Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA), a national network of five cancer hospitals, today announced that Nancy G. Hesse, MSN, RN has been named President and CEO of its Eastern Regional Medical Center (Eastern) in Philadelphia, Pa., effective immediately. Hesse previously served as Interim President and CEO since February 2016, and before that as Chief Nursing Executive for CTCA® and Chief Nursing Officer at Eastern.

"Since joining CTCA in 2014 as Chief Nursing Officer, Nancy has shown an unwavering commitment to enhancing our care delivery model and overall clinical excellence," said Raj Garg, MD, JD, President and Chief Executive Officer of CTCA. "Her steadfast dedication to patients and Stakeholders (employees) alike has been especially evident as Nancy has served as the Interim President and CEO, and we are thrilled for her to continue to lead the Eastern community in delivering clinical excellence that is innovative, integrative and patient-centered."

Hesse brings more than 30 years of nursing leadership experience to her new role at CTCA. As Chief Nursing Executive for the entire health system, she was instrumental in aligning nursing practices with operational excellence, patient safety and quality. She advocated for her nurses throughout CTCA as the first Chief Nursing Executive to have a seat on the national board, and led highly successful quality and safety improvement initiatives. Her leadership of the CTCA national care management call center resulted in performance that consistently exceeds national benchmarks.

"I am honored to continue to serve CTCA, our Stakeholders, patients and families, as I take on the role of President and CEO, and I am humbled by the legacy of leadership before me. From the moment I joined CTCA, I have been inspired by our mission to keep patients at the center of our model of care." said Hesse. "Our award-winning team of talented Stakeholders works around the clock to provide exceptional care to our patients and their families. Together, we are committed to identifying and delivering the most innovative treatment options and personalized care possible."

Hesse joined CTCA in 2014 after a long tenure at Abington Memorial Hospital. She began her career as a staff nurse in the Emergency Trauma Center and advanced to become the Director of Emergency Trauma and then Chief Nursing Officer for Abington – Lansdale Hospital. She was instrumental in transforming patient satisfaction, shared governance, collaborative physician nurse leadership and patient safety.

A devoted Philadelphian, Hesse graduated from Abington High School, earned a bachelor's degree in nursing from Widener University and a master's degree in nursing leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Organization of Nurse Executives, and serves on the board of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. A strong advocate for clinical research, she has facilitated nursing involvement in presenting abstracts on exceptional outcomes and quality improvement at major national conferences, including the Oncology Nursing Society Congress, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and Society of Critical Care Medicine. In January 2016, Hesse was named one of Becker's Hospital Review's "Women Leaders to Know," and was recently named a finalist for the 2016 Nurse.com GEM Mid-Atlantic Award for Excellence in Executive Leadership.

About Cancer Treatment Centers of America®

Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA), headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla., is a national network of five hospitals that serves adult patients who are fighting cancer. CTCA® offers an integrative approach to care that combines advancements in genomic testing and precision cancer treatment, surgery, radiation, immunotherapy and chemotherapy, with evidence-informed supportive therapies designed to help patients physically and emotionally by enhancing their quality of life while managing side effects both during and after treatment. CTCA serves patients from around the world at its hospitals in Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Tulsa. Consistently rated among U.S. hospitals that deliver the highest quality of care and patient experience, CTCA provides patients and their families with comprehensive information about their treatment options and encourages their active participation in treatment decisions. For more information, visit cancercenter.com, Facebook.com/cancercenter and Twitter.com/cancercenter.