Rothman Orthopaedic Institute’s CEO is out after just two years at the helm

Just two years after being tapped as chief executive of the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, Christopher Olivia is leaving the Philadelphia-based physician practice, Rothman spokesperson Alexandria Hammond said Thursday.

Ed Tufaro, Rothman’s senior vice president of operations since 2018, has taken over as interim CEO.

In a two-paragraph statement emailed to the Inquirer, Hammond wrote that Rothman wished Olivia “all the best on his future business successes,” while describing Tufaro as a leader who “embodies the mission, vision and values” of the institute. The Philadelphia Business Journal first reported Olivia’s departure, which comes on the heels of financial challenges following the pandemic.

Earlier this month, Rothman laid off 18 people in corporate service roles as part of a restructuring effort.

“Health care is in the midst of dramatic changes in the post-pandemic world that are the most far reaching since Rothman was founded 53 years ago,” Olivia said in a statement in early March. “In response to spiraling costs, inflation and our need to decrease organizational expenses, we’ve implemented measures to streamline organizational efficiencies.”

Olivia, an ophthalmologist who received his medical degree at Hahnemann University, assumed the leadership role at Rothman in April 2021. He had replaced longtime CEO Mike West, who retired.

Olivia arrived at Rothman as it embarked on a dramatic expansion. A month earlier, Rothman had announced a five-year partnership to bring its orthopedic services to CarePoint Health’s hospitals in Hoboken and Jersey City, both in North Jersey.

When Olivia joined as CEO, Rothman president Alexander Vaccaro described him as “the right leader” to take the institute “to the next level.” Rothman officials at the time credited Olivia with the financial turnaround of Cooper University Health Care and the creation of the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in New Jersey.

Rothman, which is affiliated with Jefferson Health, has roughly 1,800 employees across more than 40 locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Florida. It does not disclose revenues but says it is the largest private orthopedic practice in the United States, ranked by the number of doctors.

At the onset of the pandemic, Rothman avoided permanent layoffs after state-imposed bans on elective surgeries, such as joint replacements, prompted an 85% drop in patient caseloads, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported.

Rothman’s doctors continued to perform emergency and urgent surgeries. The practice used telemedicine to maintain contact with existing patients — and even bring on new patients — when elective surgeries were suspended during the pandemic.