Ohio State University (OSU) has announced the appointment of Dr. Harold “Hal” Paz as the new executive vice president and chancellor for health affairs of its health system, pending full approval from the board of trustees.
Paz has over 20 years of experience working in the medical field. He currently serves as the executive vice president and chief medical officer for Aetna, where he has helped initiate new health challenges approaches such as a nationally recognized, data-driven approach to fighting the opioid epidemic, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
Paz also was CEO and senior vice president for health affairs at Penn State Hershey Medical Center and Health System, as dean of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and as CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson University Medical Group.
Paz’s position is new, with a broad role meant to “reflect the size and complexity of the health sciences enterprise,” president Michael V. Drake said in November 2017 when he announced the search for someone to oversee its medical center and entire health sciences enterprise.
His starting salary will be $1.45 million, making him one of the highest-paid university employees, according to OSU salary data.
As executive vice president and chancellor for health affairs, Paz will monitor the Wexner Medical Center’s operations in its seven hospitals within the health system in addition to leading the university’s health-sciences colleges alongside provost Bruce A. McPheron.
Paz said he considers his new role a great privilege, and applauded the institution’s current health care path.
“At this point in my career, I could not imagine a more outstanding opportunity than leading the academic health enterprise of this flagship university,” Paz said.
“I’m here because I believe the future for this institution is exceptionally bright, but at the same time, it’s readily apparent that health care, and academic health care in particular, is going through a period of enormous and unprecedented change,” Paz said, referring to a shift to personalized, consumer-driven care and an arrival of new innovative technology.
