Raymond Hohl, the director of the Penn State Cancer Institute, resigned on November 17, 2023, following an investigation by Spotlight PA into his management of patient care and leadership practices. Hohl’s departure comes one day after the publication of a report detailing serious concerns regarding his oversight, including inadequate patient care and poor recordkeeping.
In an internal email announcing his resignation, Karen Kim, dean of the Penn State College of Medicine, and Michael Kupferman, CEO of Penn State Health, stated that Hohl made this decision “thoughtfully and with the best interests of the Institute in mind.” Despite resigning from his directorial position, he will continue to serve as a faculty member at the university’s medical college.
Since taking the role of director in 2014, Hohl aimed to secure National Cancer Institute designation for the center located within the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. The university reportedly invested over $410 million in this endeavor. However, a review from December 2022 revealed that, under Hohl’s leadership, the cancer institute was significantly lagging in meeting the necessary benchmarks for this designation.
The investigation by Spotlight PA, published on November 20, highlighted a series of negative internal reviews concerning Hohl’s leadership from early 2022 through mid-2023. These reviews indicated a troubling pattern of errors in patient care, including cases where at least ten patients received incorrect chemotherapy dosages and faced unexplained delays in receiving vital scans to monitor their conditions.
The report also revealed that Hohl fostered a toxic work environment characterized by fear and mistrust, which led to a high turnover rate among doctors and researchers. Many staff members left the organization during his tenure, raising further questions about the operational effectiveness of the cancer institute.
Despite these findings, Hohl disputed the reports, suggesting a more optimistic view of the institute’s progress. Internal documents show that by 2023, Penn State Health leaders were privately contemplating Hohl’s removal, but he retained his position and was placed on a two-month performance improvement plan. This plan required him to comply with national cancer treatment guidelines and demonstrate improved teamwork and communication skills.
In May 2024, Penn State quietly removed Hohl’s oversight of clinical care, although he continued to see patients as of early 2025. Following the investigation, Penn State Health released a statement claiming that the reporting by Spotlight PA relied heavily on outdated materials and did not accurately reflect the current state of the Penn State Cancer Institute.
The leadership transition at the institute will see Jeff Peters, currently the deputy director, stepping in as the interim director. This move indicates a shift in leadership aimed at addressing the ongoing challenges within the organization and improving patient care practices.
As the Penn State Cancer Institute navigates this significant leadership change, stakeholders are keenly observing how the new management will address the issues raised and work towards achieving the long-sought National Cancer Institute designation.
