Memorial Hermann Health System names new president, CEO

Benjamin K. Chu, MD, an experienced primary care internist and administrator, has been named president and CEO of Memorial Hermann Health System, the system’s board announced this week.

Chu’s new role is effective June 2016. He will succeed Dan Wolterman, who has been in his role as president and CEO of Memorial Hermann for 17 years. Wolterman retires in August and will work closely with Chu during the transition.

“I've admired the success of Memorial Hermann from a distance and have always been impressed with its forward-thinking strategies, including the transformation from a hospital-centric system to one that is based on patient-centered care,” Chu said in a prepared statement. “I'm deeply humbled and honored to join the System and look forward to building upon Dan's legacy and continuing the journey he started to make Memorial Hermann a high reliability organization, focused on population health.”

“Ben is a proven leader with extensive national experience and a demonstrated ability to elevate an organization to the next level," Will Williams, Memorial Hermann Board Chair, said in the same statement. “We are confident he will be able to continue our mission of advancing health in Southeast Texas.”

When Chu begins this new role, it will mark the first time a physician has led the Memorial Hermann Health System.

“I am first and foremost a clinician who became an administrator because I wanted to change our healthcare delivery system to a markedly more effective outcome-oriented, patient-centric model,” Chu said in the same statement.

Michael Walter
Michael Walter, Managing Editor

Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.

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