Richard Lofgren, MD, inaugural president and CEO of Oklahoma City-based OU Health, will retire effective June 30.
OU Health’s board of directors announced the planned retirement in a Feb. 16 news release. Jonathan Curtright, MBA, MHA, the system’s current COO, will succeed Dr. Lofgren as president and CEO effective July 1, 2026, as part of a board-approved succession plan.
Dr. Lofgren has led OU Health since 2022, the year after OU Medicine hospitals and affiliated physicians merged to form the academic health system. He recruited Mr. Curtright in August 2022 to serve as COO.
Since 2022, OU Health’s annual revenue has increased from $1.9 billion and is trending toward $3.6 billion, according to the system. Admissions rose 22.3% over the same period, with nearly 1 million outpatient clinic visits recorded statewide.
The system also expanded its clinical workforce, recruiting a net 162 physician specialists. OU Health said operational gains were accompanied by improvements in care quality, including hospital-acquired infection rates and mortality outcomes.
“Arriving in Oklahoma to help establish the state’s flagship academic health system has been an honor,” Dr. Lofgren said in the release. “OU Health is well-positioned to advance and deliver the academic healthcare promise to Oklahomans for generations to come.”
During his tenure, OU Health also expanded key service lines, including a more than $200 million investment in pediatric heart services and growth of the Stephenson Cancer Center, the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center.
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