Portland, Ore.

Shands HealthCare, Florida, selects Timothy Goldfarb, director of the Oregon Health & Science University Health Care System, as its Chief Executive Officer.

Timothy Goldfarb, director of the OHSU Health Care System, has been recruited by Shands HealthCare, where he will serve as the chief executive officer effective Aug. 13, leaving OHSU July 1. Goldfarb will be responsible for charting the strategic direction for Shands HealthCare.

"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. We wish him well as he takes on this new and large challenge."

"Tim has been instrumental in guiding the hospitals and clinics successfully through some of the most challenging times in the history of health care. We recognize, too, that this is an honor to both Tim and the university. The recruitment of our leadership to guide other prestigious organizations is evidence that OHSU has become one of the country's leading health care universities."

Shands HealthCare, affiliated with the University of Florida Health Science Center, is one of the largest academic-based health systems in the Southeast. Shands HealthCare comprises nine not-for-profit hospitals, and more than 1,500 affiliated University of Florida and community physicians. Its employees number 11,000.

"During the past 18 years Tim has helped lead the OHSU health system through many transitions in an extremely competitive managed care marketplace," said Michael Geheb, M.D., senior vice president for OHSU clinical programs. "Working together with the medical, nursing and other professionals, Tim has been instrumental in OHSU emerging as a clinical leader in this competitive environment. Although I will miss Tim's wisdom, friendship and extraordinary competence, he leaves to guide one of the largest multi-hospital academic health systems in the country. Our best wishes are with him, and he will always be a friend of OHSU."

Goldfarb said he is excited about the offer to help guide this large health system as it responds to the needs of its community as well as the nation's dynamic health care marketplace. "I look forward to this occasion to grow and learn from new challenges and opportunities. I will miss OHSU -- my home-away-from-home for many years now; but mostly I'll miss the wonderful colleagues, friends and patients who have given so much of themselves to me and my family -- and to this community. I always have felt confident in the excellence of our nursing, medical and support staff -- even when our hospital beds have been full and the demands have been high. This is a most remarkable place."

Goldfarb came to the university in 1984 as the associate hospital director. He became director of the hospitals and clinics in 1987. He has been responsible for the creation and development of the OHSU integrated delivery system. In this role, Goldfarb was responsible for hospital operations and establishing a regional provider network. He has significantly increased market share for the health system in a highly competitive managed care market.

Goldfarb currently is chairman of the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems and has been a member of its Executive Committee since 1995. In 1997 Goldfarb became the first Oregonian to ever be elected chairman of the National Council of Teaching Hospitals of the American Association of Medical Colleges. He also has served on the board of the Oregon Health Systems in Collaboration since 1994 and the executive committee of the University HealthSystem Consortium since 1996, including a two-year term as chairman of its Market Management Council. In addition, Goldfarb has been an active member of the Regional Policy Board of the American Hospital Association since 1994.

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