Norman Urmy, who over the past 24 years has led
Vanderbilt
University
Hospital
and its clinical enterprise successfully through an ever-changing landscape of health care changes, is stepping down.
Urmy, executive vice president for Clinical Affairs at
Vanderbilt
University
Medical
Center
, will step down June 30. He will return to Vanderbilt in October to work with Harry Jacobson, M.D., vice chancellor for Health Affairs, in a supporting staff role that will focus on key strategic initiatives.
Urmy joined VUMC in 1982 as director of
Vanderbilt
Hospital
. Prior to that, he was vice president and administrator of
New York
University
Medical
Center
for 13 years, where he coordinated an extensive hospital renovation project and directed the hospital’s cooperative care center, which was a new model for cost-effective delivery of acute hospital care.
In 1998, Urmy stepped easily into his current role, reporting directly to Jacobson and serving as chief administrative officer for the clinical programs of VUMC, including oversight of not only VUH, but the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, the Psychiatric Hospital at Vanderbilt and the
Vanderbilt-Stallworth
Rehabilitation
Hospital
.
He temporarily stepped back into the vacated hospital director’s role in 2002, and did both jobs for three years until Larry Goldberg became executive director and CEO of VUH in 2005.
Urmy, who received the Tennessee Hospital Association’s 2004 Meritorious Service Award for Chief Executive Officer, said he began planning to relinquish his current role about four years ago.
“Our
Medical
Center
and clinical enterprise are thriving and in the best shape of my time at Vanderbilt,” Urmy said. “If there’s going to be a transition, now is the time to do it.”
Jacobson said Urmy’s accomplishments at VUMC can’t be underestimated. ”
Norman
‘s contributions to Vanderbilt are widespread. I can’t think of one aspect of this
Medical
Center
that hasn’t been touched by his skilled hands or changed for the better by his leadership. From making tough calls about resources to helping pioneer clinical pathways, he has been a calming presence in this ever-changing world of health care. We’re lucky
Norman
came our way.”
Urmy said he feels fortunate to have been at Vanderbilt for the past 24 years.
“It’s been a real team effort, and I’ve been blessed to have worked with what I consider the best management team in
America
“