Penn Medicine, Philadelphia: Longtime Penn Presbyterian Medical Center Chief Nursing Officer Named University of Pennsylvania Health System Chief Nurse Executive
The University of Pennsylvania Health System has appointed James Ballinghoff, DNP, MBA, RN, as UPHS Chief Nurse Executive, a role which will be a major part of the system’s continued integration and transformation efforts across its six hospitals, home care enterprise, and dozens of ambulatory sites that provide care to patients from Lancaster, PA to Philadelphia to Princeton, NJ.
Ballinghoff, who has served as Chief Nursing Officer and Associate Executive Director at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center since 2012, will maintain his post there while taking on systemwide responsibilities, effective December 1, 2022. He will also work closely with colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, while continuing to serve as Assistant Dean for Clinical Practice.
“With a workforce of more than 11,000, the expertise of nurses is at the core of everything we do to care for patients. Over nearly 25 years at Penn Medicine, Jim has demonstrated exemplary commitment, growth, and leadership in both the nursing profession and for our patients,” said UPHS CEO Kevin B. Mahoney. “His vision has driven improvements in arenas including clinical processes and outcomes, patient and family experience, quality metrics, and nursing professional development, and we are thrilled for him to support our health system in this exciting and essential new role.”
During his tenure as Chief Nursing Office at PPMC, Ballinghoff led the hospital to two re-designations as a Magnet hospital – the highest credential designating nursing excellence – and served as a key leader in the transition of Penn Medicine’s Level 1 Trauma Center from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania to PPMC.
In his new position, Baillinghoff will lead efforts to standardize nursing practice and medical devices across UPHS, enhance the system’s emphasis on ensuring a safe and stimulating work environment, and promote effective, equitable care that improves outcomes and patient/family experience. To tackle this expanded portfolio across both inpatient and ambulatory operations, he will be appointing several additional nursing leaders to provide focus on informatics, advanced practice, professional development, and community practice.
As co-chair of the Penn Medicine Chief Nursing Officer Council since 2017, Ballinghoff has led efforts to align nursing practices and processes across Penn Medicine’s six hospitals, and he is recognized as a model interdisciplinary collaborator, building strong relationships with diverse professionals across the health system. In previous work at UPHS, he progressed from staff nurse and nurse manager at HUP into roles focused on quality improvement and regulatory compliance for Penn Home Care and Hospice Services before becoming director of Critical Care and Cardiology at PPMC.
Ballinghoff earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing as well as an MBA from LaSalle University, and his doctorate of nursing practice from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.