Ketul Patel, an executive at Hackensack (N.J.) University Health Network, has been appointed as the next CEO of eight-hospital CHI Franciscan Health, a Tacoma, Wash.-based affiliate of not-for-profit Catholic Health Initiatives.
Patel, 43, will also become senior VP of divisional operations for the Pacific Northwest region of Englewood, Colo.-based CHI. He'll assume both roles on Feb. 23, replacing Joe Wilczek, who will retire after 16 years of leading CHI Franciscan.
Currently, Patel is executive VP and chief strategy and operations officer at the three-hospital Hackensack University Health Network and Hackensack University Medical Center. He joined the system in 2010, and served as the lead executive for Hackensack's cancer, cardiovascular, orthopedic, neurosciences, surgery and imaging service lines.
Before Hackensack, Patel had also served as VP of operations for the Magee-Womens Hospital of UMPC in Pittsburgh, senior VP at Franciscan St. James Health in the Chicago area, and VP for strategic planning and business development at San Diego-based Sharp HealthCare.
In his senior VP role, Patel will oversee divisional operations at CHI Franciscan, CHI Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg, Ore., and CHI St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton, Ore. He'll work with hospital presidents to implement local and national initiatives such as coordinated care, population-health management and clinically integrated networks, according to a news release.
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