At 11 a.m. this morning, the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt will formally announce the appointment of Kevin Churchwell, M.D., as the hospital’s new CEO.
Churchwell, a Nashville native, Vanderbilt-educated physician and nationally recognized pediatrician, has been selected as chief executive officer and executive director of Children’s Hospital, effective immediately.
Churchwell, 45, has held the position on an interim basis since January when he replaced the hospital’s first CEO, Jim Shmerling, who left to become president and CEO of The Children’s Hospital of Denver.
He says he is honored to be chosen to lead the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital on a permanent basis.
“It’s an incredible honor to be asked to do this extremely important job for Vanderbilt, for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital, and for the city of Nashville,” Churchwell said. “Because I’m a native Nashvillian, it’s even more of an honor,” he said, adding that he has learned a great deal while he has led the hospital in an interim capacity.
“Our Children’s Hospital has been consistently recognized as one of the nation’s best, and we need a strong and able leader to help us maintain our momentum,” said Harry R. Jacobson, M.D., vice chancellor for Health Affairs. “We have invested millions of dollars and countless hours into building the world’s best center for the care of children and their families. Strong leadership is key. Kevin has proven he is the person for this job.”