Richard J. Gannotta tapped to head UCI Health
Seasoned national executive takes helm of top-ranked research hospital
Orange, Calif., June 11, 2018 — Richard J. Gannotta, D.H.A., has been named CEO of UCI Health, overseeing Orange County’s only academic medical center and all clinical and patient-serving operations. His appointment was approved by the University of California Board of Regents.
Gannotta, who has been interim CEO since February, joined UCI Health in March 2017 as chief operating officer. In that role, he oversaw the medical center’s inpatient and outpatient operations and most administrative functions. UCI Medical Center has been listed among “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report for 17 consecutive years.
“Richard Gannotta is the ideal choice to advance the work of UCI Health,” said Chancellor Howard Gillman. “He brings national executive experience to his new position, has amply demonstrated his leadership skills here, and is well-equipped to provide visionary and strategic leadership of Orange County’s preeminent academic medical center.”
Prior to UCI, Gannotta was senior vice president of hospitals at New York’s NYC Health + Hospitals, the nation’s largest public healthcare system, with 11 hospitals. Before that, he was president of Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he led hospital operations and worked closely with the leadership of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. He has also served as president at Duke Raleigh Hospital, part of the Duke University Health System, and North Carolina-based WakeMed Health & Hospitals.
“It is a privilege to be selected to lead the outstanding physicians, nurses and staff at UCI Health,” Gannotta said. “UCI Health plays a unique role in meeting the health needs of our region’s residents – from the stellar complex care provided by top clinicians to advancing medical knowledge through cutting-edge research right here in Orange County.”
The roles of chief executive and vice chancellor for health affairs, formerly combined at UCI, have become two positions. As CEO, Gannotta will oversee the health system, hospital, and outpatient research and specialty care centers. Recruitment is underway for the vice chancellor, who will direct the academic and research missions of schools and programs within the Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences.
About UCI Health: UCI Health comprises the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. Patients can access its physicians at offices throughout Orange County and at its main campus, UCI Medical Center in Orange, California. The 417-bed acute care hospital provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, and behavioral health and rehabilitation services. U.S. News & World Report has listed it among “America’s Best Hospitals” for 17 consecutive years. UCI Medical Center features Orange County’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program, Level I trauma center and Level II pediatric trauma center, and it’s the primary teaching hospital for the UCI School of Medicine. UCI Health serves a region of more than 3 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.
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