LifeBridge Health announced on Jan. 8 that Daniel Blum willjoin the system in April as president of Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and GraceMedical Center, formerly Bon Secours Baltimore Hospital.
He will assume the responsibilities held by Dr. Jonathan Ringo, who will become the founder and CEO of a startup telemedicine company called Verappo.
Since December of 2014, Blum has served as president and CEO of Phelps Memorial Hospital Center, a 240-bed regional hospital in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., that is a member of the Northwell Health System.
Ringo and Blum will work together for several months during a transitional period.
“As we wish Dr. Ringo well in his new venture, we are thrilled to have found such a strong and seasoned health care leader to carry on Sinai’s mission,” said Neil Meltzer, president and CEO of LifeBridge Health. “With Dan’s experience, knowledge and leadership, along with his passion for community and health care quality, we are excited about the future of LifeBridge Health’s flagship hospital.”
Founded in 1866 as the Hebrew Hospital and Asylum on Monument Street in East Baltimore, Sinai is a 483-bed hospital in Northwest Baltimore with specialties in cardiology, orthopedics, pediatrics and neurology.
A resident of Chappaqua, N.Y., Blum began his career as a paramedic/instructor and emergency management system supervisor before transitioning to hospital administration in the New York City metropolitan area. He has three decades of experience in management in both urban and suburban hospitals.
Prior to coming to Phelps Memorial, Blum held leadership roles at White Plains Hospital, Stellaris Health Network, St. Vincent Hospital and New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’sdegree in health care administration from New York University.
In his new role, Blum will serve as senior vice president of LifeBridge Health, along with being president of Sinai and Grace Medical Center. He joins Sinai during a period of growth, particularly with plans to develop a site adjacent to Pimlico Race Course and LifeBridge Health’s recent acquisition of West Baltimore’s Grace Medical Center.
“LifeBridge Health is a mission-focused organization thatcares not only about managing illness but also about proactively trying toassist communities in maintaining wellness and improving people’s lives,” Blumsaid. “I look forward to joining the amazing teams at Sinai Hospital and Grace MedicalCenter and working together to build on their well-earned reputation forproviding high-quality, compassionate care along with the community initiativesthat make a difference in a meaningful way.”
A Pikesville resident, Ringo joined LifeBridge Health in 2014 as its first chief medical information officer and became the system’s vice president of clinical transformation. In the latter role, he oversees system-wide case management, population health, medical informatics and ambulatory quality.
In January of 2017,he became Sinai’s interim president and took over the position permanently inMay of that year. A practicing obstetrician/gynecologist, Ringo plans to remaininvolved with Sinai’s medical education program and may take occasional shiftson the Labor & Delivery unit.
“Sinai is truly a second home to me,” said Ringo. “I did mytraining here, and many of my family members were born here. It has been anhonor to work alongside this talented and caring group of medical professionalsat Sinai. I know that our team, our patients and our communities will be in thebest of hands with Dan Blum, and I look forward to working with Dan through thistransition.”
Greg Rochlin, chairman of Sinai’s board of directors, praisedRingo for his leadership and service. He also thanked him “for staying on toensure that Dan Blum has a strong start as he joins our organization. As wesearched for our new president, Dan was our top choice, a smart and engagingleader who appreciates Sinai’s history and commitment to quality care, and who sincerelybelieves in Sinai’s mission of healing and caring.”
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