Beth Israel Lahey Health appoints system’s 1st chief nursing officer, and more | MED MOVES

Puneet Freibott has been named the first chief nursing officer of the Beth Israel Lahey Health system.

Puneet Freibott

In the new role, Freibott will serve as a member of the system’s executive leadership team.

Most recently, she served as chief operating officer of University Medical Center New Orleans. Freibott has served in executive leadership positions in healthcare organizations for the last 27 years, including serving as chief nursing officer at HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center & Specialty Hospitals and Tenet Park Plaza & Plaza Specialty Hospitals, both in Texas.

“BILH has a deep commitment to delivering exceptionally seamless and coordinated care to all of the patients we serve,” Freibott said in a statement. “I am excited to join BILH and look forward to delivering on that goal by working with our nursing and clinical teams across the system.”

Rob Fields, MD, chief clinical officer of Beth Israel Lahey Health, said Freibott’s experience “will help BILH advance our patient-focused culture.”

“Puneet will spearhead BILH’s efforts to standardize, develop and ensure the appropriate translation of evidence-based care into daily practice, leading to highly efficient and effective delivery of quality patient care,” Fields said in a statement.

Thomas Priselac (Cedars-Sinai)

Cedars-Sinai CEO announces plans to retire

Thomas M. Priselac, who has served as president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Health System for three decades, says he is planning to retire.

Priselac made the announcement last week. He will remain in his post until the Cedars-Sinai board of directors finds his replacement and the next leader has joined the organization.

He has spent 45 years at Cedars-Sinai, and has led the system for the last 30 years.

“It has been the singular honor of my professional life to work alongside my colleagues at this amazing institution, pioneering new paths to serve the community and advancing healthcare, research and education, Priselac wrote in a post on LinkedIn.

Larry Platt, chairman of the Cedars-Sinai Health System board, praised Priselac’s leadership.

“Tom led Cedars-Sinai through an era of incredible changes in healthcare, adapting with innovation while always staying true to our mission,” Platt said in a statement. “He has that rare ability to continually look ahead while staying true to our longstanding institutional values.”

Priselac joined Cedars-Sinai in 1979 as an assistant administrator. He served as executive vice president from 1988 to 1993 and was appointed president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in 1994.

He has also served as president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Health System since its formation in 2017.

Priselac has held other leadership roles in state and national healthcare organizations. He is a former chairman of both the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Hospital Association. He is also a past chair of the California Hospital Association

He also saluted his colleagues and the many workers of Cedars-Sinai.

“Every day, I have learned so much from listening to my colleagues, discussing complex issues with them and hearing about their work and their lives outside of work. This has been one of the most enjoyable parts of my job, the aspect I will miss the most,” he wrote on LinkedIn.

Michael Cacciatore

AdventHealth announces new chief clinical officer

Michael Cacciatore, MD, has been named chief clinical officer for AdventHealth.

Cacciatore will begin his new role starting March 4. He will report to Randy Haffner, group CEO of AdventHealth Florida.

Most recently, he served as chief clinical officer for AdventHealth’s West Florida Division. Before that, Cacciatore served as chief medical officer for AdventHealth Medical Group in Central Florida.

Cacciatore also served as medical director of the AdventHealth Obstetrics Hospitalists team in Central Florida and was a clinical faculty member in the department of obstetrics and gynecology for the AdventHealth Family Practice Residency Program.

“As a physician, I’m proud to work for an organization that is committed to clinical excellence and I’m honored this opportunity allows me to continue to serve our patients,” Cacciatore said in a statement. “I look forward to building on the incredible foundation that’s been built and collaborating with leaders and care teams throughout the organization to elevate our standards of care and extend our mission to the communities we serve.”

Haffner describes Cacciatore as “a leader who has consistently demonstrated his commitment to our mission and ensuring those in his care feel whole.”

“Dr. Cacciatore Is a relational leader, one who understands how to bring leaders, providers and care teams together and rally them around a common goal,” Haffner said in a statement.

Nakesha Lopez

Advocate Health names new chief people officer

Nakesha Lopez has been appointed executive vice president and chief people & culture officer of Advocate Health.

Lopez will begin in her new role on March 18. She will oversee all people programs for the health system and will report directly to CEO Eugene A. Woods.

She brings more than 20 years of experience in human resources leadership. She most recently served as the chief human resources officer for Baylor Scott & White.

“I’m thrilled to join the talented and committed team at Advocate Health during such an exciting time of growth and transformation,” Lopez said in a statement. “I look forward to working alongside our 155,000 colleagues to further cultivate our strong culture and drive engagement across every corner of our organization as we build the next generation workforce and amplify our impact on our patients and communities.”

Prior to her time at Baylor Scott & White, Lopez served as vice president of human resources for Barclays Capital. She joined the firm as an assistant vice president of human resources from Lehman Brothers during their acquisition.

“We are proud of being a best place to work and are confident that Nakesha will help continue to elevate our organizational culture,” Woods said in a statement. “Under her leadership, we look forward to continuing to recruit and retain the very best and brightest to serve our communities and bring health, hope and healing to all.”

Garrett Allen

HCA Midwest Health appoints senior VP of business development

Garrett Allen has been named senior vice president of business development for HCA Midwest Health.

Allen joins HCA Midwest Health Care from BJC Healthcare in St. Louis, where he has spent the past 13 years in leadership roles for the health system and Washington University School of Medicine, its academic affiliate.

“It’s an honor and distinct privilege to join the HCA Midwest Health leadership team,” Allen said in a statement. “I appreciate the opportunity to work with the talented leaders and physicians to advance HCA’s tremendous impact of further delivering high-quality, compassionate healthcare to patients across the region and to continue to make a difference in the well-being of the communities we serve. Our collaborative efforts will center on the ongoing enhancement of health outcomes and access points, ensuring a more effective response to the diverse needs of our patients."

In his role as executive director of physician integration and strategy, Allen helped Missouri Baptist Medical Center develop a multi-million-dollar strategic campus plan, and create business plans for growth initiatives.

HCA Midwest Health President Keith Zimmerman said he’s pleased to bring Allen to the senior leadership team.

“By focusing on long-term growth and collaborative development, Garrett will play a critical role in our future growth and continued success in impacting quality patient care for our region,” Zimmerman said in a statement.