LANCASTER — Michael D. Barber, MHA, has been named chief executive officer of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health (LG Health), after assuming the role of interim CEO last year. He became LG Health's chief operating officer in 2023 following a 27-year tenure on the senior leadership team at Penn Medicine’s Chester County Hospital (CCH).

“Throughout Michael's long career at Penn Medicine, he has distinguished himself as a skillful consensus-builder who drives operational excellence and successful execution of important organizational change,” said Michele Volpe, COO of University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS). “In an era of transformative change for health care, he brings both the strategic vision and operational expertise to ensure that LG Health continues to lead and care for the Lancaster County community long into the future.”

Barber will provide executive leadership of LG Health’s facilities, which include Lancaster General Hospital and Women & Babies Hospital, the Downtown & Suburban outpatient pavilions, an array of additional outpatient and urgent care services, and a network of more than 500 primary and specialty care physicians operating across more than 40 offices in Lancaster, Lebanon, and Chester counties. LG Health has become an epicenter for advanced care through its integration with other Penn Medicine facilities, offering the most cutting-edge treatments – including proton therapy and CAR T cell therapy for cancer at the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute – to patients close to home.

“Among Michael's greatest leadership strengths is his ability to bring people together around a common purpose and shared goals,” said UPHS CEO Kevin B. Mahoney. “He is well-respected for his steady, thoughtful leadership and approachable nature. As a receptive listener, and through his engagement with community and business leaders, he is strengthening partnerships to continue LG Health’s longtime commitment to improve the health and well-being of people in Lancaster County and beyond.”

A storied Penn Medicine career

Previously, as CCH’s Chief Operating Officer, Michael led the largest expansion in the hospital's history, a $290 million patient tower that included nearly 100 new private rooms and expanded surgical and cardiovascular services. He was also instrumental in developing CCH's 72-bed Lasko Tower, enhancing the hospital's cardiology, maternity and orthopaedic services.

Michael began his Penn Medicine career as CCH’s Senior Vice President of Human Resources, where he made important contributions to both supporting employees and implementing a new patient care delivery model.

Michael holds a Master of Health Administration from Saint Joseph’s University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a board member of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, and the Economic Development Company of Lancaster County. He also serves on the boards of Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital and Lancaster Rehabilitation Hospital.

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About Penn Medicine: Penn Medicine is one of the world’s leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, excellence in patient care, and community service. The organization consists of the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) and Penn’s Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine, founded in 1765 as the nation’s first medical school. 

The Perelman School of Medicine is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $580 million awarded in the 2023 fiscal year. Home to a proud history of “firsts,” Penn Medicine teams have pioneered discoveries that have shaped modern medicine, including CAR T cell therapy for cancer and the Nobel Prize-winning mRNA technology used in COVID-19 vaccines. 

The University of Pennsylvania Health System cares for patients in facilities and their homes stretching from the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania to the New Jersey shore. UPHS facilities include the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Chester County Hospital, Doylestown Health, Lancaster General Health, Princeton Health, and Pennsylvania Hospital—the nation’s first hospital, chartered in 1751. Additional facilities and enterprises include Penn Medicine at Home, GSPP Rehabilitation, Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, among others. 

Penn Medicine is an $11.9 billion enterprise powered by nearly 49,000 talented faculty and staff.