Cofield Named to New Senior Operations Position at UK HealthCare
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 30, 2015) ̶ Robert “Bo” Cofield has been named vice president/chief clinical operating officer (CCOO) at UK HealthCare effective mid-August. He currently serves as associate vice president for hospital and clinics operations at University of Virginia Medical Center.
In this newly created position at UK HealthCare, Cofield will lead clinical operations for the UK HealthCare enterprise and will be accountable for the operations of UK HealthCare hospitals, managed facilities, ambulatory and provider-based clinics, off-campus and outreach clinics, ancillary services, and the infrastructure to support such operations, including information management and technology.
In addition, he will be a member of an executive leadership team that includes Mark Birdwhistell, vice president for administration and external affairs; Murray Clark, senior vice president for health affairs and chief financial officer; and Dr. Frederick de Beer, vice president for clinical academic affairs and dean of the College of Medicine.
"As we prepare to operationalize our newly developed strategic plan, we will look to Cofield to lead our key strategic activities in quality and safety, operational efficiency and effectiveness, patient centeredness and the creation of a service line structure," said Dr. Michael Karpf, UK executive vice president for health affairs. "He will also be responsible for building upon our achievements in ambulatory care by leading the effort around our ambulatory strategy as well as the crucial work that must be done to prepare us for value-based health care delivery. With the assistance of key partners from within the physician, clinical operations, nursing leadership and finance areas, he will serve on an interdisciplinary team to help benchmark our clinical measures and cost structure in order to drive reductions in clinical variation and improve operating efficiency."
In his current role at UVA, which he has held since February 2010, Cofield has been responsible for the effective management of the UVA Medical Center’s clinical services and operations. He also has directed implementation of the strategic direction of the UVA Health System within the hospital and clinics. He arrived at the UVA Medical Center after serving 10 years in a variety of roles within the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Health System, including chief operating officer of UAB Highlands Hospital and associate vice president of the 908-bed University of Alabama Hospital.
“As I’ve followed your growth at UK HealthCare,” Cofield said, “I recognized a similar focus as my own on the delivery of high-quality, cost-efficient patient care within a culture of patient safety and employee engagement. I believe in both the development and recognition of excellent service, and I see in the people of UK HealthCare a similar commitment to exceptional care and service to meet the very real health care needs of the people of Kentucky.”
Cofield completed an administrative fellowship at Tulane University Hospital and Clinics and received the Master of Health Administration and Doctor of Public Health degrees in health systems management from the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. He is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He has been active in his local community and has served on the boards of several area nonprofits and community organizations.