Dr. Eappen Will Lead Network Mission to Improve Patient Access and Equity, Move Toward Value-Based Care and Build Long-Term Sustainability
Burlington, Vt. – Following an extensive national search, The University of Vermont Health Network has named Sunil “Sunny” Eappen, MD, MBA, as the health system’s next President and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Eappen, who comes from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, part of the Mass General Brigham network, will lead the organization forward in the next phase of its evolution into a more integrated and equitable health system. He will be responsible for oversight of all operations, including the flagship academic medical center, five community hospitals, children’s hospital, multi-specialty physicians group, and home health and hospice agency.
Dr. Eappen currently serves as Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs for Brigham and Women’s and is an Associate Professor of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School. His appointment will be effective November 28, 2022, and he will succeed John R. Brumsted, MD, who is retiring after leading the health system for more than 10 years.
“All through the search process, Dr. Eappen stood out as an accomplished and inspirational leader whose personal and professional values closely align with the strategic direction of the Network,” said Allie Stickney, Chair of the UVM Health Network Board of Trustees and CEO Search Committee. “His track record of building partnerships, commitment to health equity and belief in a value-based approach to health care will build upon the strong foundation Dr. Brumsted began a decade ago. We are incredibly excited and fortunate to have Dr. Eappen join us to lead this organization and its talented people into the next phase of its evolution.”
Throughout his time at the Mass General Brigham system, Dr. Eappen’s leadership was integral to improving clinical care and the patient experience. He also served since 2020 as the interim leader for Brigham’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts, representing Brigham and Women’s for Mass General Brigham United Against Racism.
An accomplished health care executive, Dr. Eappen was named Interim President of Brigham and Women’s from March 2021 to December 2021, when a permanent candidate was selected. He is the author of numerous published articles and a national speaker on topics including optimizing OR efficiency, surgical checklist implementation and change management. The UVM Health Network search committee cited Dr. Eappen’s track record of coalition building, deep experience in academic medicine and commitment to equity among the many reasons he emerged as a top candidate.
“The UVM Health Network is a model for how we can provide and preserve high-quality health care in our communities, while innovating and educating through academic medicine,” said Dr. Eappen. “I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to work alongside, learn from and support thousands of dedicated providers and staff across Vermont and Northern New York, and to deliver on the promise of the Network. Together, we will address our challenges and work to provide expert, equitable, value-based health care for our patients and communities.”
This appointment comes at a critical time for the health system, which serves more than 1 million patients across Vermont and Northern New York. Immediate challenges, shared by hospitals and health systems across the country, include extraordinary cost inflation and the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Eappen’s expertise and leadership will play a pivotal role in the Network’s financial recovery and in guiding the transformative work being done across the Network to increase patient access to care, address national workforce shortages and more deeply integrate the organization’s operational and governance structure to become more nimble, equitable and aligned with its population health centered mission.
“I’m incredibly pleased with the result of the search, and I’m dedicated to ensuring a smooth leadership transition for our health system,” said John R. Brumsted, MD, President and CEO of the UVM Health Network, who will stay on until late November 2022.
“Dr. Eappen is an accomplished academic physician and skilled administrator, including his interim leadership of one of the premier teaching hospitals in the country,” Dr. Brumsted added. His experience will serve our patients, our communities and our people well. I’m gratified that he’s interested in coming to the UVM Health Network and helping us meet our mission.”
Prior to joining Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dr. Eappen served as Chief Medical Officer of Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary, where he led the Medical Staff Office, Patient Safety and Quality, Pharmacy and oversaw nursing leadership. He also served as Associate Medical Director of the Controlled Risk Insurance Company (CRICO) Patient Safety Organization of Harvard Medical School and as Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at the Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary and Harvard Medical School.
Among his extensive community service, Dr. Eappen serves on the boards of the Matty Eappen Foundation, CRICO and New England Donor Services/New England Organ Bank.
Dr. Eappen earned his bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; his medical degree from the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine; and an MBA from the Yale University School of Management. He also previously served as Chief Resident in Anesthesiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
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About The University of Vermont Health Network
The University of Vermont Health Network is an integrated system serving the residents of Vermont and northern New York with a shared mission: working together, we improve people’s lives. The partners are:
- The University of Vermont Medical Center
- The University of Vermont Health Network Medical Group
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Elizabethtown Community Hospital
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Porter Medical Center
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Home Health & Hospice
Our 15,000 employees are driven to provide high-quality, cost-efficient care as close to home as possible. Strengthened by our academic connection to the University of Vermont, each of our affiliates remains committed to its local community by providing compassionate, personal care shaped by the latest medical advances and delivered by highly skilled experts.