When Fred and Shannon Cerise got married in 1986, his plan was to finish medical school and serve as many needy patients as possible in a one-doctor practice. "I thought we'd live in a poor neighborhood above his medical office," his wife said. "But I think he's found a better, more expansive way to serve the same population. It's a bigger stage to do it on." That bigger stage — the new Parkland Memorial Hospital — soars 17 floors and will handle more than a million patient visits annually. Dr. Fred Cerise is poised to sign at least a million-dollar contract in the coming days to run the Dallas County hospital, marking the first leadership turnover in more than 30 years.