By Bill Levesque

A former executive at the largest not-for-profit health care system in Texas has been appointed as the new vice president/chief compliance and privacy officer at University of Florida Health.

Robert R. Michalski, who was vice president and chief compliance officer at Baylor Scott & White Health in Dallas, begins his new role today.

A chief compliance and privacy officer is a critical leadership position in any health care organization. Michalski’s responsibilities will include ensuring UF Health and its related entities are in compliance with the full breadth of laws, regulations and policies impacting the health system and patient privacy.

The post oversees compliance and privacy at all UF Health operations, including UF Health Shands in Gainesville, UF Health Jacksonville and UF Health Central Florida.

“I am delighted Bob is joining UF Health, and I believe he is a great match for a post that is at the core of all our operations,” said David R. Nelson, M.D., senior vice president for health affairs at UF and president of UF Health. “He is well-suited to continue our culture of compliance and ethical business practices that help make our brand one of the most trusted in medicine.”

Michalski worked at Baylor Scott & White Health, and a predecessor business, Baylor Health Care System, for more than a decade. The health system, which operates the Baylor University Medical Center, is one of the largest in the nation with 49,000 employees and 5,100 licensed beds. It includes 50 affiliated hospitals, 800 patient access points and a health insurance plan that includes about 359,000 members.

“Bob’s work in Texas at such a large and complex organization well prepares him for taking up the reins of compliance and privacy at UF Health,” said Ed Jimenez, CEO of UF Health Shands. “Working to put patients first is at the beating heart of our health system. This position is a big piece of making that happen. We’re excited about Bob’s arrival, and I am confident he will mesh well with our team.”

Among other previous posts, Michalski served as vice president and chief compliance officer of the former West Penn Allegheny Health System in Pittsburgh for nine years and director of patient financial services for more than three years before that.

“It is such an honor to join UF Health,” said Michalski. “I am so impressed by the commitment to integrity, ethics and compliance that exists at UF Health, which also aligns with my personal values. I am looking forward to collaborating with physicians, staff and management across the UF Health campuses to maintain and advance that culture of compliance. I am very excited for this opportunity and I am proud to be a part of such a leading and respected university health system.”

Michalski earned a master of health administration degree, graduating first in his class, and a bachelor of science degree in microbiology at The Ohio State University.