The following announcement about Center for Health Care Innovation executive director David Asch was circulated via email on June 8, 2022.

I am pleased to announce that David A. Asch, MD, MBA, the John Morgan Professor of Medicine, will assume a new role as Senior Vice Dean for Strategic Initiatives in the Perelman School of Medicine, effective July 1, 2022.
 
In this new role, David will coordinate the vision and talent distributed throughout the Penn Medicine community, aiming to further advance Penn’s leadership and its ability to contribute to a better future. He will work broadly across the institution in strategic planning and in selected areas of critical impact.
 
To fulfill his new responsibilities, David will be stepping down as Executive Director of the Center for Health Care Innovation, which he has led since its inception in 2012. Under his leadership and that of Roy Rosin, the Center grew from three individuals to nearly 100, created foundational programs blending clinical service delivery with technology and design, diversified the talent that contributes to Penn Medicine’s missions, and energized our community with a host of collaborative, cross-disciplinary projects. With programs under its umbrella including the Acceleration Lab, the Center for Digital Health, Way to Health, and the Nudge Unit, Penn Medicine has established the leading academic health care innovation center in the nation.
 
David is also Professor of Health Care Management and of Operations, Information and Decisions at the Wharton School, and has provided leadership and service to Penn since arriving as a medical resident in 1984. From 1998 to 2012, he directed the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, increasing its external grant funding from approximately $7 million annually to over $100 million annually. He created – and from 2001 to 2012 directed – the Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs national program to eliminate disparities in health and health care. He also created Penn’s first training program in medical informatics and he variously created, led, or co-led the RWJF Clinical Scholars Program, the RWJF Health & Society Scholars Program, the Masters of Science in Health Policy Research Program, the National Clinician Scholars Program, and several other initiatives that continue to attract talent and develop careers.
 
His research broadly covers the delivery of health services but is focused on innovation and behavioral economics. He is the author of over 400 scholarly papers and has been the principal investigator of approximately $100 million in largely federal research grants. In addition to his many national awards, David has received School of Medicine Awards of Excellence in all four categories of research, teaching, clinical care, and professionalism and mentoring. Eight of his mentees have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine.
 
An announcement about new leadership at the Center for Health Care Innovation will be forthcoming. In the meantime, please join me in thanking David for his past service and congratulating him on this new role.
 
J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD
Dean, Perelman School of Medicine
Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health