Johns Hopkins radiology chair steps down, Philips renews CEO contract, plus more leadership moves
Karen M. Horton, MD, is stepping down as chair of the Johns Hopkins department of radiology, one of several recent leadership moves across the specialty.
She first took over as head of the noted, Baltimore-based institution’s imaging division in 2017 after previously holding several other leadership roles. Horton is leaving the position after overseeing an “impressive” era of growth, Hopkins said in an announcement.
Neuroradiologist Jenny Hoang, MBBS, MHS, MBA, took over as interim director of the department effective Feb. 2 with plans to build on the department’s “history of success.”
“We will continue to advance our clinical excellence, research impact and educational mission while reinforcing a shared sense of purpose as a department,” Hoang said in a statement. “We intend to keep building, growing, and improving together.”
Horton attended Hopkins’ medical school, completing a radiology residency and fellowship before eventually becoming an assistant professor in 1998. She was later named an associate in 2002 and the 144th female professor at Hopkins in 2008. Her tenure also included stints as radiology residency program director (2009), vice chair of operations (2014) and executive vice chair (2015).
Hoang, meanwhile, originally hails from Australia, moving to America to complete fellowships in neuro imaging and cardiothoracic radiology at Duke. There, she ascended to an associate professor role while also serving as head of the Grand Rounds Committee and director of head and neck radiology.
She later joined Hopkins in 2019, eventually being promoted to full professorship. Hoang has held several other leadership roles including medical director of imaging, vice chair of radiology enterprise integration, and interim division chief of breast imaging. She has published over 130 peer reviewed papers and is a highly regarded lecture, Hopkins noted.
She plans to focus on improving patient care, training and research in the new role.
Philips renews CEO contract
Philips is proposing to renew the contract of President and CEO Roy Jakobs, a reflection of the progress he’s made over the last four years and confidence in his leadership.
The Amsterdam-based imaging systems manufacturer announced the decision Tuesday, which still requires approval by shareholders at a forthcoming meeting May 8. Jakobs ascended to CEO in October 2022, taking over for Frans van Houten after the end of his third term. He’s been with the imaging firm for over 15 years, joining Philips as chief marketing and strategy officer in 2010, according to LinkedIn.
“Roy Jakobs has demonstrated clear leadership, strong execution and a relentless focus on strengthening Philips amid an uncertain macro environment,” Feike Sijbesma, chairman of the Supervisory Board of Royal Philips, said in a statement Feb. 10.
During his tenure, Jakobs has helped oversee the high-profile recall of Respironics respiratory care products while also bolstering the company’s patient safety culture. He’s also adapted Philips’ supply chain operations to respond to tariffs, focused its culture on growth and performance, increased profit margins and helped build a “robust balance sheet, Sijbesma added.
“The Supervisory Board is confident that Roy is the right leader to continue guiding Philips with ongoing focus and accountability to create long-term sustainable value for all stakeholders,” he said.
The announcement comes after Philips also revealed its 2025 earnings results on Tuesday. It saw comparable-order intake rise 6% last year, with group sales of nearly $21.2 billion (USD), up 2% year over year. Income from operations was approximately $1.7 billion, with adjusted margins increasing 80 basis points, to 12.3% of sales in 2025.
NYU Langone names radiation oncology chair
The New York University Grossman School of Medicine on Monday named a new chair of radiation oncology.
Daniel Gomez, MD, MBA, will take on the role, joining NYU from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC. There, he served as an attending physician, director of thoracic radiation oncology and vice chair of clinical operations for the department.
Gomez succeeds renowned RO specialist Alec C. Kimmelman, MD, PhD, who last year was named as the new CEO and dean of the organization.
"Dr. Gomez is an exceptional physician and researcher who is passionate about bringing research insights into his care of patients," Oren Cahlon, MD, chief clinical officer at NYU Langone, said in a statement Feb. 9. "His proven leadership skills and experience in the field of radiation therapy makes him a key part of our commitment to offering the best outcomes for our patients."
Gomez completed his RO residency at Memorial Sloan Kettering, later working at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. There, he rose to the rank of associate professor, holding leadership posts including thoracic RO section chief and chief medical director. He later returned to MSK as Manhattan service chief, director of thoracic radiation oncology and vice chair of clinical operations.
At NYU, he will lead multidisciplinary teams of investigators and physicians, seeking to deliver world-class research and innovative care to patients treated across the spectrum of cancer. He has specialized experience using radiation therapy for the treatment of oligometastatic cancer, also a key focus of his research.
“I am very honored to join NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center," Gomez said in a statement. "There is an incredible amount of energy and enthusiasm throughout the medical center, which is inspiring in the mission to improve cancer care for our patients.”
Lumexa Imaging leader joins RSNA board
Jennifer L. Kemp, chair of Lumexa Imaging’s Center for Quality, has been elected to the Radiological Society of North America Board of Directors.
The appointment continues a long list of leadership roles for the Denver-based physician. Kemp also is government liaison for the RSNA board, quality chair for Diversified Radiology and chief patient officer for Scanslated.
The latter is a software company that helps empower patients with easy-to-understand breakdowns of their radiology reports. Raleigh, North Carolina-based Lumexa (previously US Radiology Specialists) appointed Kemp to lead its quality center in January after she previously served as vice chair of quality and operations at the University of Colorado Anschutz medical campus.
“I'm honored to serve on the RSNA board and to take on the role of liaison for government relations at a pivotal time of growth in radiology," Kemp said in a statement Jan. 28. "Through my role with RSNA, I intend to help guide radiology in a direction that ensures patients continue to receive the highest quality of care while strengthening the voice of radiologists in shaping our future.”
Rapid fire
A few more leadership news items of note, in brief:
- The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging on Tuesday named Ken Herrmann, MD, MBA, as the next editor-in-chief of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. He is chair of nuclear medicine at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany and succeeds previous editor Johannes Czernin, MD, a UCLA professor.
- Jersey Medical Center has appointed Basil Hubbi, MD, as chair of its department of radiology. He joins the medical center as a RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group physician, “bringing a strong background” in clinical radiology, academic medicine and physician leadership, according to a Jan. 29 announcement.
- AdvaMed has named Rich Fabian, president and CEO of Fujifilm Sonosite, as the new chair of its Medical Imaging Division’s board of directors. He succeeds David Pacitti, CEO of Avanos Medical and former president and head of the Americas at Siemens Healthineers, who served as the inaugural division board chair, the medtech association announed Jan. 16.
- And finally, interventional radiology vendor Merit Medical has appointed F. Ann Millner, formerly its lead independent director, as chair of the company board, effective Jan. 5.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.