Burlington, Vt. – Following an extensive national search, The University of Vermont Health Network has named Sunil “Sunny” Eappen, MD, MBA, as the health system’s next President and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Eappen, who comes from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, part of the Mass General Brigham network, will lead the organization forward in the next phase of its evolution into a more integrated and equitable health system. He will be responsible for oversight of all operations, including the flagship academic medical center, five community hospitals, children’s hospital, multi-specialty physicians group, and home health and hospice agency.

Dr. Eappen currently serves as Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs for Brigham and Women’s and is an Associate Professor of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School. His appointment will be effective November 28, 2022, and he will succeed John R. Brumsted, MD, who is retiring after leading the health system for more than 10 years.

“All through the search process, Dr. Eappen stood out as an accomplished and inspirational leader whose personal and professional values closely align with the strategic direction of the Network,” said Allie Stickney, Chair of the UVM Health Network Board of Trustees and CEO Search Committee. “His track record of building partnerships, commitment to health equity and belief in a value-based approach to health care will build upon the strong foundation Dr. Brumsted began a decade ago. We are incredibly excited and fortunate to have Dr. Eappen join us to lead this organization and its talented people into the next phase of its evolution.”

Throughout his time at the Mass General Brigham system, Dr. Eappen’s leadership was integral to improving clinical care and the patient experience. He also served since 2020 as the interim leader for Brigham’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts, representing Brigham and Women’s for Mass General Brigham United Against Racism.

An accomplished health care executive, Dr. Eappen was named Interim President of Brigham and Women’s from March 2021 to December 2021, when a permanent candidate was selected. He is the author of numerous published articles and a national speaker on topics including optimizing OR efficiency, surgical checklist implementation and change management. The UVM Health Network search committee cited Dr. Eappen’s track record of coalition building, deep experience in academic medicine and commitment to equity among the many reasons he emerged as a top candidate.

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