Dr. Silbaugh is the former CEO of the American College of Physician Executives (ACPE), a professional organization for physicians with leadership and executive roles in the health care industry. As the first physician CEO of ACPE, he helped grow the organization by developing new educational content focused on patient safety, high reliability, and integrating the cultures of medicine and management. He was named to Modern Healthcare’s “Most Influential” lists from 2009 to 2011 and honored as a Distinguished Fellow of ACPE in 2012. He continues to teach as a faculty member of the American Association for Physician Leadership (formerly the American College of Physician Executives).

He served on the Board of Governors of the National Patient Safety Foundation from 2009 to 2012. He served on the board of New Mexico Healthcare Executives, the regional chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives, in New Mexico.

Dr. Silbaugh is co-author of the article "Landing on the Hudson River: Lessons for Health Care" (PEJ May/June 2010) with Jeff Skiles, the co-pilot of Flight 1549, which outlines key principles of safety and teamwork important to health care. Passionately curious about people and their efforts to improve their world, he has represented ACPE on professional delegations to China, Tibet, Rwanda, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia. In 2018, he spent several months in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan working with the clinical and administrative staff of the National Referral Hospital to improve patient safety, quality, and efficiency.

Dr. Silbaugh's career has included full-time clinical work as an internist/hematologist, medical director of a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, vice president of medical operations for a large national health system, Chief Medical Officer of a consumer-focused Internet start-up, consulting, and executive coaching for physicians.

He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Medical Management. He has a BA and MD from the University of Iowa, and a Master's in Administrative Medicine from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.