Oregon Health & Science University has tapped a seasoned West Coast health executive to take the helm of its health system after more than a year without a permanent leader.
Following a national search, OHSU has hired Tarek Salaway to serve as the CEO of OHSU Health, the division that runs the university’s hospitals and clinics. He will begin Dec. 15, OHSU President Dr. Shereef Elnahal announced Monday.
Salaway comes with nearly three decades of experience holding leadership in major California health institutions, Elnahal said. He currently serves as a senior vice president at a Kaiser Permanente hospital system in California, where he oversees strategy, operations and community partnerships in the San Francisco Bay Area.
His appointment ends an extended period of leadership turnover at OHSU Health. The university has been searching for a permanent CEO since June 2024, when Dr. John Hunter stepped down after seven years.
Joe Ness, the system’s chief operating officer at the time, filled the role temporarily until late 2024, when OHSU named retired Minnesota health executive Ann Madden Rice to serve on an interim basis. But Rice stepped down after just five weeks for unclear reasons, and OHSU then brought on Tim Goldfarb, a retired OHSU Health leader, to serve in the interim position.
As CEO of OHSU Health, Salaway will manage 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.
“It is 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 did not immediately provide his salary.
Salaway holds three master’s degrees — health care administration, public health and international relations — from the University of Washington. He previously served as chief executive of Providence St. Joseph Health’s 523-bed trauma center in Southern California and chief operating officer of the University of Southern California’s Keck Medical Center and the USC Norris Cancer Hospital. He also led cardiovascular and neuroscience programs at Stanford Health Care.