MED MOVES: Slavin to Retire at MGH; Arnold to Lead RWJ Hospital in New Brunswick

End of an era at MGH. Massachusetts General Hospital President Peter Slavin, MD, announced this week he will retire after 18 years as president, although he will stay in the role until his replacement his found. Slavin made the announcement in a message to employees, saying he had contemplated the decision for months but felt he should stay on during the challenging year of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to running the world-class medical center affiliated with Harvard Medical School, Slavin has launched initiatives related to the health impacts of climate change, the public health crisis caused by gun deaths, and the relationship between health and social justice. He told Boston’s National Public Radio affiliate that he’s quite proud of the diversity of MGH’s incoming residents: 26% come from groups underrepresented in medicine. The report noted that Slavin is the latest of several notable departures from Mass General Brigham, previously known as Partners HealthCare.

Arnold named CEO in New Brunswick. Longtime executive Bill Arnold has been named CEO and president of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J. Officials from RWJBarnabas Health officials made the announcement Thursday. A veteran of the system since 1994, Arnold is currently president for RWJ’s Southern Region. He will retain those duties as CEO of the New Brunswick hospital. His role will include integrating programs for quaternary care services, including cardiovascular care, trauma, neuroscience, and organ transplantation. Prior to his current role, Arnold served as CEO of Monmouth Medical Center and the Unterberg Children’s Hospital. He is a member of the governing board of the New Jersey Hospital Association and several other healthcare related boards in New Jersey.

CEO to retire after Maine board turns down expansion. Central Maine Healthcare President CEO Jeff Brickman will retire in September, according to a report in the Bangor Daily News. The executive was credited with turning the Lewiston-based health system to profitability within two years of his arrival in 2016, although his tenure was controversial with employees, according to the report. Brickman’s announcement to hospital leadership came a day after a state board recommended against the hospital system’s expansion plans. The report highlighted Brickman’s interactions with employees that led to no-confidence votes, alongside his efforts to overhaul staffing, repair and replace equipment, raise wages, and move the system’s footprint into new markets, including urgent care. The state board, however, did not support the health system’s request to build an ambulatory surgical center, saying the application did not demonstrate need.