Dr. Safa Farzin, who joined Penn State Health in 2019 and currently serves as vice president for medical affairs and staff development at Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center, has been promoted to the position of senior vice president for Penn State Health Medical Group, Community Practice Division after a national search.

He will replace Dr. Bill Bird, who is retiring at the end of this month after nearly 25 years as a physician and leader within Penn State Health. This transition will take place March 31.

Over the past year, Farzin has been responsible for developing the leadership team and clinical services at Hampden Medical Center. He has been instrumental in collaborating with the community physicians in the greater Harrisburg region who will use that hospital to care for their patients.

In his new role with the Medical Group, Farzin will lead the Community Practice Division, which has experienced tremendous growth under Bird’s leadership. It now encompasses more than 350 physicians, 225 advanced practice providers and 1,220 support staff within 57 practice sites, as well as St. Joseph and Holy Spirit medical centers. One of Farzin’s priorities will be ensuring that providers have the tools they need to provide the highest quality of care to patients and ensure a seamless continuum of care from outpatient to inpatient settings across the system.

Prior to joining Penn State Health, Farzin served as chief executive officer for the Medical Group of Pennsylvania, the largest independent physician association in central Pennsylvania; vice president of Pulmonary Critical Care Medical Associates, which is now a member of Penn State Health; and director of critical care medicine at UPMC Pinnacle Health.

Farzin will work closely with Don McKenna, regional president for Hampden and Holy Spirit medical centers, to coordinate a smooth transition of his vice president for medical affairs and staff development duties as he takes on this new role.