MED MOVES: Emory Healthcare names president for three hospitals, and more

Emory Healthcare has named Rashard Johnson as the new chief executive officer for three of the system’s hospitals.

Rashard Johnson

Johnson will serve as the CEO for Emory Decatur Hospital, Emory Hillandale Hospital and Emory Long-Term Acute Care Hospital. He will begin his new role on Aug. 22.

Johnson is coming to Emory Healthcare from Advocate Aurora Health in Chicago, where he is the president of Advocate Trinity and South Suburban Hospitals.

“Emory Healthcare is a world-renowned comprehensive academic health system with a history of delivering unparalleled care to patients and improving the future of health care,” Johnson said in a statement. “I'm humbled and honored to join the Emory Decatur Hospital, Emory Hillandale Hospital and Emory Long-Term Acute Care Hospital leadership teams as we enhance the health of the communities we're so fortunate to serve.”

Before his time at Advocate Aurora Health, Johnson served as vice president of operations and chief operating officer for the north Houston market at St. Luke’s Health in Houston, a Catholic Health Initiatives affiliate.

He has held leadership roles at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Jackson Health System in Miami and the Miami Veteran Affairs Healthcare System.

Lakesha Butler

UF Health hires chief diversity officer

Lakesha Butler has been named UF Health’s associate vice president for inclusion, diversity and health equity and chief diversity officer.

She starts her new role at UF Health on Aug. 22.

Butler will collaborate with diversity liaisons in the system’s six health colleges, the UF Health hospitals in Gainesville, Jacksonville and Central Florida, and the Lake Nona campus in Orlando. She will also work closely with the university’s chief diversity officer, the system said.

Butler has been serving as a professor of pharmacy practice and director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Southern Illinois University. In a news release, UF Health touted her success in helping to recruit more students from minority groups to Southern Illinois.

“There are many individuals who’ve been dealt a hand that they do not deserve,” Butler said in a statement. “My ‘why’ is that I want to do my best to create a different experience than I had for others including my children and to ultimately leave this world better than I found it.”

Dr. David R. Nelson, senior vice president for health affairs at UF and president of UF Health, said Butler possesses “a strong track record of leadership, clinical expertise and excellence in academia, along with a deep dedication to diversity and health equity.”

Anupam Agarwal

UAB announces interim leadership moves

The University of Alabama at Birmingham has appointed some interim leaders to key posts.

The moves followed the resignation of Selwyn M. Vickers, who has been named the next president and chief executive officer of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Vickers has been senior vice president for medicine and dean of the Heersink School of Medicine. He’ll start at Memorial Sloan Kettering in September.

With Vickers’ departure, UAB announced Anupam Agarwal, M.D., will serve as interim senior vice president of medicine and interim dean of the school of medicine for a second time, as well as interim chair of the health services foundation board. Agarwal is the vice dean of the school of medicine.

Dawn Bulgarella

Dawn Bulgarella will serve as interim CEO of the UAB Health System. She will continue to serve as president of the UAB Health System and CFO for the UAB/Ascension St. Vincent’s Alliance.

Reid Jones will continue his role as CEO of UAB Medicine.

Dawn, Reid and Anupam have been invaluable and visionary leaders for UAB Medicine for decades and comprise a veteran leadership team that provides trusted stability and a dedication to excellence,” UAB President Ray Watts said in a statement. “They — along with the talented teams they lead — have been central to the tremendous growth we have experienced and preserve our ability to provide world-class health care.”

Katie Galbraith

Lankenau Medical Center gets new president

Katie Galbraith has been named the new president of Lankenau Medical Center, part of Main Line Health.

She will take the new post in September. Galbraith will succeed Phillip D. Robinson, who has led Lankenau for the last 12 years and announced earlier this year that he is stepping down.

• Related story: Phillip Robinson of Lankenau Medical Center talks about leadership and humility

Galbraith has been serving as president of Duke Regional Hospital, in Durham, N.C. since 2014. She brings over 25 years of healthcare leadership.

She joined Duke as public relations manager for Duke Children's Hospital in 1996 and moved to Duke Regional in 2001, where she has held a host of leadership roles.

"I am delighted to be joining the Lankenau and Main Line Health team,” Galbraith said in a statement. “This is an outstanding opportunity to be part of an organization with a strong commitment to excellence, to people and to community, and I look forward to serving.”

At Duke Regional, she led a $102-million expansion of the behavioral health center and emergency department, the largest project in the hospital’s history.

Kevin A. Andryc

University Hospitals in Ohio cames CMO for two hospitals

University Hospitals has named Kevin A. Andryc to serve as chief medical officer of two hospitals in the Ohio system.

Andryc has been named CMO of University Hospitals Conneaut and Geneva medical centers. He has been serving as interim chief medical officer since Jan. 1, 2022. He began his new role on June 1.

The system said Andryc will work to improve patient outcomes, safety and quality. He also serves as the medical director of the Emergency Department at UH Conneaut and Geneva medical centers.

Before joining University Hospitals, Andryc served as an emergency medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital, as well as Kane Community Hospital in Pennsylvania.

Donald DeCarlo, chief medical Officer of UH’s East Market, said in a statement, “Dr. Andryc’s robust experience will help us advance our UH mission, vision and values.”

“This is an especially exciting year as we celebrate UH Conneaut Medical Center’s 100th anniversary,” he said. “Our leadership team looks forward to continuing to collaborate with Dr. Andryc as we plan for the future of our hospitals in Ashtabula County.”

Paul Merrild

Kyruus chooses the company’s first president

Paul Merrild has been named the first president of Kyruus, a firm providing search and scheduling solutions for healthcare organizations.

Merrild will begin in his new role July 11, reporting to Kyruus’ founder and CEO Graham Gardner. Kyruus said in a statement the company has enjoyed a year of record-breaking growth.

Merrild is coming to Kyruus from Sound Physicians, where he served as chief growth officer. He previously held a variety of roles with athenahealth, including general manager for the enterprise business unit and head of sales. He also brings experience from GE Healthcare and Merge Healthcare.

I am thrilled to be joining the Kyruus team at such an important time for the company and for healthcare overall,” Merrild said in a statement. "Kyruus' national network of provider intelligence and scheduling workflow is uniquely positioned to enable health plans, provider organizations, and next generation digital health companies to create a frictionless patient access and care navigation experience. I look forward to working with my new colleagues and our partners to deliver on this promise.”