By Alex Kacik | June
19, 2017
Memorial Hermann Health System President and CEO Dr. Ben Chu
resigned to pursue a role in crafting health and public policy, the health
system announced Monday. The resignation was effective immediately. Chuck
Stokes, executive vice president and COO, has taken over as interim CEO.
Chu landed the top office at the Houston-based health system last June, replacing former CEO Dan Wolterman who retired after about 15 years at the helm. Chu previously worked for Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente as group president of the company's Southern California and Georgia regions and the vice president of Kaiser Foundaiton Hospitals and Health Plan.
He is the board chair for the Commonwealth Fund in New York and a member of the advisory committee to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chu most recently served as chair of the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees.
"I have admired Memorial Hermann from afar for many years, and I was incredibly honored to join this prestigious organization," Chu said in a statement. "It has been a privilege to have led one of the nation's largest and most successful health systems—one that advocates for improved access to safe, high-quality care."
Chu was tasked with better integrating the system's clinical operations when he joined Memorial Hermann, marking the first time a physician led the organization. At Kaiser, Chu implemented an integrated electronic health record system and population health management tools.
Chu also was president of New York City Health & Hospitals Corp. and was the acting commissioner of health for the New York City Health Department.
"As a physician and longtime public policy advocate, Chu plans to continue his mission to enhance access to high-quality care and improve the overall health of our population," Memorial Hermann Board Chair Deborah Cannon said in a statement. "With the current state of the healthcare industry, I can think of no better time for a champion like Chu to help lead public policy efforts. We thank him for his service and wish him the very best in his future endeavors. In the interim, we are confident Chuck will fill the role seamlessly."
Story in Progress.
Chu landed the top office at the Houston-based health system last June, replacing former CEO Dan Wolterman who retired after about 15 years at the helm. Chu previously worked for Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente as group president of the company's Southern California and Georgia regions and the vice president of Kaiser Foundaiton Hospitals and Health Plan.
He is the board chair for the Commonwealth Fund in New York and a member of the advisory committee to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chu most recently served as chair of the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees.
"I have admired Memorial Hermann from afar for many years, and I was incredibly honored to join this prestigious organization," Chu said in a statement. "It has been a privilege to have led one of the nation's largest and most successful health systems—one that advocates for improved access to safe, high-quality care."
Chu was tasked with better integrating the system's clinical operations when he joined Memorial Hermann, marking the first time a physician led the organization. At Kaiser, Chu implemented an integrated electronic health record system and population health management tools.
Chu also was president of New York City Health & Hospitals Corp. and was the acting commissioner of health for the New York City Health Department.
"As a physician and longtime public policy advocate, Chu plans to continue his mission to enhance access to high-quality care and improve the overall health of our population," Memorial Hermann Board Chair Deborah Cannon said in a statement. "With the current state of the healthcare industry, I can think of no better time for a champion like Chu to help lead public policy efforts. We thank him for his service and wish him the very best in his future endeavors. In the interim, we are confident Chuck will fill the role seamlessly."
Story in Progress.
Alex Kacik is the hospital operations reporter
for Modern Healthcare in Chicago. Aside from hospital operations, he covers
supply chain, legal and finance. Before joining Modern Healthcare in 2017,
Kacik covered various business beats for seven years in the Santa Barbara,
California region. He received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Cal Poly
San Luis Obispo in Central California.
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