Portland, OR – November 25, 2024 – OHSU Health has appointed Michael Salaway as its new Chief Executive Officer adn Executive Vice President, OHSU President Dr.Shereef Elnahal announced Monday. Salaway will oversee operations at OHSU Hospital, OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, outpatient health clinics in the Portland area, and affiliated partners Hillsboro Medical Center and Adventist Health Portland.
Salaway brings nearly three decades of leadership experience from major California health institutions. He currently serves as a senior vice president at a Kaiser permanente hospital system in the San Francisco Bay Area, overseeing strategy, operations, and community partnerships.
His appointment concludes a period of leadership instability at OHSU Health. The university began searching for a permanent CEO in June 2024 following the departure of Dr. John Hunter after seven years of service. Joe Ness, the system’s former chief operating officer, served as interim CEO until late 2024.He was then succeeded by Ann Madden Rice, a retired Minnesota health executive, who stepped down after just five weeks. Later, Tim Goldfarb, a retired OHSU Health leader, took on the interim role.
“It is indeed a privilege to join the outstanding leadership team at OHSU Health at a time of excitement, transformation and a deep sense of commitment to the communities we serve across Oregon,” salaway said in a statement.
OHSU has not yet disclosed Salaway’s salary. he holds three master’s degrees – in health care governance, public health, and international relations – from the University of Washington. prior to this appointment, Salaway served as chief executive of Providence St. Joseph Health’s 523-bed trauma center in Southern California, chief operating officer of the University of southern California’s Keck Medical Center and the USC Norris Cancer Hospital, and led cardiovascular and neuroscience programs at stanford Health Care.
