NEW YORK (November 5, 2019) — Montefiore Medicine’s Board of Trustees announced today that Dr. Philip O. Ozuah has been named the next Chief Executive Officer of Montefiore Medicine, the umbrella organization for Montefiore Health System (MHS) and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. As CEO, Dr. Ozuah will lead Montefiore Medicine’s next phase of growth and evolution as a global healthcare leader, renowned for its leading medical school, groundbreaking research and technology, and highly specialized, coordinated care of diverse populations in the New York region, across the country and globally. Dr. Ozuah will begin as Chief Executive Officer on November 15, 2019.

Philip O. Ozuah, M.D., Ph.D.Faculty ProfileResearch Profile

“We are thrilled Dr. Philip Ozuah, a proven senior executive and strong strategic thinker, will lead Montefiore into the next decade,” said Dan Tishman, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Montefiore Medicine. “What stood out was his impressive record of success at MHS, his intellect and warmth as a physician, his strength as a leader and manager and his deep commitment to Montefiore’s mission. I’d also like to thank our outgoing CEO, Dr. Steven Safyer, for his 40 years of service that put our organization on a path of excellence.”

“It will be a privilege to lead Montefiore Medicine, an organization with a clear purpose — to heal, to teach, to discover and to advance the health of the communities we serve,” said Dr. Ozuah. “Ever since first joining Montefiore in 1989, I’ve been inspired by our institution’s commitment to excellence. We are an organization of exceptionally talented and compassionate people. Working closely with the Board, I look forward to continuing to expand inclusive access to state-of-the-art care and to furthering Montefiore’s role as a global leader in healthcare and biomedical research.”

Outgoing CEO Dr. Steven Safyer commented: “It has been a privilege to serve the Montefiore community over the past four decades and, having worked alongside Dr. Ozuah for the past 25 years, I know I am leaving our institution in the best possible hands. I have consistently been impressed by Dr. Ozuah’s strategic vision for the Montefiore Health System. His appointment as CEO will guarantee a smooth transition, and I know he’ll continue to uphold the standard of excellence on which Montefiore has built its reputation.”

Dr. Ozuah currently serves as President of Montefiore Health System and previously served as Physician-in-Chief of the Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM), where he worked to deliver best-in-class clinical care with a commitment to healthcare access for the underserved. Under his leadership, U.S. News and World Report has ranked Montefiore Health System’s medical specialties in the top 1% of the nation’s hospitals and Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) as one of “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals.” Dr. Ozuah also has a strong commitment to medical education as well as deep academic medical research expertise, including as an NIH-funded investigator and as Professor and University Chairman of Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

In these roles, Dr. Ozuah expanded access for underserved communities, recruited and cultivated outstanding talent, advanced programs of excellence, fostered innovations in medical education, and improved financial and operational performance by integrating care across a rapidly growing and evolving Montefiore system that sees over six million patient interactions a year. He’s been recognized regionally and nationally for excellence in teaching and patient care, including as an inductee into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and a two-time recipient of the Academic Pediatric Association’s prestigious Helfer Award for Innovation in Medical Education. Along with his various awards for teaching and clinical excellence, Dr. Ozuah has also been recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the “Top 25 COOs in Healthcare.”

Dr. Ozuah earned his medical degree from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and a PhD in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He completed his Pediatric Internship and Residency at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore, and his Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Medical Education at the University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles.

Dr. Ozuah’s appointment follows a succession planning process conducted by the Board, who were advised by leadership consulting firm Spencer Stuart.