PORTLAND, Ore. — OHSU President Dr. Danny Jacobs is resigning, and the board will vote on his replacement on Friday.
Jacobs announced his retirement Thursday in an email to OHSU employees. In the email obtained by the Business Journal, Jacobs said he will stay on in an advisory role during the transition.
"After careful consideration and for personal reasons, I have informed Board Chair Chad Paulson of my intent to resign as president, effective upon the appointment of a successor," Jacobs wrote. "I have shared my recommendations on succession planning with him and fully intend to stay engaged in an advisory role during the transition. I am pleased to have had the opportunity to serve OHSU and the state of Oregon. My wife, Nancy, and I wish everyone the best of all things for the future."
In a separate email to OHSU employees obtained by the Business Journal, Paulson announced Jacob's replacement.
"After careful consideration of what is best for the university and its statewide mission, the OHSU Board of Directors will contemplate a resolution at the board meeting tomorrow to appoint Nate Selden, M.D., Ph.D., the next president of OHSU, effective immediately for a term of three years, upon approval," Paulson wrote in the email obtained by the Business Journal. "Dr. Selden will provide the stability the university needs at a time of great change, the experience necessary to successfully integrate with Legacy, and the leadership required to transform the future of OHSU."
Selden is the dean of OHSU School of Medicine, a position he's held for five months. He has been with OHSU for nearly 25 years. He's also the Mario and Edith Campagna Chair of Pediatric Neurological Surgery.
A spokesperson for OHSU confirmed both Jacobs' resignation and Selden's pending appointment.
The leadership transition comes as OHSU awaits state approval for its proposed merger with Legacy Health Systems. The merger would create the region's largest health system, with 12 hospitals, 100-plus locations and 30,000 employees.
In a September interview with the Business Journal, Jacobs said it was a "daunting task" but that it was a "once-in-a-generation opportunity."
Jacobs' six-year tenure has been turbulent. His contract was renewed in 2023 under a cloud of controversy. In 2020, the results of an eight-month investigation into OHSU's workplace culture found that there was "a significant amount of work to do," and this summer, OHSU announced layoffs amid ongoing financial struggles.
