The Board of Directors of Primary Health Network (PHN) is pleased to announce that George C. Garrow, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for the Network, has been appointed as its new Chief Executive Officer. PHN is one of the largest community health centers in Pennsylvania and the nation, providing access to both primary and specialty care services across 50 sites throughout 16 counties in Pennsylvania and one in Ohio.

He succeeds Thomas Burich, who has served for the past two years as PHN’s acting CEO. The Board extends its sincere appreciation to Burich for his hard work and diligence in taking the helm in 2020 and successfully navigating and fulfilling PHN’s mission of rendering important and necessary health care services to those in the communities that PHN serves.

Dr. Garrow was chosen as CEO after an extensive search involving dozens of external and internal applicants. He will assume the role on June 1, 2022.

"George is impassioned by his work," Burich said. "He brings a wealth of leadership experience, knowledge, and fortitude that can only assist in enriching and expanding the community health center mission." He vigorously led our COVID-19 and tele-health growth initiatives, in addition to enhancing PHN’s strategy, quality, and clinical services. All the while, he has shown that he deeply cares about the organization and improving the well-being of our communities with his vision, compassion, and understanding of the social determinants of health."

Dr. Garrow, a veteran physician and administrator, joined PHN in 2016 after roles as Director of Medical Oncology of Sharon Regional Health System in Hermitage and Chief Medical Officer of Western Maryland Health System in Cumberland. He has also served as Medical Director of Sharon Regional Hospice in Hermitage and on the Sharon Regional Health System Board of Directors. He received his medical degree in 1985 from the Milton S. Hershey Medical School of Penn State University and his bachelor’s degree in 1981 from the University of Pennsylvania. He also performed post-doctoral training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee and at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver, Colorado.

Currently, Dr. Garrow serves on the Advisory Board of the Clinical Translational Science Institute in Hershey, the Penn State College of Nursing Age-Friendly Care Initiative at University Park, and as a member of the Board of Trustees for Warren (PA) State Hospital, and Boards of Directors for both Buhl Community Recreation Center in Sharon, PA, and Buhl Regional Health Foundation, also in Sharon.

Garrow states, "It is an honor to be selected as the new leader of PHN. I consider it a privilege to have served the community health center mission for the past 6 years as Chief Medical Officer. I look forward to working with the entire PHN team to fulfill our mission of providing access to care and services that is compassionate, equitable and of the highest quality."