Thomas Chakurda, Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Tom Chakurda brings more than 30 years of experience as a senior level
healthcare communications executive to his role as Chief Marketing and
Communications Officer. Prior to joining Excela Health in 2019, Chakurda
held the position of Vice President for Communications at Boca Raton Regional
Hospital in Boca Raton, FL, for 10 years. There, he was part of a senior
executive team that produced a $125 million bottom-line improvement for
the organization and helped to position the institution as the highest
ranked Best Regional Hospital in Palm Beach County by U.S. News &
World Report.
In 1988, Chakurda joined Allegheny General Hospital and its parent organization
as Assistant Vice President for Communications. In 1990, he was promoted
to Vice President. Chakurda also served as Vice President for Communications
at West Penn Allegheny Health System for more than a decade. Earlier in
his career, he served as Director of Media Relations for Presbyterian-University
Hospital and then joined Ketchum Public Relations as a Senior Account
Executive. A native of Pittsburgh, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree
in Communications from the University of Pittsburgh. He and his wife,
Diane, are the parents of two daughters, and reside in Unity Township,
Westmoreland County.
