Gunasekaran to step down as head of UIHC

Hunter
01/19/22

The head of the University of Iowa hospital system has announced he is leaving at the end of February.

Suresh Gunasekaran will move on to head the highly-ranked University of California San Francisco health system, assuming the position March 1st.

Gunasekaran has been CEO of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics since 2018, replacing the retiring Ken Kates.  Since then, he has been one of the main faces of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state, providing information about the virus in its infancy and the clinical vaccine trials that occurred at the UI. He’s also spearheaded improvements in patient satisfaction, implementing free parking for UIHC patients with appointments, and leading the expansion and upgrading of the school’s facilities.

Gunasekaran told reporters Tuesday that he was recruited for the new position last year as part of a national search, and that although he said that the decision to leave was difficult, he believes the UIHC is in good hands because of its team effort.

Vice President for Medical Affairs and Carver College of Medicine Dean Brooks Jackson said that he clearly doesn’t want Gunasekaran to leave, but the fact that he has landed such an opportunity speaks well of how well he performed at the UIHC.

A news release said that the facility will conduct a national search to find Gunasekaran’s replacement. He was being paid an annual salary of $1.2 million; an interim CEO will be named soon, according to the release.