Steven Kalkanis has been named CEO of Henry Ford Medical Group, effective Jan. 1, replacing William Conway, M.D., a longtime Henry Ford doctor and executive who has retired after four decades with the Detroit-based health system.
Kalkanis, who has been chair of the health system's department of neurosurgery, was selected to replace Conway after a national search to head the 1,900-member employed medical group, one of the largest in Michigan. He also was appointed senior vice president and chief academic officer.
"We are proud to welcome Dr. Steven Kalkanis to this expanded role," Wright L. Lassiter III, president and CEO of Henry Ford Health System, said in a statement. "Not only is Steve an accomplished and recognized neurosurgeon, he is a transformational leader who can build on the strong history and tradition of the Henry Ford Medical Group. We are excited to partner with him to drive the innovative approaches for which this medical group has long been known."
Kalkanis joined Henry Ford in 2004 and is medical director of the Henry Ford Cancer Institute, which is expected to open in 2020 in a new building across from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. It will offer a comprehensive precision medicine and molecular tumor board program for all cancer types.
"I am honored to follow in the footsteps of such a storied and respected leader of the Henry Ford Medical Group," Kalkanis said in a statement. "To have the opportunity to be part of a compassionate and diverse culture that is relentless in its pursuit of clinical innovation, pioneering research and next generation medical education has been a privilege."
Kalkanis will transition out of his roles as chair of neurosurgery and medical director of the new cancer institute, a spokeswoman said.
Adnan Munkarah, M.D., Henry Ford's executive vice president and chief clinical officer, said Kalkanis brings the kind of dynamic leadership that will help Henry Ford maintain its leading role in this area.
"Creating meaningful solutions for our patients and members that provide the most advanced, innovative, highest quality and safest care at the lowest possible cost cannot be done without strong, committed leadership and trusted partners," Munkarah said in a statement. "Steve is a truly collaborative leader who always acts in the best interests of his patients and their families, as well as his colleagues. We are confident that he can build critical partnerships both inside and outside our organization as we work to achieve lasting health and wellness in the communities we serve."
An internationally recognized brain tumor expert, Kalkanis is president of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. In 2018, he was also named a director of the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the official accrediting and credentialing body for all neurosurgeons practicing in the U.S. He has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications.
The metro Detroit native completed his neurosurgical training at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He is a graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Medical School.
In 2013, Kalkanis announced a new cancer surgery app for patients to help them learn about treatment options, map appointment locations by GPS, schedule appointments and connect to their medical records. "Our hope is that this app will add another dimension to the personalized care offered to our patients and help to alleviate much of the stress and uncertainty of a cancer diagnosis by providing them with the tools and resources they need at their fingertips," Kalkanis told Crain's.
In 2015, Kalkanis announced the use at Henry Ford of a newly FDA-approved imaging and surgery system called BrightMatter for the brain and spine that will enable doctors to give good news to patients with tumors once deemed inoperable and others with difficult to operate tumor locations.
Henry Ford Health System operates six hospitals, a health plan and more than 250 outpatient locations, including 29 ambulatory medical centers in a nearly $7 billion system with 32,000 employees.
This article was originally published in Crain's Detroit Business.
