UCI Health CEO Appointment

I am delighted to announce that, with the approval the University of California Board of Regents, I have appointed Richard J. Gannotta, D.H.A., as chief executive officer of UCI Health. He has served as interim CEO since February.

Mr. Gannotta joined UCI Health in March 2017 as chief operating officer. In that role, he held operational accountability for the medical center’s inpatient and outpatient operations. He has overseen most hospital administrative functions and ambulatory services and has represented the medical center externally in a variety of settings.

Mr. Gannotta brings great breadth of experience to his new position. Prior to UCI, he was senior vice president of hospitals at New York’s NYC Health + Hospitals, the nation’s largest public healthcare system, with a network of 11 hospitals, trauma centers, neighborhood health centers, nursing homes and post-acute care centers. Before that, he was president at Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he led hospital operations and worked closely with the leadership of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine to advance the shared vision of Northwestern Medicine. He has also served as president at Duke University Health System/Duke Raleigh Hospital and Raleigh, North Carolina-based WakeMed Health & Hospitals.

As CEO, Mr. Gannotta will advance UCI Health as a preeminent academic medical center. He is responsible for providing visionary and strategic leadership of Orange County’s only academic medical center, overseeing all inpatient and ambulatory operations and ensuring that care is delivered effectively and efficiently. He is committed to strengthening the strategic alignment between the clinical enterprise and the academic and research missions of the Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences.

I want to thank all members of the search committee — and especially its chair, Dean Michael Stamos — for their diligent efforts and wise counsel, as well as everyone who provided input in this process.

Please join me in congratulating Richard Gannotta on his appointment and welcoming him to his new role.

Chancellor Howard Gillman