The University of Utah Health has named Josef Stehlik, MD, MPH, as the inaugural Chief Medical Officer and Executive Director of the Solid Organ Transplant Care Line, effective August 16, 2026, following a national search. This newly created role marks a key step in advancing a more integrated, patient-centered model of care designed to better align teams, reduce fragmentation, improve access, and create a more consistent experience across the continuum of care. The Solid Organ Transplant Care Line is the first of several care lines being developed across the health system.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity to help shape a model of care that is truly centered on patients,” said Dr. Stehlik. “Transplant care exemplifies multidisciplinary medicine at the highest level, and the care line approach brings teams together around a shared commitment to delivering coordinated, high-quality care. I believe this structure has the potential to serve as a national model while supporting research and education in an academic health system.”

Dr. Stehlik is the Christi T. Smith Professor of Medicine, Co-Chief of the Advanced Heart Failure section, and Medical Director of the Heart Transplant Program at University of Utah Health and the VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System. An internationally recognized leader in heart failure and transplantation, he has authored more than 350 peer-reviewed publications and served as President of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. In his new role, he will partner with clinical and administrative leaders to strengthen collaboration across transplant programs, advance quality and outcomes, expand access, and support continued growth, innovation, research, and education. 

This appointment was announced by University of Utah Health leadership, including CEO Bob S. Carter, MD, PhD; System Chief Clinical Officer Sam Finlayson, MD, MPH, MBA; and System Associate Chief Clinical Officer and Chief Medical Officer Erica Bisson, MD, MPH.