The CEO of Duke University Health System (DUHS) will step down from his role on Sept. 30, according to a Duke statement released Tuesday.
Craig Albanese, M.D., a healthcare leader and academic pediatric surgeon, has served as chief executive officer since 2023. His next role will be the president of Kaiser Permanente, the nation’s largest nonprofit integrated health system based in Oakland, California.
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“Under Craig’s leadership, DUHS expanded its reach and impact across the state, advanced innovation in patient care and strengthened its culture of compassion, respect and belonging,” said president of Duke University Vincent Price. “I am grateful for his outstanding service to Duke and his dedication to advancing health and healthcare.”
During his tenure at Duke Health, Albanese was responsible for uniting thousands of physicians and staff into a single structure for the first time in Duke’s history, allowing the health system to expand their offerings and care, the release stated.
He also helped to lead the acquisition of Lake Norman Regional Medical Center (now Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital), the groundbreaking of a new inpatient and emergency care facility in Cary and the expansion of services at Peak Rehabilitation Hospital.
A partnership between Duke Health and UNC Health was also created during his time to establish North Carolina Children’s, which is poised to be the state’s only freestanding children’s hospital.
A few months into starting his role as CEO, three executives at Duke Regional Hospital were to step down from their leadership roles. In an email sent to staff, Albanese said that he “determined the need for transformation, which requires making several leadership changes in order to best position our hospital to fulfill its mission of caring for our patients and community for the long term.”
At the time, none of the released executives could provide more comment into their departures.
This news of Albanese’s departure comes months after President Donald Trump’s administration froze $108 million in federal funding to Duke Health after asserting that officials were investigating “systemic racial discrimination” in the university’s healthcare system.
Before that, Duke University was already making cost-cutting decisions, including adding a cost-reduction program and implemented a hiring freeze, in an effort to save $350 million.
The release said an interim management structure for Duke Health will be implemented until a new CEO is named. During the interim period, Tom Owens, M.D., executive vice president and chief operating officer of Duke Health, will report to Price.
Preparations will commence immediately for a national search for the next CEO, with details to be announced soon.