Jonathan Curtright exits as MU Health Care CEO for job in Oklahoma

Roger McKinney, Columbia Daily Tribune
·2 min read
University of Missouri Health Care CEO Jonathan Curtright is leaving his position on July 15 for a new job as chief operating officer at University of Oklahoma Health.
University of Missouri Health Care CEO Jonathan Curtright is leaving his position on July 15 for a new job as chief operating officer at University of Oklahoma Health.

Jonathan Curtright is leaving his position as CEO of University of Missouri Health Care on July 15 for a new job as chief operating officer at University of Oklahoma Health, MU announced in a news release Tuesday.

Curtright has held the top position at MU Health Care since 2016.

“I am proud of the work we’ve accomplished in the last seven years. I am and always will be a passionate supporter of MU Health Care, the University of Missouri, and this community," Curtright wrote in a statement. "Together, we grew the quality and the breadth of health care in this region and across the state. I’ll always be grateful to have been a part of that work."

Rick Barohn, MU executive vice chancellor for health affairs, praised Curtright's work.

“We thank Jonathan for his contributions and for his leadership of MU Health Care since 2016. In recent years, MU Health Care has made advances in technology, strengthened financial, compliance and patient ratings, and provided excellent service to our community during the pandemic, to name just a few,” Barohn wrote in a statement. “We wish Jonathan well in his next endeavor.”

MU Health Care has been an economic driver for the UM System during Curtright's tenure.

Curtright's time as CEO has included development of a new children's hospital under construction, the addition of Battle and Boonville primary care clinics, and a partnership with Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City.

Barohn has appointed vice chancellor for health affairs Nim Chinniah as interim CEO. Chinniah has served on senior leadership teams at Vanderbilt University, the University of Chicago and Northwestern University.

MU will soon launch a national search for a permanent CEO, the school said.

More: Proposed change in paid time off for some UM System workers could happen in 2024

Roger McKinney is the education reporter for the Tribune. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on Twitter at @rmckinney9.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: MU Health Care CEO Jonathan Curtright leaves University of Missouri