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.
Renown Health
Brian Erling, M.D., has been named president and chief executive officer of Renown Health, the largest healthcare network in Nevada.
Earlier this year, the organization's board voted to dismiss President and CEO Tony Slonim. The firing followed an investigation regarding unspecified personal concerns. Thomas Graf has filled the role of interim CEO while Sy Johnson took the post of interim president. Both will aid Erling in easing into the role which he will fill beginning Nov. 14.
Upon the completion of the transition, Graf will remain as chief clinical and quality officer and Johnson will resume as chief operations officer and chief of staff.
Erling’s most recent position was CEO of Centura Health's Penrose-St. Francis Health Services in Colorado Springs, Colorado, after filling the roles of chief medical officer and chief clinical officer. Before his time at Centura, he was president of the Alliance Group, a segment of Tennessee-based Envision Healthcare.
Atrium Health
Ebony Boulware, M.D., was welcomed as vice chief academic officer and chief science officer of the Charlotte, North Carolina-based health system Oct. 17.
Boulware was also named dean of Wake Forest University School of Medicine. She will succeed Julie Ann Freischlag, M.D., in the position of CSO. Freischlag will remain in her current role as chief executive officer of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and as chief academic officer of Atrium Health.
As chief academic officer of Atrium Health, Freischlag will be leading the newly formed Health Sciences System, which includes Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Atrium Health Cabarrus College of Health Sciences, Atrium Health Carolinas College of Health Sciences and clinical training programs educating 1,500 residents and fellows.
Boulware most recently worked as director of the Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute and as vice dean for translational science and associate vice chancellor for translational research at Duke University. Her research has been continually funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.
GE Healthcare
Rodney Hochman, M.D., current president and CEO of Providence, and Tom Mihaljevic, M.D., president and CEO of Cleveland Clinic, have both been appointed to the newly formed board of GE Healthcare, a new subsidiary of General Electric set to launch in January.
Hochman manages a 52-hospital health system with 120,000 clinicians and locations across Alaska, Montana, Oregon, California and Washington. Mihaljevic administers a 22-hospital health system with roughly 6,500 beds systemwide.
Additional members of the board include Peter Arduini, president and CEO of GE's healthcare business since January; H. Lawrence Culp Jr., chairman and CEO of GE; Catherine Lesjak, who has held numerous financial leadership positions at HP (formerly Hewlett-Packard Co.); and Phoebe Yang, who held the position of general manager of Amazon Web Services, Healthcare, until September of this year, among other members.
The industrial titan also recently announced a partnership with AMC Health to offer post-acute remote patient monitoring technology to patients. GE said more information regarding the new company’s spinoff date will be announced closer to an investor day on Dec. 8.
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
Charlene MacDonald has been appointed to the role of chief government affairs officer.
As senior vice president, public policy and government affairs, she will direct CareFirst’s interaction in health policy at the highest levels. Health equity through quality, affordable and accessible care will be a primary goal in her policy work.
MacDonald most recently served as senior managing director, head of healthcare and life sciences at FTI Consulting. She has also advocated for health issues while holding an array of policy and legislative affairs roles at the federal and state levels. During her time working on Capitol Hill, she primarily focused on policy efforts to protect and expand access to care.
MacDonald is known as a thought leader in health policy circles and is sought after for her advice on how to address challenges in healthcare delivery, according to CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.
> Kalderos, a drug discount management platform maker, named Lisa Bomrad as the industry’s first chief people officer.
> Epicore Biosystems, a digital health developer of sweat-sensing devices, announced the appointment of Barbara Burger, Ph.D., to its advisory board.
> Mount Sinai Heart named Valentin Fuster president.
> Innovaccer welcomed Inder Sidhu as chief customer officer of the digital healthcare company.
> Bozeman Health’s board of directors accepted the resignation of board chair Signe Farris after a physicians’ no-confidence vote regarding both the board and chief executive officer of the Montana-based health system.
> Let's Talk Interactive, a technology firm offering virtual care solutions, announced the addition of Alexander Monroe as chief financial officer.
> Parkview Health announced that Mike Packnett is retiring as chief executive officer of Fort Wayne, Indiana-based Parkview Health after 16 years in the position. Rick Henvey, president of healthcare operations, will lead the organization as CEO beginning in January.
> TransCelerate BioPharma unveiled Janice Chang as its new chief executive officer.
> Great River Health, an Iowa-based health system, is seeking a new chief executive officer following the stepping down of Matt Wenzel. Michael McCoy, M.D., the health system’s chief medical officer, has been named acting CEO.
> LeanTaaS welcomed Hugh Cassidy, Ph.D., as the new chief data scientist at the software provider.
> Northwestern Memorial HealthCare has named Howard Chrisman, M.D., as the next president and chief executive officer of the Chicago-based nonprofit health system.
> Zipari, a health insurance software company, has announced the appointment of Tabatha Erck as chief executive officer.
> Nomi Health announces the appointment of Sara Ratner as the president of government programs.
> Recludix Pharma will see the appointment of Paul Smith, Ph.D., as senior vice president of biology.
> Philadelphia-based Temple Health named Jack Ludmir, M.D., as chief physician executive of the health system’s new Temple Women's Hospital.
> Cottage Health welcomed Kristin Tufvesson as the new senior vice president and chief financial officer of the California-based health system.