Who: Richard Miller, 64
Retiring as: CEO of Virtua, a south New Jersey-based health system, effective at the end of 2017. Virtua operates three hospitals and seven urgent-care centers.
Background: Miller has led Virtua since it was formed in 1998 through the merger of West Jersey Health System and Memorial Health Alliance. Miller had been CEO of West Jersey Health.
Outpatient focus: Virtua gained attention in 2015 when it converted an underperforming hospital in Berlin, N.J., to an outpatient center that includes a 24/7 ER. The system made a similar move about a decade ago at a facility in Camden, N.J. Also, about 30 care coordinators provide at-home services to Medicare patients in an effort to reduce readmissions. “To change the cost paradigm in healthcare, you really have to commit to reducing chronic disease and getting people to take better care of themselves,” Miller said.
Collaborative approach: Virtua partnered with Penn Medicine and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to offer advanced treatment. Neurosurgeons at Penn treat patients with complex conditions at Virtua hospitals. Physicians at the Children's Hospital offer similar treatment for children in the intensive-care unit. “That's been a real plus for us to keep people in our local community for care,” Miller said.
