UW Medicine replaces chief health system officer after less than a year

The former president of Seattle Children’s Hospital, Lisa Brandenburg, MBA, MPH, has been selected as the chief health system officer (CHSO) at University of Washington (UW) Medicine, where she’ll oversee operations of the system’s clinical entities, taking over from Brian Goldstein, MD, MBA, who had started in the position in Nov. 2016.

“Lisa is an innovative leader who is recognized locally and nationally for her expertise in strategy development, quality improvement, program expansion and financial management,” Paul Ramsey, MD, CEO of UW Medicine, said in a statement. “Her vision and expertise will further enhance our outstanding care in support of our mission to improve the health of the public.”

Brandenburg had previously worked at the 450-bed UW Medical Center in Seattle from 1990 to 2007, eventually rising through the ranks to become chief operating officer and interim executive director. She the left for Seattle Children’s Hospital, serving as president from 2012 until 2016. In her final year at the hospital, it was ranked the fifth-best pediatric hospital in the country by U.S. News and World Report and she was credited with boosting patient volume, financial performance and the hospital’s reputation in clinical care and research during her tenure.

She left Seattle Children’s to become a senior adviser in the Seattle offices of IBM’s Simpler Consulting. In her new role, she’ll among the vice presidents in the UW Medicine system, which includes the CFO, chief medical officer, chief advancement officer and chief business officer. Like her colleagues at that leadership level, she’ll also hold the title of vice president for medical affairs at the university.

“I am very excited to build on UW Medicine’s rich history of innovation in research, teaching and patient care,” Brandenburg said in a statement. “We have a unique opportunity to be a national leader for healthcare reform by developing new approaches to keeping people healthy. I am also committed to creating a workplace environment that continues to attract top talent and supports employee development, engagement and wellness.”

The press release announcing her hire made no mention of her predecessor Goldstein, who began working for UW Medicine in Nov. 2016 after serving as president and chief operating officer for University of North Carolina Hospitals.

When HealthExec asked about the circumstances of Goldstein’s departure, UW Medicine provided an internal memo from Ramsey dated Sept. 6, saying Goldstein and he “together decided he will step down” as CSHO officer on Sept. 11, assuming a “temporary role” related to special projects where he would report directly to Ramsey. Paul Hayes, RN, the executive director at Haborview Medical Center, took over as interim CSHO.

“I ask that you join me in welcoming Paul to his new role and thanking Brian for his service to UW Medicine,” Ramsey wrote in the memo. “I also ask that together we remain dedicated to our mission to improve the health of the public.”