Penn Med CFO Julia Puchtler named Health System executive vice president

Penn Medicine has named Julia Puchtler its next executive vice president and chief financial officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

In a Sept. 10 announcement, the Health System said Puchtler, who has served as senior vice president and chief financial officer since 2024, will continue overseeing UPHS finances. In her new role, she will take on additional responsibility guiding Penn Med’s strategic direction.

“It is a privilege to work alongside colleagues who are deeply committed to Penn Medicine’s mission and the communities we serve,” Puchtler wrote in the announcement. “I look forward to continuing our work to steward our resources responsibly, navigate the challenges ahead, and create the financial foundation that allows our teams to advance care, discovery, and education.”

Puchtler’s duties now include “executive leadership for the revenue cycle, corporate finance, financial operations and budgeting, billing compliance, and supply chain and procurement functions," according to the announcement.

In the release, UPHS CEO Kevin Mahoney described Puchtler as an “exceptional leader and trusted advisor,” and praised her work “during a period of extraordinary change and complexity across healthcare.”

“Her strategic vision, sound judgment, and deep commitment to our mission have strengthened Penn Medicine’s position and helped ensure that we can continue investing in our people and the patient care, research, and education that define our organization,” Mahoney added.

Jonathan Epstein, who serves as dean of the Perelman School of Medicine and executive vice president of UPHS, wrote that Puchtler “combines exceptional financial expertise with a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing academic medicine.”

“Her leadership has been instrumental in ensuring that Penn Medicine can continue making strategic investments that support both the clinical enterprise and our research and education missions,” he continued.

Prior to becoming the chief financial officer of UPHS in 2024, Puchtler served as chief financial officer for the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She joined Penn Med in 2015.

Earlier this year, Puchtler spoke to The Daily Pennsylvanian about Penn Med’s expansion into telehealth services. She also discussed how financial responsibility entails balancing projects that generate a return on investment with those that do not.

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