The University of Utah Health’s new chief is a veteran brain surgeon, educator, health care administrator — and a BYU graduate.

On Tuesday, the state’s flagship university announced that Dr. Bob S. Carter will be the new CEO of University of Utah Health and the school’s senior vice president for health sciences. He begins his duties at the university in mid-February 2025.

“With his own history of research and clinical excellence, Dr. Carter brings a unique ability to run an academic medical center going through exceptional growth and institutional change,” said University of Utah President Taylor Randall in a university release.

“With his leadership, we will ensure University of Utah Health continues to innovate, educate and provide high quality, responsive health care.”

Carter will reportedly manage both the academic and research enterprises at University of Utah Health, with its nearly $500 million research portfolio across five schools and colleges and a health sciences library, according to the release.

He will also oversee a $6.3 billion academic health system comprised of nearly 27,000 faculty and staff, and 6,400 students.

Carter will be charged with integrating the clinical enterprise of 3,700-member faculty and 17 hospitals and community health centers.

“University of Utah Health, and its dedicated faculty, staff and students, are at a unique inflection point,” Carter said in the university release.

“I am impressed by what they have accomplished already as a team. And I am particularly drawn to the vision of the University of Utah as a public university striving to improve every person’s life, and U. of U. Health’s shared missions of leading-edge health care, curing through discovery and enlightening tomorrow’s leaders.”

Much awaits the new leader

According to the university, Carter will be responsible for completing several in-process projects — including dedicating a new Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine Building in 2026; launching the West Valley City Hospital and Health Center; and opening several new Huntsman Cancer Institute and Huntsman Mental Health Institute facilities.

“I expect Dr. Carter to help us make the case to state lawmakers, donors and others for accelerating the growth and achievement of the University of Utah’s world class medical discovery, health care education and patient care,” said Randall.

Carter currently serves as the William and Elizabeth Sweet Endowed Professor in Neuroscience at Harvard Medical School and Neurosurgeon-In-Chief at Mass General Brigham, Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

He also has almost two decades of experience as a researcher and professor of neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School, and another seven years at the University of California, San Diego, where he served as chair of the faculty of the school of medicine.

A neurosurgical oncologist, Carter has also served as co-director of the Moores Cancer Center Brain Tumor Program at UC San Diego and the Brain Tumor Program at Mass General.

Carter brings to the University of Utah a rich history in health care administration, according to the news release.

He helped launch the integration of academic and clinical teams at Massachusetts General with Brigham and Women’s Hospital earlier this year. Carter previously served as the clinical director of the UC San Diego Neurological Institute, a co-founder of Mass General Neuroscience, and as a member of the UC San Diego Health Board of Governors.

Carter received his medical degree and a doctorate in epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University in 1992. He claimed a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Brigham Young University in 1986.

Carter replaces Mike Good, who spent almost seven years at the helm of University of Utah Health.

During Good’s tenure, the system nearly doubled its budget, added a hospital and community health center and recruited nearly 8,000 new faculty, staff and students. Meanwhile, patient visits increased by 25% and research funding grew from $356 million to $492 million, according to the university.

Randall saluted Good’s “steady and calm leadership”.

“Mike Good has been an extraordinarily perceptive and effective partner in the effort to guide this institution forward through times of transition, the global COVID-19 pandemic and unprecedented growth,” Randall said. “I am so grateful for his wisdom, patience and calm counsel. His leadership leaves us well-positioned to continue this effort.”