Chair, Department of Pediatrics and Pediatrician-in-Chief

Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine | Hershey, Pennsylvania

The Penn State College of Medicine (PSCOM) and Penn State Health (PSH) – Milton S. Hershey Medical Center (MSHMC) are seeking an inspirational and people-centered academic physician leader who is an accomplished researcher, outstanding clinician, and dedicated educator to serve as the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics and as Pediatrician-in-Chief of the Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital. The successful Chair will further advance the work within the department across all domains: research, clinical care, education, outreach, and philanthropy, broadening its reach and impact throughout Central Pennsylvania and beyond, while building upon the department’s national and international reputation as a key healthcare provider.

Penn State’s pediatric hospital, Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital, is widely viewed by the community as the crown jewel of the health system and is a significant priority for PSH. As the only academic Level I trauma center for children between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh—and home to the region’s only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit—Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital plays a critical role in delivering advanced, high?acuity pediatric care, enabling families to access comprehensive, nationally recognized services close to home.

The strength of the Department of Pediatrics is characterized by a deep institutional commitment to scientific discovery, clinical excellence, education, patient experience, and quality. Five pediatric faculty have been inducted into the College of Medicine’s Academy of Distinguished Educators, many physicians rank in the top decile nationally for patient satisfaction, and numerous faculty are routinely recognized among the top doctors in America. Together, these achievements underscore a sustained focus on excellence, safety, and outcomes that continues to define pediatrics at Penn State.

This is a particularly exciting time for pediatric research at Penn State. The Department houses 50 research faculty undertaking life?changing discoveries across oncology, diabetes management, behavioral health, weight management, neonatology, and population health. Penn State is an internationally recognized destination for neuroblastoma care and research, supported by unparalleled philanthropy. Four Diamonds contributes approximately $16–20 million annually directly to pediatric oncology within the department, while Children’s Miracle Network adds roughly $4 million each year to support pediatric research, innovation, and clinical programs. In 2025, a landmark $50 million gift from the Golisano Foundation further accelerated this momentum. In its first year of a five-year plan, $10M of that gift is supporting a new ambulatory pediatrics center that will increase outpatient visits and hematology?oncology infusion procedures. The gift also provides additional investment in the pediatric emergency department, development of a new NICU, recruitment of hard?to?find pediatric subspecialists, and a loan?forgiveness program to attract and retain physicians and trainees. In addition, the gift enables the children’s hospital to join a consortium of 15 children’s hospitals across the US as a learning community. The Department is further supported by a strong Pediatric Research Resource Office that provides meaningful infrastructure for investigators at all career stages.

Reporting to the Dean of the College of Medicine, the Chair will lead and further expand an already- strong academic department. Overseeing pediatric services at the health system level, the Chair will ensure effective and efficient clinical operations in partnership with the Chief Medical Officer and the Vice President of Penn State Health Children’s Services across tertiary hospitals, community-based facilities, and all ancillary sites throughout its clinically integrated network. In addition, the Chair will balance the demands of maintaining a high level of academic rigor, clinical quality, and operational efficiency in alignment with the health system. The Chair will model and advance a vision of systemness—bridging and standardizing the delivery of clinical care, research, and education across an increasingly unified medical group in a growing health system. This is an outstanding opportunity for a dynamic academic leader, working in alignment with a cohort of collaborative and innovative chairs and a newly-appointed CEO of PSH, to engage and participate in further developing a regional system of care delivery during a period of strategic renewal and forward progress.

Leading the Department of Pediatrics as both Chair and Pediatrician in Chief, this physician leader will be a nationally recognized scholar with a proven commitment to growing and sustaining research and innovation, ensuring excellence in the delivery of care, elevating medical education and training programs, as well as an active pursuit of broad community engagement. With a proven ability to effectively inspire, mentor, and lead physicians, researchers, and educators, the next Chair will actively embrace and champion the values of engagement, quality, and financial sustainability. The next chair will bring integrity, intellect, and an ability to work collaboratively with numerous stakeholders. A core value of leadership integrity, along with a vision of how a modern academic department of pediatrics thrives in the current health care landscape, is expected.

The ideal candidate will inherit a talented, engaged pediatric faculty deeply embedded across the health system in a culture that values trust, collaboration, and shared accountability. Success requires a leader who empowers strong vice chairs and division chiefs in all of its domains: pediatric research, ongoing philanthropic and extramural investment, oversees complex clinical and academic operations, and partners closely with health system leadership within a service?line structure to drive pediatric strategy and growth. At this moment of expansion and opportunity, the Chair will unify academic excellence with system leadership to shape the future of pediatric care for the region.

Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine has retained Isaacson, Miller to assist in the search for the Chair, Department of Pediatrics and Pediatrician-in-Chief. Patricia Hastie is leading this search with Tiffany Weber and Sarah Sweeney. Applications, inquiries, and nominations may be submitted online: https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/pennsylvania-state-university-college-medicine/chair-department-pediatrics-and