Penn has extended the contract of University of Pennsylvania Health System CEO Kevin Mahoney by four years.
Mahoney — who was first appointed in July 2019 — will head the Health System through June 2031. Under Mahoney’s leadership, Penn Medicine has expanded its reach across the Greater Philadelphia region, weathered a global pandemic, and launched multiple capital projects.
“It has been a privilege to serve the Penn Medicine mission for 30 years, and I’m honored to continue as CEO,” Mahoney wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “Penn Medicine is an extraordinary institution, defined by the talent and commitment of its people. Our clinicians and scientists are turning new ideas into care that improves lives today and sets the direction for what medicine can become. I’m profoundly grateful to be part of this community.”
Mahoney has worked for Penn Med since 1996, having previously served as the Health System’s executive vice president and chief administrative officer. His contract was originally set to expire next June.
Perelman School of Medicine Dean Jonathan Epstein announced the extension in an email to Medical School and Health System leaders on Thursday.
“Kevin has kept Penn Medicine moving forward despite a rapidly changing healthcare landscape by expanding access points, building a sustainable talent pipeline, and advocating for safer, more supportive care environments for clinicians and staff,” Epstein wrote.
The email, obtained by the DP, added that Mahoney has led Penn Med through new initiatives, such as the Repair–Refocus–Reimagine framework and the Penn Medicine Co-Investment Program, which supports the commercialization of academic research.
“During a pivotal moment for hospitals and health systems nationwide, Kevin offers clear direction and the discipline to act,” Epstein wrote. “With years of experience shaping health practice and policy alongside decision-makers and frontline leaders, he brings a pragmatic and optimistic perspective that benefits patients, providers, and the communities we serve.”
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Mahoney has overseen a number of capital projects, including the construction of the Pavilion at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, which opened in October 2021 and was later renamed the Clifton Center for Medical Breakthroughs.
In May 2023, Mahoney supervised the launch of a new crisis response center at HUP — Cedar Avenue, which he described as a commitment “to close the gaps in access to care and reverse the toll of mental health and substance use in Philadelphia.” The center’s opening came after Mercy Philadelphia Hospital closed its Cedar Avenue Crisis Response Center in March 2020.
Last April, Penn Med acquired Doylestown Health, integrating the Bucks County provider into its Health System. Doylestown Hospital — a 245-bed community teaching facility — became the system’s seventh hospital and the fourth located outside of Philadelphia.
The following month, Penn Med moved to expand access in Philadelphia’s northern suburbs by beginning construction on an outpatient center in Montgomeryville, set to open in late 2027.
Penn Med also broke ground on the $401 million Princeton Cancer Center last October, marking the largest expansion of Princeton Health since 2012. The center is expected to open in May 2028.
The Health System recently reported a $238 million operating profit in the first nine months of fiscal year 2026 — a 46% increase over the same period last year.
Penn Health System operating profits increased 15% in first nine months of fiscal year 2026
Penn places third in national ranking of biomedical research institutions
Staff reporter James Wan covers academic affairs and can be reached at wan@thedp.com. At Penn, he studies communication and computer science. Follow him on X @JamesWan__.
