Newswise — DUARTE, California — Renowned health care leader Glenn D. Steele Jr., M.D., Ph.D., the recent past president and chief executive officer of Geisinger Health System, will join the City of Hope board of directors beginning Jan. 1, 2016. Known for his innovations in health care delivery, Steele is considered a pioneer in creating high-quality, value-based care, evidence-based standards and accountability. City of Hope is an independent biomedical research institute and comprehensive cancer center renowned for its translational research and breakthrough discoveries, including the technology behind synthetic human insulin and many of the world’s top-selling cancer drugs. Steele is currently chair of xG Health Solutions, an independently operated venture that promotes the advances and models developed at Geisinger, one of the nation’s largest integrated health systems. Under his leadership, Geisinger’s innovations included effective use of technology to continually coordinate, assess and improve care, as well as new models of payment and delivery, all with an emphasis on high quality and efficient use of resources. “We are extremely pleased to welcome Glenn to the City of Hope board of directors,” said City of Hope President and CEO Robert W. Stone. “He is widely respected for his vision, innovation and commitment to improving care delivery in a rapidly transforming health care environment. City of Hope will benefit from his experience as we continue to advance our own legacy of innovation and embark on a new era of value and accountability.” Steele is a former dean of the Division of Biological Sciences and the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago, where he also served as vice president for medical affairs and as the Richard T. Crane Professor in the Department of Surgery. Prior to that, he held leadership positions at Harvard Medical School, where he was the William V. McDermott Professor of Surgery, and at New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston, where he was Chairman of the Department of Surgery. He also served as president and CEO of Deaconess Professional Practice Group. “Glenn’s clinical leadership and proven experience in transforming a major integrated health care system will bring a new depth of expertise to the City of Hope board of directors,” said Chair Norman C. Payson, M.D. “On behalf of the board, I extend him a warm and enthusiastic welcome.” Steele has been honored for his visionary leadership and impact on policy and practice in health care. His awards include the American Hospital Association’s Grassroots Champion Award, the Health Research and Education Trust Award and the National Center for Healthcare Leadership’s Gail L. Warden Healthcare Leadership Award. He has been repeatedly named by Modern Healthcare as one of the “Most Powerful People in Healthcare.” “I am extremely honored to be joining the board of directors of City of Hope at this important time in health care,” Steele said. “As a national leader both in biomedical research and in leading-edge cancer treatment, City of Hope plays a vital role in transforming the future of health.” A physician and researcher, Steele is widely recognized for his study of primary and metastatic liver cancer and of colorectal cancer surgery. He has authored or co-authored almost 500 scientific and professional articles on health care delivery and financing, as well as the cell biology of gastrointestinal cancer and precancer. Steele is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is a member of the American Surgical Association, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and past president of the Society of Surgical Oncology. Steele received his bachelor’s degree in history and literature from Harvard College and his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency in surgery at the University of Colorado, where he was also a fellow of the American Cancer Society. He earned his doctorate in microbiology at Lund University in Sweden.