A doctor with national healthcare management experience has been chosen as president of Geisinger Health, and is in line to be the organization's next CEO as it comes under the umbrella of a new nonprofit created by Kaiser Permanente.
Dr. Terry Gilliland's background includes previous posts with Kaiser.
His appointment as Geisinger Health's president was announced Monday by the system's Board of Directors. Gilliland will go on to become CEO of the Danville-based health system once Dr. Jaewon Ryu transitions to CEO of Risant Health.
Risant Health is a new nonprofit organization that was created by Kaiser Foundation Hospitals to expand access to “value-based care,” with Geisinger tapped as the first health system to join.
Geisinger officials said they are working to finalize Gilliland’s official start date. Gilliland currently lives in Steamboat Springs, Colo., with his wife and will be relocating to Pennsylvania.
“The board executed an extensive national search before coming to this decision," said Heather Acker, chair of the Geisinger Board of Directors. "The role of leading Geisinger is unique. It requires passion for our mission — to make better health easier for our patients and members across Pennsylvania; a drive to innovate care delivery; and a commitment to educating future caregivers. We are confident that Dr. Gilliland is the right person to lead Geisinger on our path forward.”
According to a release, Gilliland served as chief medical officer and chief science officer at Cogitativo, a healthcare-focused artificial intelligence and machine learning company, prior to joining Geisinger.
Before that he served as executive vice president of healthcare quality and affordability at Blue Shield of California and senior vice president and chief medical officer of Sentara Healthcare. Earlier in his career, Dr. Gilliland held various leadership roles at the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group and the Colorado Permanente Medical Group within Kaiser Permanente, in addition to being a practicing general surgeon for Kaiser Permanente.
Gilliland received his Bachelor of Science in Biology from Stanford University, his Doctor of Medicine from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his Master of Science in Management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
He called the opportunity to lead Geisinger "the opportunity of a lifetime."
"I became a surgeon to improve the lives of my patients. Leading the 25,000 dedicated professionals at Geisinger gives me the opportunity to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in communities throughout Pennsylvania. It is a privilege to accept that responsibility and join this incredible team of caregivers and administrative staff,” he said.
Geisinger's footprint includes 10 hospital campuses, a health plan with more than half a million members, a research institute and the Geisinger College of Health Sciences. The system employs more than 25,000 people, including over 1,700 physicians.
“Dr. Gilliland is an excellent physician and leader,” Ryu said. “Healthcare is dealing with unprecedented challenges, and we need to continue to evolve to succeed as an organization and provide our communities with the care they need and deserve.”
