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.
NIAID
Anthony Fauci, M.D., announced Monday plans to step away from his role as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) as well as other prominent public service positions, including his title as chief medical adviser to the president.
Fauci said he will depart in December and until then will be helping NIAID prepare for a leadership transition. He said the move does not signal his retirement from public health and science research, but did not specify what his future plans may entail.
Fauci was the country’s foremost infectious disease experts with over 50 years of government service. These include 38 years as NIAID director and 42 as chief of the institute’s Laboratory of Immunoregulation, from which he will also be stepping down.
Additionally, Fauci played key advisory roles to seven presidents, starting with President Ronald Reagan, as they responded to emerging or otherwise pressing infectious disease emergencies including HIV/AIDS, West Nile virus, anthrax, influenzas, Ebola and Zika. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008 by President George W. Bush.
Fauci came into the public eye during COVID-19 and publicly clashed with politicians disagreeing on pandemic mitigation strategies and the use of unsupported treatments. His announcement fueled a slew of statements from Republican lawmakers promising his inclusion in Congressional investigations should they win a chamber of the legislative branch.
BHSH System
Nancy Susick is now chief operating officer for acute and post-acute services at Beaumont Health, according to a Wednesday announcement.
The role places Susick in charge of Beaumont’s various hospital presidents, a title she will be vacating with the new position.
She has been with Beaumont since 1986, when she joined as a registered nurse, and has held various roles at its Royal Oak and Troy hospitals. Alongside her most recent president position, she was interim co-chief operating officer for the past year and spent five months as interim president of all Beaumont Health when it was in the process of merging with Spectrum Health to form BHSH System.
Susick paired her time at the system with 24 years of U.S. Navy Reserve service, from which she retired in 2012 at the rank of Captain. Her previous position as president of Beaumont’s Royal Oak hospital will be filled on an interim basis by Debbie Guido-Allen.
Summit Health
Amy Smith has been appointed chief people officer of Summit Health, the New Jersey and New York-based network announced this week.
The most recent of Smith’s 25 years in human resource leadership experience came under Anthem, where she served as staff vice president of human resources at the large payer. Before that came a vice president of implementation role at ADP.
Summit Health was formed in 2019 with the merger of physician-owned and governed multi-specialty group Summit Medical Group and urgent care company CityMD.
The organization will task Smith with leading its “cultural evolution with responsibility for all aspects of the company’s people strategy. This includes talent acquisition, retention and development as well as diversity, equity and inclusion.
Smith will report directly to CEO Jeff Alter. Chief Human Resources Officer David Diamond will retain his role but report to Smith, as will SVP of Culture, Engagement and DEI Natalie Thigpen.
LCMC Health
Emily Sedgwick, M.D., was named President CEO of LCMC Health’s University Medical Center New Orleans, the organization announced in a release.
She comes to Louisiana’s largest academic medical center from a gig as executive chief medical officer of UK HealthCare, the University of Kentucky’s nearly $3 billion healthcare system. While there, Sedgwick headed a team that cut inpatient bed turnaround time by 32% and led a clinical documentation initiative aimed at improving the system’s quality ratings, revenue and inpatient throughput.
Segwick’s career has taken her from a faculty role instructing ultrasound and breast imaging at Brigham and Women’s Hospital to a handful of diagnostic radiologist and clinical leadership roles at half a dozen organizations.
Of note, she spent four years as a radiologist and assistant professor at Houston Methodist Hospital, 11-and-a-half years at Texas’ Baylor College of Medicine that culminated in a chief quality officer of its Baylor Clinic Faculty Group Practice, and two years as interim and chief medical officer at a pair of HCA Healthcare’s Houston hospitals.
> Intermountain Healthcare named Lydia Jumonville as interim president and CEO following the departure of Marc Harrison, M.D.
> Ballad Health, in Tennessee, announced a slew of hospital and regional leadership changes: Rebecca Beck as CEO of Holston Valley Medical Center and Indian Path Community Hospital; John Jeter as CEO of Bristol Regional Medical Center in addition to his role as CEO of Johnston Memorial Hospital; Chad Couch, M.D., as president of the Ballad Health Northern Region; Bobbie Murphy as chief nursing officer of the Ballad Health Northern Region; and Morgan May as chief nursing officer of the Ballad Health Southern Region.
> Northwell Health announced Joseph Leston as deputy chief marketing officer.
> Net Health, a specialty electronic health record and analytics company, named Gabe Hesse as chief technology officer and Kevin Keenahan as chief product officer.
> CareRev, a healthcare talent marketplace, brought on Amazon veteran Patty Bedard as its chief people officer.
> UChicago Medicine named Keisha Mullings-Smith as VP and chief experience officer, effective Oct. 17.
> Heal, a primary care company, announced Rosalie Sullivan as national director of senior living.
> Morehouse School of Medicine’s board of trustees voted in Lisa LeCointe-Cephas and John Whyte, M.D., as new members.
> Tower Health will see Michael Stern step in as chief operating officer, effective Sept. 19.
> Curebase, a clinical study enrollment company, announced Sean Lynch as VP of clinical operations.
> Baystate Health, in Massachusetts, will see Molly Gray, president and chief administrative officer of its eastern region, retire on Oct. 9.
> Navitus Health Solutions, a pharmacy benefit manager, promoted Ken Goodnight to chief transformation and digital officer.
> University Hospital Strategic Integration and Health Equity Officer Chris Pernell, M.D., is leaving the organization on Sept. 2.
> Icario, a startup engaging members in preventive care actions, named Bryan Perler as chief financial and administrative officer.
> Piedmont HealthCare, a physician-owned multi-specialty group based in North Carolina, announced Melissa Haines as director of operations.
> University of Texas Medical Branch President Ben Raimer, M.D., has reportedly resigned shortly after being placed on administrative leave.
> MOBE, a data and digital health company, appointed Mike Ott as CEO and Kurt Cegielski as chief commercial officer of health plans.
> POCN, an NP and PA network, announced Nicki Wright as director of NP/PA engagement.
> St. Luke’s University Health Network, in Pennsylvania, added Scott Wolfe as network SVP of finance and chief financial officer.
> LogicSource, a procurement services and technology company, tapped Brian White as managing partner responsible for its healthcare division.