HERSHEY, Pa. — Penn State Health St. Joseph has recruited Dr. Jeffrey Held to serve as its vice president for medical affairs. In this role, he will serve as liaison between St. Joseph’s medical staff and administration, as well as coordinate the hospital’s clinical activities and resources to ensure the efficient delivery of quality health services and outcomes. He joined the organization on Monday, Dec. 30.
Most recently, Held served as vice president, chief medical officer for ambulatory services for BayCare Health System Inc. in Safety Harbor, Florida, a $3 billion, multihospital system with more than 5,000 physicians. During his 15 years with BayCare, Held was instrumental in the development of numerous telemedicine initiatives, innovative models of outpatient care focused on population health, and implementation of the Cerner electronic health record program across 13 hospitals, eight emergency departments, and a 200-physician-member primary care practice.
“We feel very fortunate that Dr. Held has agreed to join Penn State Health St. Joseph,” said John Morahan, president. “His progressive leadership experience and proven ability to lead diverse teams, achieve quality outcomes, and meet financial objectives will be integral to our continued success in serving the health care needs of Berks County residents.”
Held is board certified in internal medicine and a fellow of the American College of Physicians. He is a graduate of American University and earned his medical degree at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville. He completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Maryland Medical System in Baltimore.