Regina Cunningham Named CEO of Hospital of University of Pennsylvania

Regina Cunningham, PhD, RN

Regina Cunningham, PhD, RN

Regina Cunningham, PhD, RN, has been appointed chief executive officer of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Medicine has announced.

Cunningham will be leaving her current role as chief nursing executive of University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) to assume this new role.

Cunningham joined Penn Medicine in 2011 as associate chief nursing officer of Cancer Services at the Abramson Cancer Center (ACC). She then served as chief administrative officer of the ACC cancer service line before assuming her most recent position in 2013. Cunningham has also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing since April 2012.

“Regina’s ability to lead across many areas and her deep understanding of hospital operations, especially the role of nursing, were key factors in this appointment,” said Ralph W. Muller, chief executive officer of UPHS, in a statement. “As we embark on greater integration of service lines across the hospitals and physician practices, and continuously focus on quality, we are confident Regina’s thoughtful leadership, collaborative style, and expertise in administrative matters will serve as the Health System well.”

Prior to joining Penn Medicine, Cunningham served as both senior director of oncology and nursing research at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. She earned a bachelor of science in nursing from the College of Mount Saint Vincent, a master of arts in nursing from New York University, and a doctorate in nursing from University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Yale University.