PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania Health System has appointed James Ballinghoff, DNP, MBA, RN, as UPHS Chief Nurse Executive, a role which will be a major part of the system’s continued integration and transformation efforts across its six hospitals, home care enterprise, and dozens of ambulatory sites that provide care to patients from Lancaster, PA to Philadelphia to Princeton, NJ.
Ballinghoff, who has served as Chief Nursing Officer and Associate Executive Director at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center since 2012, will maintain his post there while taking on systemwide responsibilities, effective December 1, 2022. He will also work closely with colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, while continuing to serve as Assistant Dean for Clinical Practice.
“With a workforce of more than 11,000, the expertise of nurses is at the core of everything we do to care for patients. Over nearly 25 years at Penn Medicine, Jim has demonstrated exemplary commitment, growth, and leadership in both the nursing profession and for our patients,” said UPHS CEO Kevin B. Mahoney. “His vision has driven improvements in arenas including clinical processes and outcomes, patient and family experience, quality metrics, and nursing professional development, and we are thrilled for him to support our health system in this exciting and essential new role.”
In his new position, Baillinghoff will lead efforts to standardize nursing practice and medical devices across UPHS, enhance the system’s emphasis on ensuring a safe and stimulating work environment, and promote effective, equitable care that improves outcomes and patient/family experience. To tackle this expanded portfolio across both inpatient and ambulatory operations, he will be appointing several additional nursing leaders to provide focus on informatics, advanced practice, professional development, and community practice.
As co-chair of the Penn Medicine Chief Nursing Officer Council since 2017, Ballinghoff has led efforts to align nursing practices and processes across Penn Medicine’s six hospitals, and he is recognized as a model interdisciplinary collaborator, building strong relationships with diverse professionals across the health system. In previous work at UPHS, he progressed from staff nurse and nurse manager at HUP into roles focused on quality improvement and regulatory compliance for Penn Home Care and Hospice Services before becoming director of Critical Care and Cardiology at PPMC.
Ballinghoff earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing as well as an MBA from LaSalle University, and his doctorate of nursing practice from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.
About Penn Presbyterian Medical Center:
“Our history of patient care began more than two centuries ago with the founding of the nation’s first hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital, in 1751 and the nation’s first medical school at the University of Pennsylvania in 1765. Penn Medicine has pioneered medical frontiers with a staff comprised of innovators who have dedicated their lives to advancing medicine through excellence in education, research and patient care.
When you choose Penn Medicine, you benefit from more than two centuries of the highest standards in patient care, education and research. The caliber of comfort and individual attention you receive is unmatched by any other hospital in the Mid-Atlantic region.
We are consistently recognized nationally and internationally for excellence in health care. The cornerstone of our reputation is our medical and support staff, who choose to dedicate their careers to serving the needs of our patients and community.
The Hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania — Penn Presbyterian are proud to be ranked #13 in the nation and once again the #1 hospital in Pennsylvania by U.S. News & World Report’s Honor Roll of Best Hospitals.
We promote innovation and teaching excellence. We advance medical science through research and create the next generation of leaders in medicine. We’re constantly working towards an even more precise and personalized practice of health care.
The results of these efforts are passed directly onto you, our patients.
At Penn, we strive to provide high quality and family-centered care for our patients and the community, and support an inclusive workforce and clinical learning environment for our employees.”
About James Ballinghoff, DNP, MBA, RN:
“During his tenure as Chief Nursing Office at PPMC, Ballinghoff led the hospital to two re-designations as a Magnet hospital – the highest credential designating nursing excellence – and served as a key leader in the transition of Penn Medicine’s Level 1 Trauma Center from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania to PPMC.”
Source:
News: https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-releases/2022/november/ppmc-chief-nursing-officer-named-uphs-chief-nurse-executive
Doctor: https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-releases/2022/november/ppmc-chief-nursing-officer-named-uphs-chief-nurse-executive
School: https://www.pennmedicine.org/about