PhRMA names Chin executive VP of science and regulatory affairs, and other moves

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America named Dr. William Chin executive VP of science and regulatory affairs, effective July 1. Chin, the executive dean for research at Harvard Medical School, will report to PhRMA President and CEO John Castellani and serve as a member of the PhRMA management committee.

After 25 years in academia, Chin was an executive with Eli Lilly & Co. from 1999 until returning to Harvard in 2010. At PhRMA he replaces David Wheadon, who recently became executive VP of research and advocacy at JDRF, an organization targeting Type 1 diabetes. PhRMA declined to provide Chin's age.

Catholic Health Services in Rockville Centre, N.Y., named Dr. Alan Guerci president and CEO beginning July 1. Guerci now serves as the system's executive VP and president and CEO of its St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn, N.Y., St. Joseph Hospital in Bethpage, N.Y., and Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre. He will take over for Richard Sullivan Jr., who has been volunteering as the health system's CEO since December 2012, while also acting as chairman of its board of directors. Guerci, a cardiologist, is also an associate professor of clinical medicine at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. Catholic Health Services also appointed Dennis Verzi to be the system's first COO. Verzi will begin his role July 1, the same day that Guerci will take over as president and CEO. Verzi most recently was executive VP and chief administrative officer of St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown, N.Y., and he was interim executive VP, president and CEO of Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip, N.Y., St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, N.Y., and St. Catherine of Siena. The system did not provide their ages. …

When Edward Hospital and Health Services, Naperville, Ill., and Elmhurst (Ill.) Memorial Healthcare merge July 1, Pamela Davis will be the CEO of the new health system. Davis, 64, now president of Edward Hospital in Naperville, will continue to serve in that role when she takes the helm of the new system, which will also include Elmhurst Memorial Hospital and Linden Oaks Hospital at Edward, Naperville. Several other leadership changes are planned. Mary Lou Mastro, 58, will become president of Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare, leaving her current post as president of Linden Oaks. Gina Sharp, 37, will replace Mastro in her role as president of Linden Oaks after serving as controller of Linden Oaks since 2004. Mastro and Sharp will both report to Davis, as will Jim Doyle in his new position as chief transition officer for the system. Doyle is currently acting president and CEO of Elmhurst Memorial. His age was not immediately available. …

Aspirus, a not-for-profit health system based in Wausau, Wis., named Matthew Heywood president and CEO. Heywood, 46, will join Aspirus on July 1, replacing president and CEO Duane Erwin, who is scheduled to retire June 28. Heywood comes to Aspirus from Wilmington, N.C., where he has been executive VP and COO of New Hanover Health Network since 2008. … Detroit Medical Center named Lynn Torossian president of Harper University Hospital and Hutzel Women's Hospital as of July 1. Torossian, 51, will replace Dr. Patricia Wilkerson-Uddyback in the role. Wilkerson-Uddyback has been serving as interim president for the two Detroit hospitals since March 2013. Torossian joins Harper University and Hutzel Women's from the system's Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital in Commerce Town, Mich., where she has been president since 2008. …

Bellin-ThedaCare Healthcare Partners promoted Dr. Dave Krueger to executive director, effective May 13. Krueger, 42, has been the network's medical director since 2008 and will continue in that capacity as he leads the organization—a Wisconsin network that includes 700 physicians and the hospitals of Green Bay-based Bellin Health and Appleton-based ThedaCare—in moving from a fee-for-service to value-base contracting. … Edward Mirzabegian, 60, was hired as corporate CEO of Avanti Hospitals, an investor-owned system in Southern California. Mirzabegian started the job June 3. He previously was CEO of Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, Calif. … Hoag Orthopedic Institute in Irvine, Calif., named COO Dereesa Purtell Reid to succeed founding partner Dr. Carlos Prietto as CEO. Reid will retain her responsibilities as COO. Prietto will become president, a new position at the institute, which includes a specialty hospital and two outpatient surgery centers.

Last week, Duncan James succeeded Vern Davenport as CEO of M-Modal, a Franklin, Tenn.-based company that makes clinical speech-recognition software. Davenport “has chosen to leave the company,” according to an M-Modal news release. James, 55, most recently was president and CEO of Reston, Va.-based QuadraMed Corp., a provider of clinical, access and revenue management products and services. QuadraMed announced last week that it was acquired by Constellation Software. Also at

M-Modal, CFO Ron Scarboro has replaced Amy Amick as COO. David Woodworth, VP of finance, will fill in for Scarboro as acting CFO.