Gary Kaplan, MD, is leaving his post as CEO of Seattle-based Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, a position he has held for 22 years.
Effective Jan. 1, 2022, co-leader Ketul Patel will assume the role of sole CEO. For one year, Dr. Kaplan will serve as an adviser to Mr. Patel and senior vice president at Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health, where he will focus on quality, safety and patient experience, according to a news release shared with Becker's Sept. 21.
"It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve Virginia Mason and our Puget Sound communities, and I'm deeply proud of the strong progress we have made in our first year as the new VMFH health system, including the systemwide launch of the Virginia Mason Production System," Dr. Kaplan said. "As we enter this new chapter, I'm confident that Ketul is the person best equipped to lead VMFH through the next years of growth and evolution."