McLeod Health Announces New Board of Trustees Leadership

Effective March 2026, as the new board terms began, Dr. Tarek Bishara of Florence, South Carolina, assumed the position of chairman of the McLeod Health Board of Trustees from Ronald M. Fowler of Loris who continues his service on the board. 

“We are extremely appreciative of the dedication and very hard work of these volunteer board members who embrace the mission of McLeod Health in service to the community and providing the delivery of excellence in healthcare,” said Donna Isgett, president and CEO of Florence-based McLeod Health. “Their remarkable leadership continues to guide us as we face the many challenges that are affecting healthcare today.”

“I am deeply honored to accept the chairmanship of the McLeod Health Board of Trustees,” said Dr. Bishara. “McLeod has a long and distinguished history of serving our region with excellence, compassion, and innovation, and I look forward to supporting that mission in this role. Additionally, it is with sincere appreciation that we express our gratitude to Ronald Fowler for his exceptional leadership over the past three years. His steady leadership, his integrity, and his genuine care for this organization have made a lasting impact. I’m grateful for the foundation he has built and look forward to carrying that work forward.”

The McLeod Health Board is a self-perpetuating, 24-member governing board that includes eight physicians, including 13 emeritus members.  

Tarek Bishara, MD, is a pathologist and president of Pee Dee Pathology Associates, Inc. He has been a member of the McLeod Health medical staff for 24 years and was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2017.

Bishara received his medical degree from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia, graduating Magna Cum Laude. He completed his residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Following residency, he served on active duty in the United States Air Force with the 81st Medical Group as a pathologist and director of Surgical Pathology at Keesler Air Force Base Medical Center, separating from service at the rank of Major. He subsequently pursued fellowship training at Johns Hopkins Medical Institution in Baltimore, Maryland.

A member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society, Bishara is board certified by the American Board of Pathology in Anatomic Pathology and Clinical Pathology.

In addition to his board service, Bishara previously served as a trustee of the McLeod Health Foundation Board and as vice chair of the Foundation Board for three years.

In 2018, he received the McLeod Merit Award in recognition of his outstanding service to McLeod Health, including his leadership as chair of Pathology, medical director of the Clinical Laboratories, and long-standing involvement in Clinical Effectiveness initiatives focused on improving the quality of patient care.

Raised in Mullins, South Carolina, Bishara has spent his career serving the Pee Dee region. He is married to Dr. Lisa Ann Bishara, an anesthesiologist with McLeod Physician Associates, and they have one daughter, Katherine.

Ronald M. Fowler has served as a member of the McLeod Health Board of Trustees representing Horry County since 2012.

A native of Horry County, he is a graduate of Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He received a master’s degree in education from the University of South Carolina.

Fowler has served Horry County Schools (HCS) for more than 50 years. He is a learning specialist for the HCS Office of Human Resources. He is also a funeral director with Hardwick Funeral Home.

His leadership roles have included service as current member of the Horry County RIDE IV Committee, as a past member of the Horry County Board of Adjustment and Appeals, past chairman of the City of Loris Election Commission, past co-chairman of the City of Loris Downtown Revitalization Committee and past president of the Loris Lions Club. Fowler is also the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award (2024) and the Community Service Award (2002) from the Loris Chamber of Commerce.

He was appointed to the Loris Community Hospital District Board of Commissioners in 2001.

During his service with the board of commissioners, he served as chairman and vice chairman. He was also on the board in 2011 when McLeod Health and Loris Healthcare System formalized their long standing and mutually beneficial partnership with a decision to affiliate.

As a member of the McLeod Health Board of Trustees, Fowler has been instrumental in the growth of McLeod along the coast. In 2023, he was named chairman of the Board and has served on the Governance Committee and as a member of the following committees: Nominating; Finance; Audit and Compliance; Planning; Physician Development; and Workforce Development and Education.

Founded in 1906, McLeod Health is a locally owned and managed, not-for-profit organization supported by more than 1,000 members on its medical staff and more than 3,800 licensed nurses.

McLeod Health is also composed of approximately 18,000 team members and more than 100 physician practice locations throughout its 18-county service area.

With seven hospitals, McLeod Health operates three Health and Fitness Centers, a Sports Medicine and Outpatient Rehabilitation Center, Hospice and Home Health Services.

The system currently has 945 licensed beds. The hospitals within McLeod Health include McLeod Regional Medical Center, McLeod Health Dillon, McLeod Health Loris, McLeod Health Seacoast, McLeod Health Carolina Forest, McLeod Health Cheraw and McLeod Health Clarendon.