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Rochester Regional Health Appoints Richard Davis, Ph.D., as Chief Executive Office

By Press Release

Press Release from Rochester Regional Health:

Rochester Regional Health announced that its Board of Directors selected Richard "Chip" Davis, Ph.D., as the next CEO. Dr. Davis will assume his new role on March 7, 2022

The Board initiated a comprehensive national search after Eric Bieber, MD, announced his retirement more than six months ago. An internal selection committee was led by David Riedman, Chair, CEO Search Committee. The committee comprised of board members, medical and dental staff, and leadership, conducted a rigorous and inclusive interview process.

"It was clear during our interview with Dr. Davis that he has an unwavering commitment to patient safety and quality. Those qualities, along with his passion for innovation and his more than 25 years of work in complex healthcare environments, make him a great fit for Rochester Regional Health," said Michael Nuccitelli, Board Chair, Rochester Regional Health. "As a seasoned executive, Dr. Davis brings not only extensive experience but a new and energizing vision to Rochester Regional."

Dr. Davis' responsibilities as a CEO at Henry Ford include providing strategic leadership and direction over the clinical operations of the market and leading new clinical, academic, and commercial partnerships. He works closely with clinical and service line leaders to enhance coordination between primary care networks and specialty services. He has oversight of more than 100 care delivery locations, including two hospitals (totaling 1,240 beds) and over $2.5 billion in net patient revenue. Henry Ford Hospital has one of the country's largest post-graduate medical education programs with over 1,000 medical students, 517 residents, 165 fellows, and 900 nursing students. 

While at Henry Ford, Dr. Davis led an initiative to create a state-of-the-art Health System Central Command Center to coordinate transfers, admissions, and discharges across all hospital facilities. He was also instrumental in helping to broker a 30-year definitive agreement for Michigan State University to become the main academic partner for the health system and worked on the team to implement the first Hospital-at-Home program in the state of Michigan. Under his leadership the market made significant improvements in key inpatient and outpatient quality indicators.

"I am very excited to become the next CEO at Rochester Regional Health and look forward to working with all team members, the provider community, and patients and family members to continue the legacy of excellence during these challenging times," said Dr. Davis.

Prior to joining Henry Ford, Dr. Davis spent more than 25 years with Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM) in various positions, most recently as President and CEO of Sibley Memorial Hospital, a not-for-profit hospital in Washington, DC. At Sibley, he established an Innovation Hub, the first-of-its-kind healthcare improvement accelerator in a community hospital. Dr. Davis was also the Vice President of Innovation and Patient Safety for JHM, ran ambulatory operations, and led several transformational efforts for the academic medical system. He was on faculty at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, School of Public Health, and Business School.

Dr. Davis received his Ph.D. in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. He also has a Master's degree in Counseling and Consulting Psychology from Harvard University and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan. Dr. Davis returns to New York with his wife, Morgan Adessa, DAc. He has three adult children - Kylie, Dana and Will.

Rochester Regional's current President and CEO, Eric Bieber, MD, will retire from the health system on December 31, 2021.

  A native of the Finger Lakes, Dr. Davis comes to Rochester Regional Health from the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan, where he currently serves as    Senior Vice President and CEO of Henry Ford Health System's South Market and Henry Ford Hospital. With more than 33,000 employees, Henry Ford Health System is the fifth-largest employer in metro Detroit and among the most diverse.

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