After serving as CEO of Woman’s Hospital, Barbara Griffith, MD, has been invited to return to Duke Health in the fall as president of Duke Raleigh Hospital in Raleigh, N.C. Duke Raleigh is located in Wake County. Griffith has been at the helm of Woman’s Hospital through one of the most unique times in healthcare history, navigating both the pandemic and the challenging times that have followed.
Paul Cleckner has been named interim CEO of Woman’s Hospital and will begin his tenure following Griffith’s departure in September. Until then he will work alongside Griffith during the transition. Cleckner joined Woman’s as chief transformation officer earlier this year. Cleckner has spent his career leading organizations through transformational change and serving in healthcare leadership roles, including chief operating officer of middle Tennessee's Saint Thomas Health, a system composed of nine hospitals, 8,000 employees, and more than 1,000 employed or affiliated physicians.
“On behalf of the board, I would like to sincerely thank Dr. Griffith for her invaluable leadership and significant contributions to Woman’s. During an incredibly turbulent time in healthcare, she represented the organization with grace, integrity, and vision,” said Ben Marmande, Woman's Hospital Foundation Board chair. “Dr. Griffith made a tremendous impact in her time at Woman’s, and our board is confident in Paul’s ability to stay the course on the groundwork we have laid for the strategic vision for the hospital. His experience in healthcare and technology will allow us not to skip any beats while we search for a permanent replacement to usher in the next chapter of the hospital.”
Griffith joined Woman’s in October 2019 as the sixth chief executive officer of Woman’s Hospital. As the former chief medical officer of Duke Regional Hospital, she has 20 years of clinical practice experience and more than 15 years in healthcare leadership roles. During her tenure at Woman’s, she led and supported the work to improve maternal health outcomes, grow the hospital's surgical volume, and add innovative technologies such as interventional radiology - all to increase the comprehensiveness of women’s health services offered at the hospital. Griffith also initiated the commitment to improving diversity, equity and inclusion through staff education and process changes.
“Walking into Woman’s, one feels the legacy of caring for generations of families,” said Barbara Griffith. “I will always be thankful for the opportunity to serve the wonderful families of Baton Rouge alongside this incredible team of professionals. The teamwork I witnessed from our executive team, medical staff, and employees has been truly inspirational. I hold the utmost respect for every person I’ve worked with and have been honored to experience their incredible commitment. The strength and commitment of the Woman’s team ensures its continued growth and ability to flourish moving forward.”
Woman’s has engaged Korn Ferry, a global consulting firm, in a search for local and national candidates.