HSS Appoints Christopher Dunleavy as Chief Financial Officer

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Dec 02, 2024, 11:00 ET

Former CFO at Brigham, Baylor, USMD will succeed Stacey Malakoff on January 2

NEW YORK, Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hospital for Special Surgery, the 161 year-old world leader in orthopedics and rheumatology, has appointed Christopher Dunleavy to succeed Stacey Malakoff as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer effective January 2, 2025. This follows a national search by Spencer Stuart started in June of this year Malakoff, who joined HSS nearly 40 years ago, announced her plan to retire in 2025. Malakoff will support the transition as Senior Advisor until December 31, 2025.

Dunleavy has previously served as CFO at larger healthcare provider systems including Boston-based Brigham Health, Dallas-based Baylor Health and USMD Holdings, Inc. Since 2016 the Texas native with an Executive MBA from Baylor University has served Harvard as a lecturer on Healthcare Economics.

"Chris was the consensus recommendation of the search committee following a process that identified five exceptional and diverse finalists," said HSS president and chief executive officer Bryan Kelly, MD, MBA. "He is the right person to guide the Finance function and enable HSS to lead the changing future of musculoskeletal care."

Kelly said the process also revealed further strength in the HSS Finance leadership team. "I'm confident Chris will enable a springboard for our exceptional leaders to realize their potential, at an important moment of opportunity for our organization. Stacey will leave big shoes to fill, and we have tremendous opportunities to navigate."

The HSS search committee of 28 comprised physicians, executives and Board members.

"I cannot imagine a greater opportunity for me to impact on the field of medicine," said Dunleavy. "With world-renowned quality and a strong balance sheet, the Finance function can and will enable HSS – the world's largest concentration of expertise in musculoskeletal health – to rise to new opportunities in the changing healthcare landscape."

"I look forward to partnering with my new world-class team-mates to build on Stacey's legacy and newly empower the organization's next generation of success."

HSS Surgeon-in-Chief and Medical Director Douglas E. Padgett, MD, applauded the search process as the latest demonstration of shared leadership since Kelly called for that when he became the first surgeon to lead the institution. "Medical and executive leaders make better decisions together and create foundational alignment that helps us to advance excellence."

About HSS
HSS is the world's leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. At its core is Hospital for Special Surgery, nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics (for the 15th consecutive year), No. 3 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2024-2025), and the best pediatric orthopedic hospital in NY, NJ and CT by U.S. News & World Report "Best Children's Hospitals" list (2024-2025). In a survey of medical professionals in more than 20 countries by Newsweek, HSS is ranked world #1 in orthopedics for a fifth consecutive year (2025). Founded in 1863, the Hospital has the lowest readmission rates in the nation for orthopedics, and among the lowest infection and complication rates. HSS was the first in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center five consecutive times. An affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, HSS has a main campus in New York City and facilities in New Jersey, Connecticut and in the Long Island and Westchester County regions of New York State, as well as in Florida. In addition to patient care, HSS leads the field in research, innovation and education. The HSS Research Institute comprises 20 laboratories and 300 staff members focused on leading the advancement of musculoskeletal health through prevention of degeneration, tissue repair and tissue regeneration. In addition, more than 200 HSS clinical investigators are working to improve patient outcomes through better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat orthopedic, rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. The HSS Innovation Institute works to realize the potential of new drugs, therapeutics and devices. The HSS Education Institute is a trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal knowledge and research for physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, academic trainees, and consumers in more than 165 countries. The institution is collaborating with medical centers and other organizations to advance the quality and value of musculoskeletal care and to make world-class HSS care more widely accessible nationally and internationally. www.hss.edu.

SOURCE Hospital for Special Surgery