Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA, Named President and CEO of University of Maryland Medical Center

Thomas Smyth, MD, to Replace Suntha as President and CEO of University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center

Baltimore, May 19, 2016 – Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA, a physician leader with more than 20 years of medical and administrative experience within the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), has been named President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) effective September 1, 2016. He currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center (UM SJMC), a role in which he has served since 2012. Thomas Smyth, MD, will take the helm as President and Chief Executive Officer of UM SJMC upon Dr. Suntha’s departure. 

“Dr. Suntha brings a superior blend of experience in compassionate patient care and hospital administrative expertise to lead UMMC into the future,” said Robert A. Chrencik, MBA, CPA, President and Chief Executive Officer, UMMS, and Co-chair of the UMMC CEO Search Committee. “Throughout his career, he has demonstrated his acumen for clinical care and hospital management, which will serve UMMC well at a time of evolution in health care delivery in Maryland and throughout the country. Additionally, I look forward to working closely with Dr. Smyth as the next President and CEO of UM St. Joseph Medical Center, another vital institution in the UMMS family, and insuring a seamless leadership transition.”  

UMMC operates two campuses – the academic medical center on the University campus, and the Midtown Campus (formerly Maryland General Hospital). UMMC’s clinical services and research connections span the entire State and touch each of the UMMS hospitals and communities. Dr. Suntha will continue to strengthen this unique benefit that UMMC offers to Maryland residents, bringing unparalleled expertise in treating complex, critical illnesses close to home. 

Dr. Suntha will also further advance UMMC’s mission to support neighbors facing chronic illness and health disparities, working with an array of hospital and community-based programs to improve access to preventive care, manage chronic illness, and promote workforce development in the healthcare field.  

“I am very confident in the selection of Dr. Mohan Suntha to lead the University of Maryland Medical Center campuses in serving our patients, personnel, and the community,” said Louise Michaux Gonzales, Chair of the UMMC Board of Directors and Co-chair of the UMMC CEO Search Committee. “On behalf of the Board, I look forward to a productive and engaging relationship with Dr. Suntha to chart a course for even greater excellence at the Medical Center.”

Upon assuming the role of President and CEO at UMMC, Dr. Suntha will work closely with UMMC, UMMS, and UM School of Medicine leadership on several strategic priorities including:

• Improving accessibility, efficiency and quality of the patient experience at UMMC
• Quality and safety performance measures
• Championing population health initiatives addressing health disparities in West Baltimore through care coordination between UMMC campuses, and supporting community health programs to improve access to preventive care, manage chronic illness, and promote workforce development in the healthcare field 
• Maintaining financial viability in an evolving health care reimbursement environment
• Enhancing the work environment to retain and attract our highly qualified workforce 
• Fostering a culture of discovery-based medicine through patient-focused clinical research
• Educating future generations of medical professionals who will care for the people of our state and region

“Mohan Suntha was instrumental in the remarkable turnaround at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center over the last three years,” said Senator Francis X. Kelly, chairman of the UM SJMC Board. “He has left an indelible mark here, and will be deeply missed.  I am very confident he will do great things for UMMC patients, employees, and the community.”  

"Under Dr. Suntha’s leadership, the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center has made incredible strides, making him one of the most successful healthcare executives in the region,” said E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, vice president for medical affairs at the University of Maryland and John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean of the School of Medicine. “In addition to his business acumen, he has been an innovative clinician and effective educator and researcher. We look forward to working with Dr. Suntha in his new role, and we are confident that he will lead the Medical Center to even greater heights."

Dr. Suntha’s time with the University of Maryland dates back to his joining the Department of Radiation Oncology as a resident in 1991.  Currently Vice Chairman of the Department, as well as the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, he plays a key role in its growth in reach, volume and clinical expertise with emphasis on research, philanthropy, team-building and external affairs. His clinical care and research focus is on patients with complex head & neck and esophageal cancers.

He also played a significant role in the strategic growth of UMMS, serving as Vice President for System Program Development prior to joining UM SJMC. In this role, he was responsible for supporting strategies to drive clinical integration across the system, strengthening alignment with the School of Medicine and developing new clinical affiliations and research agreements.

Dr. Suntha stated: “The University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center, along with its staff and patients, will forever hold a very special place in my heart for its unique brand of compassionate care and clinical excellence.  It will now be my honor and privilege to lead UMMC, working side-by- side with valued employees and physicians in caring for the people of Maryland and the region. I appreciate the vital role that UMMC plays as an academic medical center, an employer, and an anchor institution in Baltimore. I will work diligently to bring forward the best of each of these facets.” 

Dr. Suntha obtained 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 lives in Baltimore County with his wife and two daughters.  

Dr. Thomas Smyth joined UM SJMC as Medical Director of the UM St. Joseph Medical Group (UM SJMG) in October of 2015, providing administrative and clinical oversight to the employed physicians of UM SJMG. In his role, he works with UM SJMC leadership to maintain and enhance clinical quality, operational efficiency, and financial performance. He has held various leadership positions with Chesapeake Urology Associates, balancing administrative knowledge with clinical practice. He completed his urology residency at Stanford University Hospital after obtaining his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University and his undergraduate degree from Princeton University. He also completed the Advanced Practice Management Program at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. A longtime resident of Towson, where he and his wife raised three sons, he is also a graduate of Calvert Hall.   

“Tom Smyth is well known and highly respected among the doctors, nurses and staff at St. Joseph,” said Sen. Kelly. “I am confident he will do an excellent job leading the hospital to the next level.” 

Dr. Smyth added: “I’m humbled by the opportunity to lead the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center.  Guided by its Catholic health mission, UM SJMC has a rich history of proving exceptional quality care to its community. The progress that the medical center has made during the last three years speaks volumes to the character and dedication of its staff and physicians. I look forward to continuing the momentum in partnership with Senator Kelly and the UM SJMC Board of Directors and the executive team.”

About the University of Maryland Medical Center

The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) is comprised of two hospitals in Baltimore: an 800-bed teaching hospital — the flagship institution of the 12-hospital University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) — and a 200-bed community teaching hospital, UMMC Midtown Campus. UMMC is a national and regional referral center for trauma, cancer care, neurocare, cardiac care, diabetes and endocrinology, women's and children's health, and has one of the largest solid organ transplant programs in the country. All physicians on staff at the flagship hospital are faculty physicians of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. At UMMC Midtown Campus, faculty physicians work alongside community physicians to provide patients with the highest quality care. UMMC Midtown Campus was founded in 1881 and is located one mile away from the University Campus hospital. For more information, visit www.umm.edu.

About University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center

UM St. Joseph Medical Center, which was founded in 1864 by the Sisters of St. Francis, is a 247-bed nonprofit, regional medical center in Towson, Md., and a member of the 12-hospital University of Maryland Medical System. For more information, visit www.stjosephtowson.com.

About University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) currently includes 12 health systems and hospitals across Maryland including the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center; University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center; University of Maryland Medical Center; University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus; University of Maryland Rehabilitation & Orthopaedic Institute; University of Maryland Shore Regional Health; University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center; and University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health System, as well as the freestanding University of Maryland Shore Emergency Center at Queenstown and the University of Maryland Shore Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Chestertown. UMMS also operates Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital as a joint venture with Johns Hopkins and also operates University of Maryland Medical System Health Plans for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.