Eskenazi Health has named Daniel Rusyniak, M.D., chief medical officer (CMO) effective March 1, 2025. Dr. Rusyniak will provide medical staff leadership and have senior administrative responsibility for clinical quality, safety, physician engagement, and efficiency and effectiveness of patient care.
Dr. Rusyniak most recently served as secretary of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), a health care and social services agency whose mission is to compassionately serve our diverse community of Hoosiers by dismantling long-standing, persistent inequity through deliberate human services system improvement. Prior to his promotion to secretary in 2021, he served as the agency’s chief medical officer for three years.
A longtime member of the Eskenazi Health team, Dr. Rusyniak has been associated with the health system since 1999, first as a fellow in medical toxicology and then as a faculty member within the Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine. Throughout his time at FSSA, he has continued to provide care for patients at Eskenazi Health, regularly working shifts in the Michael & Susan Smith Emergency Department and remaining an active member of the Emergency Medicine faculty.
“Bringing a breadth of experience and a wealth of institutional knowledge, Dan is a perfect fit to lead our medical staff and continue our momentum,” said Lisa Harris, M.D., chief executive officer of Eskenazi Health. “Dan has contributed in so many ways to the work of Eskenazi Health for more than 25 years and is enthusiastic about coming home. I couldn’t be more pleased to have him in this leadership role.”
Prior to his time at FSSA, Dr. Rusyniak served as vice chair for faculty development at the IU School of Medicine from 2012 to 2015. He then served as chief of the Division of Medical Toxicology and medical director of the Indiana Poison Control Center from 2015 to 2018, and IU School of Medicine Faculty President from 2017 to 2018. He has received the IU School of Medicine’s Clinical Excellence in Faculty Mentoring Award, the Alumni Early Career Award and twice received the Trustee Teaching Award.
“I started at Wishard Hospital as a fellow in 1999 and have spent many years caring for patients in the emergency department, moving from Wishard to Eskenazi Health in 2013,” said Dr. Rusyniak. “Continuing my work with Eskenazi Health as chief medical officer is an honor and I am looking forward to working with such a highly-skilled and compassionate team of clinicians across this innovative, mission-driven health system.”
Dr. Rusyniak has previously been a member of the Indiana Trauma Care Commission, Indiana EMS Advisory Committee, Indiana Health Workforce Committee, Indiana Health Information Exchange Board, Commission on Improving the Status of Children in Indiana and Indiana Commission to Combat Substance Use Disorder. He completed his residency in emergency medicine and his fellowship in medical toxicology at the IU School of Medicine and received his medical degree at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He received his bachelor’s degree at Villanova University.
Dr. Rusyniak replaces David Crabb, M.D., who has served as CMO of Eskenazi Health since 2017. A longtime Eskenazi Health provider, Dr. Crabb will remain on faculty as an attending physician for gastroenterology.
“We are especially grateful to David for his steady presence at Eskenazi Health and for his tenure as CMO,” said Christopher Scott, PharmD, chief clinical operations officer of Eskenazi Health. “We are fortunate to have Dan stepping into the role as a leader who throughout his career has been involved in a wide range of initiatives spanning the opioid epidemic, the pandemic response, and numerous health programs and services. After working with him for many years, I know what a great addition he will be to our senior leadership team.”