Steven D. Baron Named Executive Director And Chief Operating Officer
For The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
July 14, 2000
University Park, Pa. --Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., senior vice president for health affairs and dean, Penn State’s College of Medicine, and C.E.O., The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, has announced the appointment of Steven D. Baron as executive director and chief operating officer of The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
"Mr. Baron brings an extensive background in administration and management of integrated health systems to the medical center. In particular, he has been a national leader in developing programs to promote high quality in nursing services and patient care, a goal to which we are firmly committed." says Kirch. "We are pleased that a person with his impressive credentials is assuming a leadership role with The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center."
"The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is respected as a leader in academic medicine, research and patient care and I am pleased to become a member of the leadership team," says Baron. "I look forward to meeting and working with the employees, physicians, managers, faculty, and volunteers, as well as Dean Kirch and the newly appointed board of trustees, as we continue to provide world-class patient care, research and education.
Baron comes to Hershey from Rhode Island where he was president, Lifespan Rhode Island and president, Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital. In this position, Baron oversaw all Rhode Island health care operations with 1,234 beds, an operating budget of $680 million and 7,300 employees. Prior to this position, which he assumed in 1997, Baron was executive vice president and chief operating officer of Lifespan, and president of Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital from 1994 to 1997. He was president and chief executive officer of The Miriam Hospital, a major teaching hospital of Brown University School of Medicine, from 1988 to 1994, and executive vice president and chief operating officer from 1982 to 1988. Baron was associate executive director of Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton Lower Falls, Mass. from 1978 to 1982.
Baron received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rutgers-The State University, New Brunswick, N. J., and a M.B.A. in health care administration from George Washington University. His professional affiliations include Diplomate, American College of Healthcare Executives; New England Healthcare Assembly, where he served on the board of trustees from 1994-1999; lifetime member, American Hospital Association, and regional policy board member from 1995 to 1998; and member, Association of American Medical Colleges, Council of Teaching Hospitals.
Baron was a founding member of the board of directors of the Lifespan/Brown University Education and Research Foundation. He has held numerous leadership positions with the Hospital Association of Rhode Island including member, board of trustees and executive council; chairman of the board from 1990 to 1992; vice chairman of the board of trustees from 1988 to 1990.
An active community volunteer, Baron serves on the Rhode Island Governor’s Advisory Council on Health and is a member of the Rhode Island Department of Health’s State Prevention Health Advisory Committee. He was a member of the Health and Education Leaders for Providence, and chair and member of the Rhode Island Magnetic Resonance Imaging Network. In addition, he was chair of the medical division for the United Way campaigns in 1993 and 1994, served on the board of directors of the YMCA, coached youth soccer in Barrington, R.I., and was a board member and officer of his synagogue, Temple Habonim.
Baron and his wife, Sharon, look forward to relocating to the Hershey community.
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