Tower Health and Drexel University Announce New Chief Executive Officer for St. Christopher's Hospital for Children

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Jul 07, 2020, 16:15 ET

WEST READING, Pa., July 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Tower Health and Drexel University, which in partnership own and operate St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, today announced that Donald Mueller will become the new Chief Executive Officer for St. Christopher's, effective July 27, 2020. Mr. Mueller joins St. Christopher's from his role as CEO of Children's Hospital at Erlanger in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

"Don is a highly skilled and experienced executive, with an extensive and successful background in developing high-quality pediatric clinical programs; recruitment of physicians and researchers; strengthening nursing; and building effective partnerships with the community," said Clint Matthews, president and CEO of Tower Health, and John Fry, president of Drexel University, in a memo to employees and medical staff announcing Mr. Mueller's appointment.

In his five years with Children's Hospital at Erlanger, Mr. Mueller led one of four Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Centers in the state of Tennessee. The hospital provided the region's only full-service facility with a dedicated 65-bed Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a Pediatric Trauma Team, an Emergency Department, and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. He recruited more than 50 subspecialty physicians to the hospital. He also oversaw the strategic planning, coordination and design of the new 100,000 square foot ambulatory center, and helped raise $46m towards a $40m goal to update the hospital's facilities. Mr. Mueller extended the Hospital's services and impact through community outreach, including supporting 36 urban and rural schools utilizing telemedicine.

Mr. Mueller created the first pediatric administrative residency program at Children's and initiated the Erlanger Health Institute, a partnership with a local public high school to develop a clinical workforce. He worked closely with physician and nursing leadership to begin a pediatric nursing internship program. In 2019, Children's Hospital at Erlanger achieved Leapfrog Top Children's Hospital status.

Prior to Erlanger, Mr. Mueller served in multiple roles on the executive leadership team for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta – Emory University for 15 years, overseeing care for more than half a million patients annually and operating over 550 inpatient beds in 3 hospitals and 17 ambulatory locations around metro Atlanta. He was also administrator for the network's transplant program.

Among his responsibilities at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Mr. Mueller served as executive director of its Marcus Autism Center. He helped establish the Center, created its board of directors, recruited physicians and researchers, oversaw strategic and operational planning, built community and business partnerships, and generated philanthropic support.

Throughout his career, Mr. Mueller has been active in extensive community involvement. A small sample includes his work with Scouting, the Ronald McDonald Houses in both Atlanta and Chattanooga, the Morehouse School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics Research Advisory Committee, and the Georgia Transplant Foundation. He has received numerous awards and recognitions including "50 Most Influential Not for Profit Leaders" and "Healthcare Hero Award" from the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Mr. Mueller is also an Eagle Scout.

Mr. Mueller holds an undergraduate degree in financial management from The Catholic University of America and his MBA in healthcare administration and marketing from Loyola College. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and completed the Young American Leadership Program at Harvard University.

"It is an honor to join the amazing team at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children and I am thrilled for the opportunity to strengthen and grow one of the most important healthcare facilities in the Philadelphia region," Mr. Mueller said. "The connection that St. Christopher's has with its patients, families, and community is special. The Hospital's tradition of innovation and service is remarkable. I am looking forward to an exciting and vibrant future for St. Christopher's and furthering its many contributions that have brought health, healing, and life to so many people."

"We are very excited to have Don join our team and know that he will do great things to advance St. Christopher's patient care, its medical education and research, and its role in the life of the community. In Don we have found a dynamic leader who immediately recognized the tremendous vitality and passion that everyone at St. Christopher's displays every day—and who is committed to strengthening the Hospital and the contributions it makes to the lives of its employees, patients, medical staff and physicians-in-training, and the community," Mr. Matthews and Mr. Fry said.

About St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
Located in Philadelphia, Pa., St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, a partnership between Tower Health and Drexel University, is a 188 bed facility that provides exceptional care to children from throughout the Greater Philadelphia area and surrounding counties. St. Christopher's has more than 220 pediatric experts on staff, combining top-notch pediatric care with a wide array of pediatric specialties including Cardiology, Ear, Nose and Throat, Gastroenterology, Oncology, and Orthopedics. It houses one of only three Level I Pediatric Trauma Centers in Pennsylvania and the only dedicated and Verified Pediatric Only Burn Center between Manhattan and Baltimore. St. Christopher's is a Magnet® designated hospital and is listed as one of Women's Choice Award Best Children's Hospital in 2019. For more information, visit stchristophershospital.com.

About Tower Health
Tower Health is a strong, regional, integrated healthcare provider/payer system that offers leading-edge, compassionate healthcare and wellness services to a population of 2.5 million people. With more than 14,000 team members, Tower Health consists of Reading Hospital in West Reading; Brandywine Hospital in Coatesville; Chestnut Hill Hospital in Philadelphia; Jennersville Hospital in West Grove; Phoenixville Hospital in Phoenixville; Pottstown Hospital in Pottstown; and St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, a partnership of Tower Health and Drexel University in Philadelphia. It also includes Reading Hospital Rehabilitation at Wyomissing; Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences in West Reading; home healthcare services provided by Tower Health at Home; and a network of 22 urgent care facilities across the Tower Health service area. Tower Health offers a connected network of 2,200 physicians, specialists, and providers across more than 230 convenient locations. For more information, visit towerhealth.org.