David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, president of the Medical University of South Carolina, and board chair for Health Sciences South Carolina (HSSC), announced that HSSC president and chief executive officer Helga Rippen, M.D., Ph.D., MPH, FACPM, is stepping down to pursue other business and professional opportunities. Rippen joined HSSC in March 2015 to lead the "first in the nation" statewide healthcare research collaborative composed of health systems, universities and medical schools.
During Rippen’s tenure, HSSC received such notable awards as a $3.8 million grant from BlueCross BlueShield South Carolina Foundation to fund a critical surgical safety research collaborative, as well as $15.3 million from The Duke Endowment Awards to advance a South Carolina-North Carolina health collaborative.
"The board appreciates the contributions Dr. Rippen has made and we wish her all the best as she moves her career in a new direction," Cole said.
Rippen’s resignation is effective immediately. A search committee will be formed to develop a pool of accomplished candidates from which the next HSSC president and CEO will emerge.
