MED MOVES: Intermountain Healthcare names first chief equity officer, and more

Tiffany Capeles has been named the first chief equity officer of Intermountain Healthcare.

Tiffany Capeles

Capeles will lead efforts to expand diversity, equity and inclusion efforts throughout Intermountain, a system operating 33 hospitals and a host of clinics and facilities in seven states.

She has worked as director of health equity at CHRISTUS Health, a Texas-based system. Capeles also served in multiple roles at Children’s Health in Texas and at Adventist HealthCare in Maryland.

“I’m very excited to join Intermountain to help continue the important work that’s already underway to ensure that all of the communities we serve are getting the best care possible and feel welcomed and included in their experiences with Intermountain,” she said in a statement. “We have a wonderful foundation here to build on.”

Marc Harrison, Intermountain’s president and CEO, said Capeles will oversee efforts to improve staff diversity and the social determinants of health among the system’s patients.

“Intermountain is determined to lead the nation in eliminating health disparities and bettering the health of everyone in our communities,” Harrison said in a news release. “Tiffany’s leadership and her strong record of achieving greater health equity have earned her the respect of our peers in healthcare along with well-deserved national acclaim.”

In 2021, Capeles received the career achievement award from the National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives. She also was named one of Modern Healthcare’s top 25 emerging leaders.

• Related story: Intermountain CEO talks about merger with SCL Health

Robyn Strosaker

University Hospitals announces president of three Ohio hospitals

Robyn Strosaker has been named president and chief operating officer of University Hospitals Lake West, TriPoint and Beachwood Medical Centers.

She will begin her new appointment June 1, 2022. She succeeds Cynthia Moore-Hardy, who recently completed 25 years of transformative leadership as President of UH Lake Health.

Strosaker has spent the past three years as chief operating officer at UH Cleveland Medical Center, the 1,000-bed academic medical center at the heart of the UH health system. She was credited with leading a host of safety, quality and patient experience efforts and was hailed for her steady leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also served as chief medical officer for the UH Cleveland Medical Center for three years.

Alan Papa, chief operating officer of the UH East Market, outlined her strengths in a news release.

“Dr. Strosaker’s abilities as a team-builder, communicator, problem-solver and physician will help facilitate and continue the ongoing integration of UH and Lake Health into one, unified health system to best serve our patients’ needs,” Papa said.

Min Y. Lee

University of Virginia Medical Center names new COO

Min Y. Lee has been named the new chief operations officer of the University of Virginia Medical Center.

Lee will oversee the medical center’s day-to-day operations. She’s the current vice president of operations at Reading Hospital in Reading, Pa., which is part of the Tower Health system. She’ll take the new job on June 27.

“I am honored to join the UVA Health team during such a pivotal time in our industry,” she said in the statement. “I appreciate the magnitude of this role and responsibility, and I am looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and working alongside UVA Health’s extraordinary team members in service of our community and those who entrust us with their health.”

Before joining Reading Hospital, Lee served as vice president of operations for Emory Healthcare at Emory University Hospital Midtown, an academic medical center in Atlanta, Ga.

Wendy Horton, chief executive officer of UVA Medical Center, called Lee “a strong, engaged leader with a tremendous background as a healthcare leader.”

Dondi Cupp

Seattle Children’s chooses new development officer

Dondi Cupp has been named the new senior vice president and chief development officer of the Seattle Children’s Foundation and Guild Association.

Cupp will take the post June 2. He will lead all of Seattle Children’s philanthropic efforts.

He joins Seattle Children’s from Oregon Health & Science University Foundation, where he has served as senior vice president and chief development officer and was responsible for a comprehensive fundraising program, where he helped lead a $2 billion campaign.

“Seattle Children’s just ended a very successful ‘It Starts With Yes’ campaign, but the work of ensuring access to equitable healthcare for patients regardless of their family’s ability to pay never stops,” Cupp said in a statement.

“I’m excited to work closely with the hospital’s leaders and our generous community to direct the Seattle Children’s Foundation into its next chapter of philanthropy and fundraising priorities.”

Cupp has spent more than 34 years in fundraising, first serving as associate director of the Western Washington University Foundation in Bellingham. He later moved to the University of Washington as senior director of development for the sciences and later became assistant vice president of advancement.

Cupp spent several years as associate vice president for development at the University of Michigan’s office of university development.

Rene Ragas

New CEO takes over at Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge

Rene Ragas has begun his new role as president and chief executive officer of Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Ragas took the post May 9. He’s the former Northshore Market President for Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System. He also served as CEO of Our Lady of the Angels Hospital in Bogalusa.

A lifelong resident of Louisiana, Ragas possesses more than two decades of experience as a healthcare executive. He also led Our Lady of the Lake Surgical Hospital in Slidell and Our Lady of the Lake Pontchartrain Surgery Center in Mandeville. He also managed a network of more than 60 primary care and specialty physicians in the Northshore region.

Ragas is familiar with Woman’s Hospital beyond professional reasons. All three of his children were born at the hospital.

“I have admired the passion and commitment of Woman’s to its mission for many years as a member of the local healthcare community, but the personal connection I have from experiencing the exceptional care that was provided to my wife and our children is incredibly meaningful to me,” Ragas said in a statement.

“I’m excited to be joining the team today and to help solidify the legacy that has been established at Woman’s and carry it well into the future.”

Richard “Dick” Allen

Palmdale Regional Medical Center CEO plans to retire

Richard “Dick” Allen, CEO of Palmdale Regional Medical Center in California, has announced his plans to retire.

Allen, the chief executive of the medical center for nearly a decade, will step down effective May 16. He has spent more than 40 years in healthcare, holding a host of leadership posts at acute care hospitals and rehabilitation facilities.

He has also held leadership posts with the American Hospital Association, the California Hospital Association, and the Kansas Hospital Association.

At Palmdale, he helped secure an agreement with City of Hope to expand access to cancer services. Under his leadership, the medical center also opened a rehabilitation unit for patients with strokes, traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries.

Richard Norris, chairman of Palmdale’s board, said Allen’s retirement is well earned.

“We appreciate Dick’s commitment to Palmdale Regional and the healthcare of the Antelope Valley and thank him for his many contributions. His leadership in business development and hospital services expansion will be felt for many years to come,” Norris said in a statement.