CEO of MU Health Departing For Another Executive Role

Jonathan W. Curtright, MBA, MHA, will join Oklahoma academic health system, OU Health, in August.

MU Health Care announced Tuesday that the organization's CEO is leaving to join the executive team of another academic health system.

Jonathan W. Curtright, MBA, MHA, is stepping down from his post as CEO of the University of Missouri's academic health system on July 15. Curtright, who has served as CEO of MU Health since 2017, will be joining OU Health's executive team as COO in August.

In his new role, he will oversee the operations of OU Health University of Oklahoma Medical Center, Oklahoma Children's Hospital OU Health, OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, and OU Health Edmond Medical Center.

"Jonathan brings to OU Health a wealth of experience in academic healthcare and has a successful track record of operational excellence, strategic growth, health system transformations and employee engagement," OU Health president and CEO, Richard Lofgren, MD, MPH, said in a statement. "He is uniquely qualified to step into this important role at OU Health as we focus on integrating our organization in order to bring the best outcome and experience to our patients."

Curtright's executive leadership experience spans more than 25 years, including having served in leadership roles at Indiana University Health, UK Healthcare, and Mayo Clinic. During his time at MU Health, he led strategic growth initiatives, including the development of a new children's hospital which is currently under construction, the addition of Battle and Boonville primary care clinics, and a partnership between Capital Region Medical Center and MU Health Care.

"The work already underway at OU Health is both exciting and transformative for healthcare in the state of Oklahoma and the region," Curtright said in a statement. "I am tremendously excited to be a part of Dr. Lofgren’s vision of bringing a highly integrated, high performing academic healthcare system to the citizens of the region and am looking forward to joining the Oklahoma community."

Following his exit from MU Health, Nim Chinniah, vice chancellor for health affairs at MU Health, will serve as interim CEO. A national search for a permanent CEO will be forthcoming.