Shands HealthCare appoints new CEO

May 17, 2001

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-Shands HealthCare announced today that Timothy Goldfarb has accepted the position of chief executive officer effective Aug. 13. Goldfarb will be responsible for charting the strategic direction for Shands HealthCare.

“We are extremely pleased to have the caliber of an individual such as Mr. Goldfarb to guide the ongoing development of Shands’ regional healthcare system and maintain its stature as a resource for Florida and the Southeast,” said Charles E. Young, Ph.D., University of Florida president and Shands HealthCare Board of Directors president. “Mr. Goldfarb’s experience, knowledge and understanding of the challenges facing healthcare will be instrumental in providing the visionary leadership necessary to position Shands HealthCare for continued success in support of its mission.”

Goldfarb comes to Shands with more than 20 years of experience in hospital administration and an accomplished background in developing an integrated health system in a university setting. Most recently, he was director of the OHSU Health Care System at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. In this role, Goldfarb was responsible for hospital operations and establishing a regional provider network. He significantly increased market share for the health system in a highly competitive managed care market. Other noteworthy accomplishments include being on the administrative team that was instrumental in transforming OHSU’s academic medical center from a state institution to a non-profit, public corporation; establishing a multi-site primary care organization and a single, multi-specialty faculty group practice; and developing a network of affiliated hospitals and physicians.

“Tim Goldfarb has exhibited exceptional leadership for the OHSU hospitals and clinics,” said OHSU President Peter Kohler, M.D. “He will leave an indelible mark on OHSU.”

“I am familiar with Mr. Goldfarb’s distinguished record of service — especially in the realm of teaching hospitals — through our work together in the Association of American Medical Colleges, in which he held a leadership role with the Council of Teaching Hospitals,” said Kenneth I. Berns, M.D., Ph.D., UF vice president for health affairs and Shands HealthCare Board of Directors chairman. “His demonstrated commitment to the tenets of research and education in the clinical setting will ensure the continuation of the close collaboration forged between the University of Florida’s health sciences programs and Shands HealthCare.”
Goldfarb also served as senior associate administrator at Arizona Medical Center in Tucson. In addition, he held the position of assistant administrator at Tucson General Hospital, where he was responsible for operations of the 200-bed community hospital.

“Mr. Goldfarb is highly respected by his peers throughout the country and has valuable leadership experience in both health system and academic medical center environments,” said Joan Ruffier, Shands HealthCare Board of Directors member and chair of its CEO search committee. “He understands the importance of bridging relationships between faculty and community physicians which will greatly benefit Shands and the communities it serves.”

Goldfarb says he is excited about the opportunity to lead one of the largest academic-based health systems in the Southeast.

“I am looking forward to meeting everyone and getting to know the north Florida communities,” he said. “I was attracted to this position because of Shands HealthCare’s excellent reputation for quality patient care. Shands Jacksonville is an integral part of our future success given its location in an urban area and the significant amount of teaching that takes place there. I am eager to build upon the great work that has been accomplished to date.”

An Arizona native, Goldfarb holds an undergraduate degree in Political Science and a master’s in Health Services Administration from Arizona State University. He previously chaired the Council of Teaching Hospitals, which is part of the Association of American Medical Colleges, and was a member of its Administrative Board. He currently is chair of the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems and serves on the Executive Board of the University HealthSystem Consortium.