UCI Health said Chad Lefteris is taking on the role of chief executive effective immediately. His new appointment will allow his supervision to cover UCI’s academic medical center and all the clinical and patient operations of Orange County’s largest hospital.
“Chad Lefteris is the ideal person to advance the work of UCI Health, especially during this unprecedented time,” UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman said in a press release.
Lefteris has served as chief operating officer since December 2018. Prior to joining UCI, Lefteris was vice president of North Carolina-based UNC Rex Hospital, which is a nonprofit healthcare system.
“It’s a privilege to work with all of the outstanding physicians, nurses and staff at UCI Health,” Lefteris said.
Lefteris won kudos from Kim Cripe, CEO of CHOC’s Children’s.
“I’ve worked with Chad since he came to UCI, and we’re so pleased that he will continue the tremendous momentum of UCI Health,” Cripe said.
Lefteris has a master’s degree in healthcare management from the Medical University-South Carolina and a bachelor of science from Appalachian State University.
Lefteris succeeds interim chief executive Larry Anstine and previous CEO Richard Gannotta, who left last October after a year and a half to become the head administrator of healthcare at Irvine-based Masimo Corp. In addition to his Masimo gig, Gannotta is also a senior lecturer of health administration at NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service since 2016.
Anstine previously served as UCI’s interim chief operations officer from November 2015 to March 2017.
