University of Maryland Medical System Board of Directors Announces New President and CEO

Mohan Suntha, MD, Physician and Hospital Leader with 20+ Years’ Experience Across UMMS Unanimous Choice to Lead 13-Hospital, $4 Billion Health Care System

Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA, a physician leader with deep roots across the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), including providing exceptional care for cancer patients and leading two of the system’s hospitals, has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of UMMS, effective December 1, 2019.

Dr. Suntha has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), the system’s flagship academic medical center in downtown Baltimore, since May 2016, and previously as President and Chief Executive Officer for UM St. Joseph Medical Center (UM SJMC).

“The Board of Directors was focused on finding an exceptional leader to deliver expert medical care across the state, and it became a clear choice in Dr. Suntha,” said James “Chip” DiPaula, Jr., Chair of the UMMS Board of Directors. “Dr. Suntha is an accomplished physician, a skilled hospital executive and a proven leader, with experience managing in a complex, multi-site integrated health care system anchored by a flagship academic medical center. He is the right leader for UMMS and the people of Maryland.”

“It has been my privilege to lead the University of Maryland Medical Center and work alongside the talented employees and the University of Maryland School of Medicine (SOM) faculty, who care for some of the most complex patient cases in our nation,” Dr. Suntha said. “I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to now lead the 28,000 women and men of the University of Maryland Medical System who come to work each day to provide Marylanders with exceptional, high quality care. Together, we have a unique opportunity to drive the national health care conversation in defining value-based care while serving our tripartite mission.”  

Prior to serving as UMMC’s President and CEO, Dr. Suntha served for four years as President and CEO of UM SJMC in Towson, one of the system’s 13 hospitals, and from 2009 to 2012, served as Vice President for System Program Development at UMMS. Dr. Suntha began his medical career with the University of Maryland SOM’s Department of Radiation Oncology in 1991 as a resident, became a member of the SOM Radiation Oncology faculty in 1995.

In 2008, Dr. Suntha became a tenured professor and was awarded the inaugural Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum endowed Professor of Radiation Oncology. While serving as the system’s President and CEO, Dr. Suntha will continue seeing patients.

“Dr. Suntha has been a proven leader within our system and a staunch advocate for our patients for more than 20 years,” said John Ashworth, interim President and CEO.  “He has the credentials to lead our $4+ billion health care system and has the unique ability to manage administrative responsibilities while maintaining a commitment to academic medicine and patient care – a combination that is critical to the successful advancement of our system.”

“I have had the privilege of knowing Dr. Suntha, both as a faculty member and a faculty physician leader at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, for more than 13 years.” said E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, UM Baltimore and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean, University of Maryland SOM. “I am delighted that he has been selected as the next President and CEO of UMMS. His academic medical career has given him a unique perspective and insight, which will significantly benefit the system. While he has both experience and impeccable credentials, it is his interpersonal skills, passion and drive that are also major assets for our joint organization. Working in partnership with the University of Maryland SOM, UMMS is well positioned to be the premiere provider of discovery-based medical care for our state and the region.”

As President and CEO for both UMMC’s downtown and midtown campuses, Dr. Suntha was the guiding force in accelerating the integration of the two campuses. Under Dr. Suntha’s leadership, the Midtown Campus has undergone a dramatic transformation with new leadership and a renewed commitment to delivering high quality care.

Perhaps a hallmark of Dr. Suntha’s tenure at UMMC, and a passion he will carry forward to UMMS, is his commitment to community engagement and service. Understanding UMMC’s unique role as an anchor institution in Baltimore City, Dr. Suntha championed causes that worked to strengthen the community through not only health and wellness initiatives but programs aimed at workforce development and youth mentoring. 

“Dr. Suntha is the perfect choice to lead UMMS in this critical time and move our mission forward,” said The Honorable Alexander Williams, Jr, Esq., Vice Chair of the UMMS Board. “In his prior role, Dr. Suntha was responsible for championing strategies that drove clinical integration across UMMS, strengthening alignment with the SOM and developing new clinical affiliations and research agreements. He was also instrumental in the turnaround of UM SJMC, which was recently recognized by U.S. News and World Report as the highest-ranked community hospital in Maryland.”

The UMMS Board retained Russell Reynolds Associates, a global leadership advisory and search firm specializing in the health care industry, to conduct a rigorous external market evaluation and succession planning process, from which Dr. Suntha emerged as the lead candidate. Dr. Suntha was then presented to the full Board of Directors and unanimously elected as President and CEO of UMMS.

Dr. Suntha earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College, his MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and his undergraduate degree from Brown University. He resides in Baltimore County with his wife and two daughters.

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 28,000 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 partnered with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and 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.