University of Pennsylvania Health System (Penn Medicine) announced two executive leadership changes at Lancaster General Health (LG Health) that will strengthen access to its nationally recognized patient care across South Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Ralph W. Muller, CEO, University of Pennsylvania Health System, appointed Thomas E. Beeman to Chief Operating Officer, UPHS Regional Operations. Beeman will lead the management, coordination and integration of all UPHS services outside of Philadelphia, including its inpatient, ambulatory, and post-acute settings.
Muller also, in consultation with the LG Health Board of Trustees, appointed Jan Bergen to President & Chief Executive Officer of LG Health. Bergen will be responsible for leading LG Health’s continued growth and operational excellence, from its hospitals and outpatient pavilions, to its physician network and major service lines.
Both leadership appointments take effect on Tuesday, Sept. 1.
“Tom’s extensive knowledge of Lancaster and the surrounding region will serve him well while leading efforts to enhance the coordination of our patient care across the region,” said Muller. “Tom will also ensure that LG Health, and other UPHS members, such as Chester County Hospital and future members, are fully integrated into our Health System.”
Clair McCormick, Chairman of the LG Health Board of Trustees, said, “Tom and Jan are proven healthcare executives who are well-known to Lancaster General Health and our community. The timing of these changes is right, and will provide excellent opportunities for both, as well as our community.
“UPHS is a very nimble, strategic organization, one that holds the essential leadership and expertise that are critical to successfully navigate today’s evolving healthcare environment,” McCormick said. “Succession planning is equally important. LG Health’s Trustees and Executive Leadership continually look to develop our leaders. Such an approach ensures both a smooth transition and continuity of vision and culture.”
Muller noted that, during more than a decade of service as CEO at LG Health, Beeman’s visionary leadership strengthened the not-for-profit organization and established it among the nation’s top health systems. Implementing LG Health’s electronic medical record, engaging physicians in leadership and research, strengthening its financial foundation and expanding enrollment at the PA College of Health Sciences by more than 200 percent, all position LG Health well for healthcare reform.
McCormick noted that, during Bergen’s 15 years of service with LG Health, most recently as Chief Operating Officer, she led the expansion of the system’s ambulatory network, its unparalleled mission and community benefit efforts and the opening of the Women & Babies Hospital. She also served as LG Health’s CEO in 2010, while Beeman spent nearly a year on active duty as deputy commander for the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD.
“Clair and I are confident that these changes will strengthen our Health System and make us better prepared to deliver high-value care and improve access to care for our patients across the region,” Muller said.