Penn State Health System names new CEO

HERSHEY — Penn State Health has named Dr. Michael E. Kupferman as chief executive officer for the university’s $4.2 billion health system. He will assume his new position effective June 23. Penn State Health serves patients and communities across 15 counties in central Pennsylvania, and includes Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center in Bern Township, Berks County.

Kupferman was appointed by Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi and the Penn State Health board of directors following a national search led by a 12-member committee.

Bendapudi described Kupferman as an “innovative and accomplished academic physician leader” who is aligned with Penn Health’s mission to train the next generation of health care providers, conduct life-changing health science research and provide the highest quality of patient care.

“Working together with Penn State College of Medicine, I have great confidence in his ability to elevate our integrated academic health system to benefit the people of our commonwealth and beyond,” Bendapudi said in a statement.

Kupferman most recently served as president of the Banner University Medicine Division and senior vice president of the physician enterprise for Phoenix-based Banner Health. While there, his duties included academic medicine, system and service line strategy, hospital and medical group operations, patient access and health network performance, according to a release. He also served as a board member on the CVS-Aetna payer joint venture with Banner, and as a board member of the wholly-owned Medicare Advantage plan and Banner Health Plans corporate boards.

Kupferman previously served as senior vice president of clinical and academic network development at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston from 2006 to 2022. While there, he led the development, management and growth of clinical oncology and research programs across MD Anderson Cancer Network, and was a professor in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery, according to the release.

“I look forward to working shoulder to shoulder with my talented and dedicated colleagues at Penn State Health and the College of Medicine to deliver on our promise to provide unparalleled and innovative care to the people of central Pennsylvania and the commonwealth,” Kupferman said in a statement. “Together we will foster an environment that enables us to train the best physicians and health care providers, advance research and expand our role as the region’s only locally based academic health system.”

In his role as CEO of Penn State’s health system, Kupferman will work closely with Penn State College of Medicine Dean Dr. Karen Kim and other leaders of the College of Medicine and University to foster increased collaboration across the clinical and academic enterprises.

“I look forward to partnering with Michael to advance our shared missions of patient care, research, education and service,” Kim said in a statement.

Kim added that his experience in integrated, university health systems will be an asset in helping the health system deliver “on our shared vision to improve health, advance discovery and prepare the future health care workforce.”

Kim also serves as physician-in-chief for Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck professor and chair in rural health research.

Kupferman is a fellowship trained head and neck cancer surgeon and researcher who completed his clinical and research fellowships at MD Anderson. He earned his bachelor’s in political science and biology from Yeshiva University, and received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He completed his surgery internship and otolaryngology-head and neck surgery residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds a master’s in business administration from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management. He is board certified in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.

In addition to his administrative duties as CEO, Kupferman intends to continue caring for head and neck cancer patients, as well as teaching medical students, residents and fellows. He will hold a College of Medicine faculty appointment as a professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.