PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — For the first time, a medical doctor will lead the board of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia.
Jefferson Health Chief Executive Officer Joseph Cacchione is set to take the reins as board chair on Oct. 15.
In a city where the economy is largely driven by “eds and meds,” perhaps the biggest surprise is that an education or hospital leader hasn’t been chosen to guide the Chamber Board before now. But Cacchione said he hopes to foster more varied businesses in size and focus.
“We’ll continue to be an eds and meds place but we need to diversify,” he said.
“I think that, as a chamber, one of the things we might focus on is how do we develop the mid-size or mid-range businesses better.”
It’s quite a turn-around for Cacchione, who speculated about moving Jefferson’s headquarters out of Philadelphia 1 1/2 years ago. He said that was driven by safety concerns on East Market Street, which was losing businesses and foot traffic. He credited Mayor Cherelle Parker with changing the dynamic.
“The mayor and her administration have been a good partner on improving the quality of life and doubling down on her commitment to improve safety for the city of Philadelphia,” he said.
Cacchione said Jefferson is staying put and he’s looking forward to a bigger role in the city’s future. “We’ve been in Philadelphia for 200 years. We’re strongly entrenched as a Philadelphia stalwart,” he said.
As one of the city’s largest employers, Cacchione emphasized that it’s part of Jefferson’s responsibility to help the city develop and improve.
“Vibrancy helps all of the health care organizations,” he said. “It helps the education, it helps the community grow and that’s good for us.”
