University Medical Center CEO John Nickens will leave his position at the end of July to become the next CEO of Phoenix Children’s Hospital, he said Tuesday. He will be succeeded by Tom Patrias, UMC’s current chief operating officer and former CEO of Tulane Health System.
Nickens, who previously led Manning Family Children’s, said the move is about a personal goal to return to pediatric care.
“I’ve loved my time in New Orleans, and I certainly love this adventure with UMC,” he said. “But I always kind of wanted to finish my career at a children’s hospital.”
Patrias has worked alongside Nickens at UMC through nursing strikes and several rounds of contract negotiations with National Nurses United, the union representing more than 600 nurses at the hospital. The group, which voted to unionize at the end of 2023, began its latest 2-day strike on Tuesday…