MU Health Care chooses new CEO, and more | MED MOVES

Ric Ransom

Ric Ransom has been named the new CEO of MU Health Care.

Ransom will begin his new role on May 1. He replaces Nim Chinniah, who has served as interim CEO since July 2022, and will return to his role as vice chancellor for health affairs.

Most recently, Ransom served as president for University of Wisconsin Hospitals in the Madison Region, where he started as vice president in December 2018.

“I am excited to join the team at MU Health Care,” Ransom said in a statement. “The health system is on a strong growth trajectory, and I look forward to maintaining this momentum as we prepare to open a new Children’s Hospital and continue saving and improving lives across the state.”

Ransom has spent two decades working in healthcare leadership roles. He previously served as the chief operating officer at Greenville Memorial Hospital in South Carolina. He also has held positions with health systems in Memphis, Atlanta, Boston and Dallas.

University of Missouri President Mun Choi said in a statement, “We are excited to have Ric lead our MU Health Care team as we continue to achieve excellence in clinical care. I look forward to working with him and the entire team at MU Health Care to achieve our important mission of saving and improving lives of Missourians.”

Rob Hitchcock

SelectHealth names president and CEO

Rob Hitchcock has been named as president and chief executive officer for SelectHealth.

Hitchcock had been serving as  the interim president and CEO since November 2022. He joined SelectHealth as the president of government programs and chief value-based officer in August 2022. Hitchcock will also serve as a member of Intermountain Health’s enterprise leadership team.

He has spent more than 25 years in executive leadership roles for national insurance provider organizations. Most recently, he served as the chief operating officer for Carelon, a division of Anthem. He has also held leadership roles for Centene, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Humana.

“Rob has demonstrated keen ability in building positive relationships and collaborating across the organization while serving in the interim role,” Nannette Berensen, chief operating officer for Intermountain Health, said in a statement. “I am confident he will continue providing great leadership to the SelectHealth team and build on partnerships within the enterprise in his permanent role as president and CEO.”

John Mordach

Jefferson Health choose chief financial officer

John P. Mordach has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer of Jefferson.

Jefferson consists of Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson Health and Health Partners Plans. Mordach will join Jefferson on March 20, 2023.

He comes to Jefferson frojm Duke University Health System, where he has served as senior vice president, CFO and treasurer for the academic health system since 2020.

“I’m honored to join the Jefferson leadership team and look forward to continuing to build upon the strong financial foundation that has been established. Jefferson has an incredible reputation and has built a tremendous network,” Mordach said in a statement. “The recent acquisition of Health Partners Plans further reinforces the commitment to population health. I look forward to helping the organization achieve its mission to improve lives while also being the best employer.”

Before joining Duke, Mordach spent nearly a decade with Rush University System for Health & Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

“John brings a depth of experience and knowledge of health systems, universities, large practice plans, physicians groups and health plans,” Joseph G. Cacchione, CEO of Jefferson said in a statement. “He’s well-versed in leading change and his approach is rooted in operational rigor. John is the ideal finance leader for this complex period in Jefferson’s history.”

Chaudron Carter Short

Temple University Health System appoints chief nursing executive

Chaudron Carter Short has been appointed chief nursing executive for Temple University Health System and Temple University Hospital Inc.

Carter Short will take the new role beginning March 20. She will succeed Angelo Venditti, Temple’s current chief nursing executive, is stepping down from the role to take a position elsewhere.

“Chaudron is a superb leader—a relationship builder, listener and mentor to her peers, patients and students,” Michael A. Young, president and CEO of Temple University Health System, said in a statement. “It is these traits that first brought Chaudron to Temple seven years ago to lead Temple University Hospital’s drive for Magnet designation for nursing—an honor the hospital achieved for the first time under her leadership.”

Carter Short will report to Abhi Rastogi, president and CEO of Temple University Hospital and executive vice president of the health system.

“Our mission is and has always been to provide the highest-quality care to patients, and we are confident that the experience and expertise Chaudron brings to her new role will only make us more capable of doing so,” Rastogi said in a statement.

Since joining Temple, Carter Short was appointed chief nursing officer of Temple University Hospital (TUH)-Episcopal Campus and TUH-Northeastern Campus to align performance measures with TUH-Main Campus.

Jennifer Bollinger

Sutter Health hires leader for brand strategy

Jennifer Bollinger has taken a new role as senior vice president, chief consumer and brand officer of Sutter Health in northern California.

Bollinger will lead the system’s marketing, communications and patient experience teams to elevate Sutter Health’s brand and increase consumer engagement.

“Jennifer Bollinger is a national leader in developing and implementing consumer engagement strategies that increase patients’ use of digital tools that seamlessly connect them to personal care at the right place and right time,” Warner Thomas, Sutter Health president and CEO, said in a statement. “She is a collaborative, values-driven leader with a proven track record of building high-caliber teams. Her extensive marketing and communications knowledge will help to elevate Sutter Health’s brand, enhance patient satisfaction and grow digital connection and engagement.”

Bollinger joins Sutter from Ochsner Health in Louisiana, where for 11 years she led efforts to bring the voice of the consumer to the system’s transformation efforts.

Before working at Ochsner, Bollinger spent nearly 25 years leading strategy for several marketing and communications agencies.

“I’m energized by the opportunity ahead of us to dramatically transform the way consumers experience healthcare,” Bollinger said in a statement. “I’ll be working with teams across Sutter Health to advance an even more personal, connected and convenient experience that meets the modern consumer expectations of our patients at every touchpoint.”

Bart Howe

AHIOS announces new president

Bart Howe has been elected as the new president of the Association of Health Information Outsourcing Services (AHIOS).

Howe also serves as the chief executive officer at HealthMark Group, a leader in digital health information management based in Dallas, Texas.

Established in 1996, AHIOS is composed of leading health information management outsourcing service companies. The association provides education and training resources for individuals who handle patient data.

“The amount of patient data in the U.S. healthcare ecosystem is growing at a staggering rate, and this data holds incredible value for improving health outcomes,” Howe said in a statement.

“How we manage this data as a society is critical to unlocking its population health value – we must find the right balance between making patient data accessible while also protecting it from an increasing number of security and privacy risks,” Howe said. “AHIOS plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the appropriate technologies, operational protocols and privacy standards are in place to keep patient data secure yet accessible.”

Howe will lead key efforts to enable the secure exchange of protected health information while protecting patient privacy.

Before joining the HealthMark Group, Howe served as executive vice president of business development and corporate strategy at Caris Life Sciences, a pioneering leader in precision medicine, biotechnology and molecular diagnostics.