American Psychiatric Association announces new CEO, and more | MED MOVES

Marketa Wills, MD, has been named the next CEO and medical director of the American Psychiatric Association.

Marketa Wills

The association made the announcement Feb. 2. Wills will begin her new role June 1. She will be the first woman and Black American to serve as medical director.

Wills has decades of experience in mental healthcare. She currently serves as the senior vice president and chief medical officer of Johns Hopkins Health Plans, and she has a clinical practice at University of South Florida Student Health Services in Tampa, Florida.

“As a longtime mental health advocate, I am honored to take the reins of the APA at this time in our history,” Wills said in a statement. “Given where we are, with the explosion of AI, innovation and the changing landscape of technology, I look forward to working with APA’s membership and the administration to accelerate psychiatry into the future.”

Saul Levin, the association’s current CEO and medical director, announced his plans to retire last year. Wills was chosen after a nationwide search, the association said.

Petros Levounis, the president of the American Psychiatric Association, hailed Wills’ skills and experience.

“Dr. Wills has a unique combination of health care financing, innovation, business acumen, and front-line experience as a physician that made her an ideal candidate for the leadership of the APA administration,” Levounis said in a statement.

The association has 38,000 physician members who focus on mental illness.

Madhu Behera

Emory University names first chief research informatics officer

Madhu Behera has been named Emory University’s first chief research informatics officer.

Behera took the post on Feb. 1, 2024. She will lead initiatives on artificial intelligence and data analytics across Emory University and Emory Healthcare.

She has been a part of the Emory Organization since 2009. Most recently, she has served as the chief informatics and data officer for Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. She also serves as the director of Winship Data and Technology Applications Shared Resource, which provides informatics services for research.

Behera will continue to provide leadership of cancer informatics and data science at Winship, which strategically aligns with her new role.

“I am excited to continue my journey at Emory in this new role and to help drive innovation through research and discoveries, leading to a positive impact on the lives of our patients,” Behera said in a statement.

Joe Depa, chief data and AI officer for Emory University and Emory Healthcare, said Behera is well-suited for the role.

“Our goal is to enable our esteemed faculty and researchers to use data, AI and informatics to facilitate new groundbreaking research and improve lives, while applying knowledge in the service of humanity,” Depa said in a statement.

Kyle Snyder

Penn State Health appoints president of two hospitals

Kyle Snyder has been named president of two Penn State Health hospitals.

Snyder will serve as president of Hampden Medical Center and Holy Spirit Medical Center. Both hospitals are based in the suburbs of Harrisburg, Pa.

Snyder joined Penn State Health in 2020 as chief operating officer of Holy Spirit Medical Center. He was appointed senior vice president and regional chief operating officer for Hampden and Holy Spirit medical centers in 2022, before taking on the role of interim president in July 2023.

“I am honored to continue leading Hampden and Holy Spirit medical centers with an exceptional team of dedicated professionals,” Snyder said in a statement. “Our employees give so much each day to improve the health and well-being of our patients and communities. And I am excited about the opportunities ahead as Penn State Health grows to meet the needs of the region.”

Previously, Snyder had served as the chief administrative officer for Geisinger Holy Spirit, where he oversaw the operations of Holy Spirit Hospital, Holy Spirit Medical Group and Holy Spirit Emergency Medical Services.

Deborah Addo, president and chief operating officer for Penn State Health, praised Snyder’s leadership.

“He played a major role in the construction and opening of Hampden Medical Center and continues to be a committed partner as we grow to improve access into our academic health system,” Addo said in a statement.

Snyder’s prior positions include serving as the associate vice president for surgery and anesthesia at Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pa.; administrative director of emergency medicine at WellSpan Health, York, Pa., and administrator of the division of nursing at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland.

Robert Golden

University of Wisconsin medical school dean plans to step down

Robert N. Golden, the longtime dean and vice chancellor of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, says he is planning to step down.

Golden plans to depart once the university appoints a successor. He has served as dean of the medical schools since 2006. He’s one of the nation’s longest serving medical school deans, the university said in a news release.

“It has been an incredible honor and privilege to serve as dean and as the university’s vice chancellor for medical affairs,” Golden said in a statement. “As I look forward to the next phase of my professional life, I cherish the experience of working with so many remarkably talented and dedicated individuals within our school and our academic health system on behalf of those we serve.”

Since taking over as dean, the medical school’s seen an increase in federal funds for medical research from the National Institutes of Health. The university’s NIH funding has grown from $135 million in 2006 to nearly $246 million in 2022.

Golden has focused on rural healthcare. In 2007, he helped launch the Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine, which trains medical students who intend to practice in rural areas. Under his leadership, the school established an obstetrics and gynecology residency training program for those planning to work in rural communities.

Alan Kaplan, CEO of UW Health, praised Golden’s contributions.

“Health care is a team sport, and I couldn’t have asked for a better teammate than Dean Golden,” Kaplan said in a statement. “It’s the coordination of clinical care and community service with research and education that makes our academic health system so remarkable.”