Vanderbilt Health CEO Dr. Jeff Balser will retire at the end of the year after nearly two decades in the role, the health system announced Thursday.
The Nashville, Tennessee-based academic health system said its board of directors will begin a national search for its next president and CEO. Balser will retire on December 31.
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Balser was first named dean of Vanderbilt University’s medical school in 2008 before being named CEO of Vanderbilt Health in 2009.
At 47, Balser was the youngest person to hold the position, according to Vanderbilt.
Prior to Vanderbilt, Balser served on the faculty at Johns Hopkins and was a cardiac anesthesiologist and surgical intensivist.
In 2016, Balser led Vanderbilt Health to financially separate from Vanderbilt University. Previously, the health system had operated as a unit of the university. Vanderbilt Health, which includes eight hospitals and 200 outpatient centers in five states, became an independent nonprofit organization.
Under Balser, the health system expanded its employee base from about 16,000 to more than 45,000 workers, Vanderbilt said.
Balser’s retirement comes at a time of growth in the healthcare system. the system operating income and profits increased during the second half of its fiscal year ended Dec. 31, the most recent financial statement available. The system made $361 million in profits against $4.7 billion in operating income.
