. What I know now, that perhaps the younger doctor-to-be did not, is that the gift of the stories people share with you, and the importance you become in their lives, is very precious. I have always remained deeply thankful for the choice I made, and I don’t believe I’ve ever had a boring day in my job.”
Dr. Weinstein earned his bachelor's degree from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, where he continued a pre-medical track. He then earned his MD from SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, and completed his Internal Medicine residency at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn. Following a fellowship in General Internal Medicine at UMass Memorial, Dr. Weinstein joined the Division of General Internal Medicine, where he has continued to practice since completing his fellowship.
Throughout his career, Dr. Weinstein has held multiple leadership positions, including Director of the Hospital Medicine Nurse Practitioner-Attending Collaborative Service (NPACS), Associate Medical Director of the Office of Clinical Integration, and Clinical Chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine. For the past five years, he also led the Department of Ambulatory Working Group (DAWG) within the Department of Medicine. During his time with the DAWG, Dr. Weinstein worked closely with leadership and colleagues to create a collaborative forum for identifying and resolving challenges within ambulatory clinics.
Before the creation of the DAWG, Dr. Weinstein spearheaded various ambulatory initiatives, most notably, contributing to a clinic redesign that focused on a team-based approach to care. In doing so, he and his clinic leadership team (Clinic Manager, Senior Director, and VP Senior Medical Director) expanded the role of medical assistants and the way they delivered care and collaborated with the providers. Through the redesign, medical assistants began supporting physicians by populating EPIC records, reconciling medications, updating family histories, making outreach calls, drawing blood, and taking a bigger role during the patient visit, as well as outside of the visit. “It involved not only working directly with the medical assistant but also working consistently with the same ones; they became your partner,” said Dr. Weinstein. “This was really the future of ambulatory care. It’s a model that is adaptable anywhere and a model of advanced communication.”
After presenting the model to senior leadership, Dr. Weinstein and his colleagues successfully implemented one of the most significant changes within the Division of General Internal Medicine. “It took about two years to fully implement and really be ready,” said Dr. Weinstein. “It required not only training the medical assistants but also the providers, who needed just as much training! By the end of 2020, we implemented this model, and it was a game-changer for our clinic.” The success of the redesign went on to inspire other clinics in the Department of Medicine to embrace the principles and adopt aspects of the model that worked for their clinical area. For General Internal Medicine, this model, along with the primary care track led by Dr. Beth Murphy, led to great success in recruiting top-notch talent into our practice and to high job satisfaction amongst providers and staff.
According to Dr. Weinstein, the idea for the DAWG was sparked by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The complexity around telehealth, fiscal stressors, new staffing and scheduling paradigms, and other ambulatory crises led to increased tension and frustration among physicians and clinic administration. With help from Dr. David McManus, Dr. Weinstein and his colleagues began to develop a solution to address rising ambulatory concerns. A small group initially consisting of Drs. Stephen Erban, John Dickey, David McManus, Bruce Weinstein, and executive administrative assistant Candice Dufour began meeting to review current ambulatory issues. By 2021, DAWG was formalized and expanded to include Dr. Stephen Krinzman, Christine Vallee, and presently, Dr. Deborah Blazey-Martin. Working collaboratively, Dr. Weinstein incorporated clinic managers and medical center leadership into the group, which greatly assisted in the resolution of clinical problems.
“Although DAWG was created ostensibly to address in an organized and coherent way the crises in ambulatory, I’m certain that Dr. McManus was even more focused on envisioning the long-term goals,” said Dr. Weinstein. “He is a clinician in one of the busiest ambulatory clinics, and most of the providers under his leadership spend most of their career time with their ambulatory work. He feels the clinic could be and should be one of the most satisfying and rewarding parts of our jobs. We were not there, and that’s where we need to be. It is achievable and it takes a concerted, collaborative effort to get there, and I believe that is the ultimate goal of Dr. McManus for DAWG.”
“Bringing the two important parties together to solve problems was a unique and very real step to have medical center leadership tackle things together; you can’t do it alone, and so the DAWG was born,” said Dr. Weinstein. “At our earliest Zoom leader meetings, Candice’s dogs were frequent camera guests. Dr. McManus and I have been doggers our entire lives, so the DAWG name and corporate logo (my bloodhound Huck) were one of the easiest decisions.”
To date, Dr. Weinstein and the DAWG have continued to foster a collaborative forum where colleagues can work to solve various ambulatory issues. Specific projects Dr. Weinstein has contributed to include team-based models of care, removing referral and scheduling frictions, focusing first on urgent referrals, improving InBasket management, and using provider and staff surveys to guide clinic needs and priorities.
“What gives me the greatest administrative satisfaction is when I see a collaborative effort be successful, or when I see clinic management and physicians working together on a problem,” said Dr. Weinstein. “Even failures are okay because it is the effort and perseverance that count. Something as simple as that makes your day.”
Outside of his responsibilities in the DAWG, Dr. Weinstein has served as the division and clinical chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine. “I have loved the opportunity to represent the division. I have a service mentality, learned from my dad, and from my mom, sensitive emotional sensors. I’m here to problem solve and help my colleagues enjoy practicing medicine, deliver great care, and create an environment where people want to come and work,” explained Dr. Weinstein. “Seeing how the division has thrived in terms of a place to work, the longevity and loyalty of our providers, and our year-by-year solid fiscal performances, has been a great source of pride and fulfillment.”
“When I balance this part of my career with the amazing clinical practice I have, which now includes three generations of families, and the opportunity of working with so many talented and dedicated colleagues, I feel deeply fortunate,” shared Dr. Weinstein. “I have given a lot to UMass, and UMass and my patient panel have given a lot to me. It’s been truly a wonderful run! The division is very lucky to have a very talented and passionate chief, Dr. Blazey-Martin, who builds upon the great edifice we have with new ideas and limitless energy. I am deeply indebted to the unwavering support and grounding from my family, Wendy, Rachel, Joe, Kayla, and her husband Ryan,” said Dr. Weinstein.
As of October 2025, Dr. Weinstein will be stepping down from his role as co-lead in the DAWG. “Our Executive Charter does not have anything about term limits, but 5 years (35 DAWG years) sounds about right to me, especially with the great leadership DAWG currently has,” said Dr. Weinstein.
We invite all department members to join us in thanking Dr. Weinstein for his outstanding contributions to our clinics and his dedication to the continued care of our patients.