UM Capital Region Health Announces Interim President and CEO

Joseph L. Wright, MD, MPH, FAAP Appointed Interim Role to Lead Organization

CHEVERLY, Maryland – Joseph L. Wright, MD, MPH, FAAP has been appointed interim President and CEO of UM Capital Region Health (UM Capital), effective July 7.

Dr. Wright joined the organization in September 2018 as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer and he will continue in his role in addition to his interim position.

“Dr. Wright will lead a strong executive team at UM Capital Region Health that will continue to drive positive change as we advance our efforts to meet the future healthcare needs of residents in Prince George’s County, and the surrounding region,” says UMMS Interim President and CEO, John W. Ashworth III. “Dr. Wright has already made a positive impact in many areas of the organization, including building a strong partnership with medical staff across the UM Capital system. I know the organization is in very capable hands as the search process gets underway.”

 A consulting firm has been engaged to conduct a national search to identify candidates to permanently fill the role of President and CEO and a search committee, co-chaired by Ashworth and UM Capital Board Chair Judge Alexander Williams will lead the effort.

“Change within any organization can be difficult, but Dr. Wright is well-positioned to take on this role,” says Judge Williams. “He is dedicated to the success of the organization and he’s been a pillar of the community, having lived in Prince George’s County most of his life.”

Prior to joining UM Capital, Dr. Wright served as Professor and Chairman of Pediatrics at the Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, DC.  He previously served as Senior Vice President within the Children's National Health System, where he provided strategic leadership for the organization’s advocacy mission, public policy positions and community partnership initiatives.

“The opportunity to lead UM Capital Region Health is an appointment that I do not take lightly,” says Dr. Wright. “My commitment to this organization and to this community extends far and wide. Prince George’s County is my home and as a clinical leader who is passionate about public health and serving patients with the best possible care, I am honored to serve as interim President and CEO.”

Currently, Dr. Wright holds academic appointments as a professor in the departments of Pediatrics and Health Policy and Management at the University of Maryland Schools of Medicine and Public Health, respectively.

About the University of Maryland Medical System
The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is a university-based regional health care system focused on serving the health care needs of Maryland, bringing innovation, discovery and research to the care we provide and educating the state’s future physician and health care professionals through our partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the UM Schools of Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and Dentistry in Baltimore.  As one of the largest private employers in the State, the health system’s 25,000 employees and 4,000 affiliated physicians provide primary and specialty care in more than 150 locations and at 13 hospitals.  UMMS’ flagship academic campus, the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, is recognized regionally and nationally for excellence and innovation in specialized care.  Our acute care and specialty rehabilitation hospitals serve urban, suburban and rural communities and are located in 13 counties across the State. In addition, UMMS operates health insurance plans serving Medicare and Medicaid members. For more information, visit www.umms.org

About University of Maryland Capital Region Health
Providing primary and specialty health care services to Prince George’s County and the neighboring area, University of Maryland Capital Region Health was established in September 2017 upon formal affiliation with the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), and is committed to making a positive impact on the health and well-being of patients and families. University of Maryland Capital Region Health operates the University of Maryland Prince George’s Hospital Center in Cheverly, University of Maryland Laurel Medical Center, University of Maryland Bowie Health Campus, and the University of Maryland Family Health and Wellness Center in Suitland. Together, community physicians and University of Maryland School of Medicine (SOM) faculty provide clinical expertise across a range of specialties and programs including: acute rehabilitation; anesthesiology; critical and chronic ventilation care; emergency medicine; neonatology (including the County’s highest level NICU); orthopaedics; vascular surgery; a certified and designated primary stroke center; and the State’s second-busiest Trauma Center. University of Maryland School of Medicine faculty also lead the highly-regarded cardiac surgery program at UM Prince George’s Hospital Center. A new  state-of-the-art regional medical center is expected to open in Largo in 2021. For more information, visit www.umcapitalregion.org.

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Additional Comments from Community Leaders:
Prince George’s County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks: “We are excited that Dr. Wright has been named the interim President and CEO of UM Capital Region Health, because I know he will be a great partner in our efforts to provide high-quality healthcare to more Prince Georgians,” said Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.  “Dr. Wright is well-qualified for this role, and as a resident of Prince George’s for most of his life, understands the needs of our communities. I look forward to working with him and his team on a number of projects and initiatives, including the new UM Capital Region Medical Center in Largo that will provide the high-quality healthcare our residents want and deserve, while reducing some of the health disparities that exist in our County.”  

Office of the County Executive, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Health, Human Services, and Education, George L. Askew, MD, FAAP: "Knowing Dr. Joseph Wright both personally and professionally, I am looking forward to his leadership as Interim President and CEO of UM Capital Region Health.  I know he is up to the challenge of continuing to move us positively forward toward social justice and equity in health and wellness in Prince George’s county. Together we will work collaboratively to achieve our goal of promoting, enhancing, and preserving the health and well-being of all Prince Georgians."

Prince George’s County Council, The Honorable Todd M. Turner, Chair, District 4:  “Access to quality health care, health promotion and disease prevention are priority concerns for the Prince George’s County Council, in its role as the Board of Health, and for the residents we represent.

The Board of Health extends it warmest congratulations to Joseph L. Wright, MD, MPH, upon his appointment as the Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of the University of Maryland Capital Region Health (UM Capital).

Dr. Wright has established a longstanding record of service to County residents, and a productive working relationship with the Council, serving as consultant and liaison to the Board of Health from 2011 to 2018, after which he assumed the position of Chief Medical Officer for the UM Capital.

This successful partnership, and Dr. Wright’s experience and expertise as a physician, surgeon and hospital executive will be an invaluable resource to advance public health policies, improve Quality of Life for our residents, and continue Prince George’s County’s historic journey toward healthcare transformation.

We look forward to continuing to work with Dr. Wright in his new role, to address healthcare in Prince George’s County, and as we move closer to the exciting grand opening of the new University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center in 2021.”