UW News

March 28, 2001

Kathleen Sellick named executive director of UW Medical Center

Dr. Paul G. Ramsey, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the University of Washington School of Medicine, announced today the appointment of Kathleen Sellick as executive director of University of Washington Medical Center.

Sellick has been serving as acting executive director since late September, following the death of Robert H. Muilenburg, who had been the medical center’s administrative leader for 22 years.

“Kathleen Sellick quickly earned the respect and admiration of her many new colleagues when she joined UW Medical Center just two years ago,” Ramsey said. “She possesses an outstanding blend of strong business and administrative acumen, combined with exceptional skills in working well with people: exactly what is needed to lead this great hospital into its future as a continuing regional treasure.”

Sellick joined UWMC in January 1999 as associate executive director and chief operating officer. Her accomplishments at UWMC include leading the senior leadership team in the establishment of a comprehensive planning system for the medical center, reorganization of key functional areas and the successful transition of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance bone marrow and stem cell adult patient units to UW Medical Center. Under her leadership the medical center increased its operating margin by 52 percent in fiscal year 2000 compared to 1999.

“I’m deeply honored to be chosen as UWMC’s executive director,” Sellick said. “This is truly one of America’s best hospitals. I’m inspired every day by the outstanding work of our staff and the UW physicians who provide such excellent care for our patients.”

Before coming to Seattle, Sellick served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, Calif. for four years. Earlier, she was vice president/administration and director of outreach development for Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, Calif., where she served for eight years.

Sellick also worked at American Medical International in Beverly Hills, Calif., Westgate Medical Center in Denton, Texas, and was an administrative resident at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

A Phoenix native, Sellick is a graduate of Arizona State University and received her MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

Sellick and her husband, Phil, are parents of a 4-year-old daughter, Grace.

The 450-bed UW Medical Center is widely regarded as one of the nation’s top medical centers, as reflected in surveys of best hospitals, best doctors and nursing excellence, and annual research funding received by its faculty members. UWMC was ranked 13th among 1,701 hospitals in the nation last year by U.S. News & World Report.

In addition, UW Medical Center is the leading provider of highly specialized care of patients and consulting services to physicians in the five-state region known as WWAMI–Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho–served by the UW School of Medicine.