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Michael Stern is Named Next President and CEO of Tower Health

Important Announcement: Leadership Transition

With Tower Health positioned on a path to financial stability and showing significant signs of healing, the Board of Directors is pleased to announce an upcoming leadership transition.

P. Sue Perrotty, who guided our financial turnaround, has chosen to return to the Tower Health Board of Directors. Her final day as Tower Health CEO will be February 23, 2025 – a full-circle moment as the date will mark the fourth anniversary of her tenure.

Michael Stern, FACHE, has been promoted to Tower Health President and CEO, effective February 24, 2025. Michael, who currently serves as Tower Health President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), will oversee the next stage of Tower Health’s progress, including implementing our three-year strategic plan and new Tower Experience initiative.

Meet Michael

"I am honored to lead this organization of compassionate caregivers and physicians. I am deeply grateful to the Board for their unwavering support, and I thank Sue for being an incredible partner and mentor."

Learn more about Michael, who loves Yoda quotes, action movies, and a good cup of coffee.

Learn More

Sue assumed the President and CEO role at an extremely difficult time for Tower Health, after several years of substantial losses due to an aggressive expansion and the impacts of COVID. It was meant to be a temporary role, but she generously agreed to remain for several years to ensure we could stabilize our health system and rebuild a solid foundation.

Sue has led with integrity, compassion, and transparency. Her banking expertise and calm, compassionate approach have been instrumental in helping us to identify opportunities for continuous improvement. She has successfully solidified our leadership team, restored internal and external confidence in Tower Health, created an environment of colleague collaboration, and placed the organization on a path to financial stability.

In addition to the Tower Health Board of Directors, Sue will remain a member of the Reading Hospital Foundation Board of Directors, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children Foundation Board of Directors, and St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children Parent Board. We thank Sue for her tremendous impact and steady leadership, and we are grateful that she will continue to support Tower Health through her board service.

Message from Meg Mueller, Tower Health Board Chair

We are excited about Tower Health’s future and confident that Michael’s leadership will guide the organization toward continued growth, success, and service to our communities. With him at the helm, we are prepared for the next stage of Tower Health’s progress, including implementing a three-year strategic plan and launching our Tower Experience initiative.

We thank Sue Perrotty for her commitment and dedication to Tower Health, and we are grateful that she stepped in at an extremely challenging time. Her banking expertise and her humanistic approach were exactly what we needed to help us achieve financial stability, rebuild our leadership team, and restore confidence in our health system.

Michael joined Tower Health as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) in 2022, and he was promoted to President and COO earlier this year. Under his leadership, Tower Health has exceeded many established goals, demonstrated resilience, and adapted proactively to change. He embodies our organization’s mission and has been integral to our financial turnaround and renewed positive energy.

Michael has built strong relationships with the Board, the leadership team, and staff at every level. He will continue to focus on volume growth, workforce stability, workplace culture, leadership integration, and high-quality care that meets the needs of the communities we serve. He also recognizes the importance of genuine engagement and has developed activities designed to foster fun at work and connect employees to Tower’s success, including mantra contests, Spirit Week, and a Shark Tank business idea pitch competition.

As Michael transitions into his new role, he will work closely with Sue to ensure a smooth leadership transition, and the Board of Directors will share more about our transition planning this month. There will be opportunities for you to meet Michael if you have not already, and the board will also begin planning a special recognition to celebrate Sue and her contributions.

Thank you for your continued support of Tower Health. We are proud of the clinical care and quality we provide, and we are excited about our future as we establish continued growth and long-term sustainability for Tower Health in 2025 and beyond.