President and CEO Larry Levine Announces Plan to Step Down
After 23 years as President and Chief Executive Officer of Blythedale Children’s Hospital, and nearly 50 years in health care, Larry Levine has announced that he will step down from his position at the end of 2025.
“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to lead this extraordinary hospital, and work alongside a tirelessly dedicated team that shares my passion for improving the health and quality of life of medically fragile infants and children,” said Levine. “For more than two decades I have been endlessly inspired by the courage and determination of our young patients and their families. We’ve accomplished so much on their behalf and now I look forward to passing the torch to a new CEO, to build on our work and take Blythedale to new heights.”
Under Levine’s leadership, the Hospital transformed from a pediatric rehabilitation center into a specialty children’s hospital treating hundreds of medically fragile and complex children a year. During this time, the Hospital invested $170 million to expand and modernize its facilities, acquire state-of-the art technology and patient-care equipment, and rebuild the infrastructure, including:
Construction of a 94-bed replacement inpatient hospital and the 24-bed Steven and Alexandra Cohen Pediatric Long Term Care Pavilion, and
Expansion of a new Simulation Lab and Training Center for caregivers, the Milton Spahn Therapy Village, the Robert Stone Day Hospital, the Stavros Niarchos Center for Speech Pathology and Audiology, and a new state-of-the art pharmacy
In addition to transforming the physical plant, Levine conceptualized and implemented numerous path-breaking and transformational programs, including:
A Health Home program that provides comprehensive care management services to vulnerable families in the community,
An Assistive Technology Center of Excellence, unlocking the worlds of children with profound communication and mobility challenges,
An innovative caregiver education program that trains parents to care for their medically complex child and to ultimately bring them home, and
A free legal clinic in collaboration with NYLAG to ensure that patient families have access to legal support for issues that impact their child’s health status and well-being
Levine has also served as a tireless public policy advocate, listening to the concerns of parents of sick children, creating programs to meet their unique needs, and advocating for federal and state policies to improve access to high-quality pediatric health care. Leveraging compelling data and information, Levine has garnered robust bipartisan support for these vital initiatives and his efforts have resulted in three pieces of legislation that were signed into law.
“Larry Levine has been a visionary for Blythedale Children’s Hospital,” said Blythedale Children’s Hospital Board Chair Scott Levy. “His commitment to raising the bar on the quality and delivery of specialized health care is unparalleled, and he has been tireless in developing innovative solutions to improve the lives of not only our patients, but their families as well. His focus on financial stewardship has put Blythedale on strong footing and, as we embark on this next chapter, well prepared to continue investing in mission-critical program development to address the unmet needs of medically fragile children. We thank Larry for his unwavering dedication to ensuring the strength and stability of Blythedale.”
The Board of Trustees will engage a prominent executive search firm and conduct a nationwide search for the next leader of Blythedale Children’s Hospital.
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