Chutes & Ladders—Harris Health nabs Parkland exec as CEO; University Hospital & Medical Center hires new chief

Welcome to this week's Chutes & Ladders, our roundup of hirings, firings and retirings throughout the industry. Please submit the good news—or the bad—from your shop, and we will feature it here at the end of each week.

 

 


Esmaeil Porsa
​​​​​(Courtesy photo)
​​

Harris Health

Esmaeil Porsa, M.D., was named the next CEO of Harris Health System, it was announced this month

Porsa is the executive vice president and chief strategy and integration officer at Parkland Health & Hospital System. He will succeed George Masi, who is retiring in the spring. He will begin the role on March 2. 

Porsa earned his bachelor’s degree from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas; his M.D. from the University of Texas Health Science Center Medical School in San Antonio, Texas, a master’s degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health in Houston, Texas and an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas.

He completed his internship and residency training in internal medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, Texas, and served as chief medical resident. He completed a fellowship in primary care at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.

As CEO, Porsa will lead all aspects of the $1.4 billion budget operation which serves the residents of Harris County, Texas, officials said. 

 


Ben Harris
Ben Harris
(HCA Healthcare) 

University Hospital & Medical Center

Ben Harris became CEO of HCA Healthcare's University Hospital & Medical Center in Tamarac, Florida on Nov. 4, South Florida Hospital News reported

Harris was previously the chief operating officer of HCA's Medical City Las Colinas in Irving, Texas and was formerly vice president of business development for Medical City Plano (Texas).

He has an MBA from Dallas Baptist University and a bachelor's in Government from the University of Texas. 


> Peter Ferrari was appointed the president of Shields Health Care Group where will oversee the network of 35+ imaging, outpatient surgery and radiation therapy centers.

Patricia Stone was named editor of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology's (APIC) s peer-reviewed journal, the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC). Stone will assume the role from Elaine Larson, who is retiring in December and has served as the editor of AJIC since 1995.