Hospital for Special Surgery chooses COO, and more | MED MOVES

After a nationwide search, Mary E. Cassai has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Hospital for Special Surgery.

Mary E. Cassai (Photo: Hospital for Special Surgery)

Cassai will join the organization on August 14. She will report to Bryan T. Kelly, president, surgeon-in-chief and medical director. Kelly will add the title of chief executive later this year with the planned retirement of Louis Shapiro.

"Mary's capability and character match this moment of historic opportunity for HSS to meet the demand for excellent musculoskeletal care," Kelly said in a statement.

"I look forward to her partnership and leadership in advancing the operational excellence needed to ensure HSS is the best place for doctors and other clinicians to provide care, for patients to receive care, and for all colleagues to realize their full potential,” Kelly said.

Cassai joins HSS from NewYork-Presbyterian, where she has been serving as senior vice president of perioperative services. She has held a variety of roles during her 16 years at NewYork-Presbyterian.

"HSS is one of the most admirable organizations of any kind, and famously home to the most talented people committed to advancing excellence in every way," Cassai said in a statement. "I could not be more humbled and excited to help the organization and my new colleagues to become even better together."

Tiffany Murdock (Photo: Ochsner Health)

Ochsner Health appoints chief nursing officer

Tiffany Murdock has been named the new vice president and chief nursing officer of Ochsner Health in Louisiana.

Murdock will begin her new role later this summer. She will work alongside Tracey Moffatt, the outgoing chief nursing officer and system vice president of quality, during the transition. Ochsner employs more than 9,000 nurses.

Murdock has spent eight years at Singing River Health System, and has served as the system’s first female chief executive officer since 2022. Murdock has been leading a team of more than 3,500 employees serving the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Previously, Murdock served as regional chief nursing officer of St. Joseph Health System in California and as chief nursing officer at Asante Health in Oregon.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Tiffany Murdock to lead our talented nursing team and support its critical work across our organization,” Mike Hulefeld, president and chief operating officer at Ochsner Health, said in a statement.

“The dedication and service of our nurses is vital to our mission and impacts millions of lives each year,” he added. “Tiffany is a passionate advocate and leader and will further our efforts to create a supportive, inclusive and empowering environment for our nursing colleagues.”

Baptist Health Louisville selects new president

Jonathan A. Velez has been named as the new president of Baptist Health Louisville.

Velez will begin his new role on July 17. He succeeds Larry Gray, who announced his plans to retire earlier this year. Gray has served as president for five years and has spent nearly four decades with Kentucky’s largest health system.

For the past six years, Velez has served as chief operations and physician executive at Gulf Coast Medical Center in Ft. Myers, Florida. Baptist Health Louisville has 519 beds, and Velez has been leading a hospital that recently expanded from 356 to 624 beds.

“I look forward to getting to know the staff, providers and volunteers at Baptist Health Louisville, and about the community and its healthcare needs,” Velez said in a statement. “The hospital has a strong culture and tradition of providing excellent and compassionate patient care, which has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report over the last six years as among the Commonwealth’s finest hospitals.”

Velez was employed as chief software engineer for a Massachusetts company for two years while an undergraduate at the University of Vermont. He spent 11 years as an emergency medicine physician in Colorado.

In 2007, Velez joined Memorial Health System in Colorado Springs as its chief medical information officer, and was later named chief information officer. In 2012, he moved to the Hartford HealthCare Corporation in Connecticut, eventually becoming the vice president of medical affairs.

Among his varied skills, Velez is also a pilot.

Chris Hutchins (Photo: Lifepoint Health)

Lifepoint Health names first chief data officer

Chris Hutchins has been named the senior vice president and chief data and analytics officer of Lifepoint Health.

It’s a new position for Lifepoint, which operates 62 community hospital campuses and more than 50 rehabilitation and behavioral health hospitals.

Hutchins will work with Lifepoint leaders to build an advanced platform to utilize data to gain insights to help propel the organization’s growth.

“We are pleased to welcome Chris to Lifepoint and add his expertise to our leadership team,” Jason Zachariah, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Lifepoint Health, said in a statement. “Chris has a proven track record of data, analytics and system management and leadership in various healthcare settings.”

Hutchins spent seven years at Northwell Health in New York, where he served as vice president, chief data and analytics officer and associate vice president, healthcare analytics. He also held leadership positions at Partners Healthcare and served as deputy chief information officer at Massachusetts General Physicians Organization.

Callen-Lorde Community Health Center appoints CEO

Patrick McGovern has been named the new chief executive officer of Callen-Lorde Community Health Center in New York.

An LGBTQ+ and community health veteran, McGovern has been serving as the chief operations and strategy officer at Amida Care, a nonprofit community health plan serving people living with HIV/AIDS. He will begin serving as CEO on August 1.

McGovern helped to found Amida Care in his role as CEO at Harlem United Community AIDS Center from 1999-2010. McGovern also served as vice president of government affairs at Gilead, where he worked to expand HIV testing nationwide.

“I’m so excited to be joining the Callen-Lorde team. My whole career has been dedicated to providing equitable care for those who mainstream healthcare systems neglect to understand. As a gay man, I know that the LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV know best how to take care of ourselves,” McGovern said in a statement.

Lanita Ward-Jones, board chair for Callen-Lorde hailed McGovern’s years of advocacy for LGBTQ+ patients and his work to improve health equity.

“Patrick has worked in partnership with LGBTQ+ and Black and Brown community leaders across the city for many years and has a deep understanding of and commitment to meeting the needs of our patients,” Ward-Jones said in a statement. “I’m so excited for Callen-Lorde’s next chapter.”