NYC Gazette

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) has announced the appointment of Christopher Dunleavy as its new Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective January 2, 2025. Dunleavy will succeed Stacey Malakoff, who is set to retire in 2025 after nearly four decades with HSS. Malakoff will assist with the transition as Senior Advisor until the end of December 2025.

Dunleavy brings extensive experience from his previous roles as CFO at major healthcare systems including Brigham Health in Boston, Baylor Health in Dallas, and USMD Holdings, Inc. He also serves as a lecturer on Healthcare Economics at Harvard University. The search for a new CFO began in June this year and was conducted by Spencer Stuart.

Bryan T. Kelly, MD, MBA, president and CEO of HSS stated, “Chris was the consensus recommendation of the search committee following a process that identified five exceptional and diverse finalists.” Dr. Kelly expressed confidence in Dunleavy's ability to lead HSS's Finance function amid evolving musculoskeletal care needs.

The search committee consisted of 28 members including physicians, executives, and Board members. Dr. Kelly noted that the process highlighted the strength within HSS's Finance leadership team.

Dunleavy remarked on his new role saying, “I cannot imagine a greater opportunity for me to impact on the field of medicine.” He emphasized leveraging HSS’s expertise in musculoskeletal health to embrace new opportunities within healthcare.

Douglas E. Padgett, MD, Surgeon-in-Chief and Medical Director at HSS praised the collaborative nature of the selection process initiated by Dr. Kelly when he assumed leadership at HSS. Padgett noted that shared leadership between medical and executive teams fosters better decision-making and alignment towards advancing excellence.