NY hospital executive named president for merged Beaumont/Spectrum health system

A president has been named for the Beaumont Health arm of BHSH Health, the system recently created from the merger of Metro Detroit's Beaumont Health and the Spectrum Health system in west Michigan.  

Dr. Benjamin Schwartz — a senior vice president and a physician executive for the eastern region of Northwell Health, a 23-hospital health system based in New York City — will become president of BHSH Beaumont Health on July 5, Beaumont announced Wednesday. 

“In the search for the new president of BHSH Beaumont Health, we were looking for a leader with the proven ability to drive excellence, a strong developer of teams and culture, a dynamic communicator, and a strategic and systems thinker. Dr. Schwartz exemplifies these qualities,” said BHSH President and CEO Tina Freese Decker in a statement.  

“He is a visionary health care leader with a passion for taking health care into the future. He is also committed to fostering and inspiring a vibrant culture for our team at BHSH Beaumont Health, and for leading this team toward our bold vision.”

Beaumont and Spectrum announced their merger in January following approval by the Federal Trade Commission. The temporarily named BHSH System is expected to have a combined 22 hospitals, 305 outpatient locations and 64,000 employees, according to the health systems.

Beaumont has eight hospitals and 33,000 employees in Metro Detroit, while Spectrum dominates the west Michigan market with 14 hospitals and 31,000 workers. 

Beaumont Health Board chair Julie Fream was named the BHSH System board chair, while Decker, formerly the president and CEO of Spectrum Health, was named president and CEO of the newly created BHSH System.

In his New York position, Schwartz was responsible for hundreds of practices, six acute care hospitals and a behavioral health hospital, according to a press release.  He is also an associate professor at several institutions and serves on the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Dallas. 

“Beaumont Health has a reputation for excellence in clinical care, quality, education and research, with admired physicians, nurses and other team members,” Schwartz said in the press release.

“The potential to advance their work and to chart a path forward with the BHSH System and BHSH Beaumont Health leadership team is exciting. I am honored to have been selected for this role and look forward to collaborating to achieve the vision of health made simple, affordable, equitable and exceptional.”

Schwartz completed his undergraduate degree at Dartmouth College and his medical degree at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He earned a master's in healthcare management from Harvard University. He is board certified in gynecologic oncology, and obstetrics and gynecology.

According to the release, Schwartz is widely published and invited to lecture and present on a variety of clinical topics, and has been named a New York “Top Doctor” in Gynecologic Oncology for the past six years.

kbouffard@detroitnews.com