Newswise — PHILADELPHIA — The University of Pennsylvania has announced new leaders in three top posts.

Garry Scheib will step down from his roles as COO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System and CEO of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania this month following more than 17 years at Penn Medicine. Scheib is credited with transformative, collaborative leadership which has led the health system’s hospitals to post industry-leading outcomes and record patient satisfaction scores. Scheib will remain in a part-time role at Penn Medicine, as well as teaching and mentoring.

Three Penn Medicine executives have been appointed to new roles to coincide with Scheib’s transition.

Phil Okala will become Chief Operating Officer for the Philadelphia Region of UPHS. In this role, he will be responsible for program integration across the system’s three Philadelphia hospitals, whose respective leaders will report to him. In Okala’s current role as SVP for Business Development since 2013, Okala has provided executive leadership several key strategic initiatives for the health system, including integration of Chester County Hospital and Lancaster General Health and creation of Penn Medicine’s strategic alliance with Virtua Health System; as well as ongoing efforts for the Princeton Health Care System to join Penn Medicine. Okala came to Penn Medicine 2007 following executive positions at Geisinger Health System in Danville, PA, Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY, and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

Regina Cunningham, PhD, RN, will become chief executive officer of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP). Cunningham, who will be transitioning from her role as chief nursing executive for Penn Medicine, has developed an ability to lead across many clinical and administrative areas as a result of her deep understanding of hospital operations. She has served Penn Medicine since 2011, when she started as associate chief nursing officer of Cancer Services in the Abramson Cancer Center before becoming the chief administrative officer of the cancer service line for the health system.

Lori Gustave has been appointed senior vice president for Business Development for UPHS. She is presently the chief administrative officer for Penn Medicine’s Musculoskeletal & Rheumatology Service Line and chief operating officer for the department of Orthopaedic Surgery, a role in which she oversaw design and implementation of the fully integrated Penn Musculoskeletal Center at Penn Medicine University City and implemented a new disease team care model for the MSKR service line. Gustave has also served Penn Medicine in previous roles including Associate Executive Director and Director of Strategic Planning at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center where she led a variety of strategic growth and operational improvement initiatives across multiple disciplines.

###Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $5.3 billion enterprise.The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States for the past 18 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $373 million awarded in the 2015 fiscal year.The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center -- which are recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report -- Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Wissahickon Hospice; and Pennsylvania Hospital -- the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional affiliated inpatient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region include Chestnut Hill Hospital and Good Shepherd Penn Partners, a partnership between Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and Penn Medicine.Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2015, Penn Medicine provided $253.3 million to benefit our community.

MEDIA CONTACT
Register for reporter access to contact details