Key Leadership Appointments at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital

• Clinical Associate Professor Chan Yoke Hwee appointed CEO, KKH, with effect from 1 May 2026
• Professor Alex Sia Tiong Heng to transition to appointment as Senior Advisor, SingHealth, after nine years as CEO, KKH 

Singapore, 26 March 2026 – SingHealth today announced key leadership appointments at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), marking a significant transition at Singapore’s leading women’s and children’s hospital. 

After nine years of distinguished and dedicated service, Professor Alex Sia Tiong Heng will be handing over the leadership baton as Chief Executive Officer of KKH (CEO, KKH) with effect from 1 May 2026. Clinical Associate Professor Chan Yoke Hwee will assume the CEO role on the same day. She will continue with her role as Deputy Group Chairman Medical Board (Population Health), SingHealth, and relinquish her appointments of Chairman, Medical Board, KKH (CMB, KKH), and Associate Dean, Office of Academic Medicine (KKH Campus), Duke-NUS, on the same day. 

Over the last decade, KKH has undergone remarkable clinical care transformation, elevating its international standing through several groundbreaking initiatives. Under Prof Sia’s visionary leadership and strong stewardship, KKH established Singapore’s first community hub for child development and maternal health in partnership with SingHealth Polyclinics and Temasek Foundation in 2020. Other notable achievements also include the launch of STORK (one-STop Obstetric high RisK Centre) in 2021 for coordinated care of complex pregnancies and the inauguration of Singapore’s first dedicated ChildKind-certified paediatric Burn Centre designed with a child-friendly philosophy to improve comfort and recovery. These innovations reflect the hospital’s commitment to expanding specialised services and enhancing infrastructure to meet future healthcare demands. 

KKH’s achievements in holistic clinical care, telemedicine and digital health innovation have earned prestigious recognitions, including being ranked among Newsweek’s Best Specialised Hospitals Asia Pacific 2023 and World’s Best Smart Hospitals 2023. The hospital was also ranked first in The Straits Times’ Singapore’s Best Employers 2025 – Healthcare and Social Sector, marking the third consecutive year of recognition, which is a testament to Prof Sia’s commitment to fostering an engaged and high-performing organisation through ensuring employee wellbeing and implementing progressive workplace practices. 

Prof Sia will be appointed Senior Advisor, SingHealth, with effect from 1 May 2026. 

Prof Chan is a forward-thinking and dynamic leader who has extensive leadership experience and a track record of pioneering achievements. As Chairman, Division of Medicine, KKH, and Academic Chair, SingHealth Duke-NUS Paediatric Academic Clinical Programme, from 2017 to 2023, she tripled the research output in publications, the amount garnered for research funding and the number of clinician scientists, and secured more than $55 million in philanthropic funding for research and education initiatives. As Chairman, Medical Board, KKH, since May 2023, she spearheaded the growth of the KKH Maternal and Child Health Research Institute to optimise the health and development of families in Singapore and the region, the launch of the KKH@Home mobile inpatient care service enabling patients to receive hospital-level care at home, and the establishment of Singapore’s first Genomic Assessment Centre to screen and manage genetic diseases in individuals and their families, leveraging strategic research and innovation to meet key population health needs. 

As KKH’s new CEO, Prof Chan will continue to propel the hospital’s mission of promoting health and optimising potential across the life course for women and children, through value-driven and patient centred care. 

Clinical Associate Professor Eileen Lew will be appointed CMB, KKH, and Associate Dean, Office of Academic Medicine (KKH Campus), Duke-NUS, with effect from 1 May 2026. She will relinquish her appointment as Chairman, Division of Clinical Support Services, KKH, on the same day. 

Professor Ng Wai Hoe, Group CEO, SingHealth said, “On behalf of SingHealth, I would like to express my deep appreciation to Alex for his sterling leadership and enduring contributions to KKH. Under his stewardship, KKH has gone from strength to strength in pushing the boundaries of clinical care, research, innovation and education in the fields of maternal and child health. I am confident that with Yoke Hwee’s proven track record in clinical governance, research excellence and strategic innovation, combined with her collaborative leadership approach, she is well-poised to lead KKH into its next chapter of growth and excellence.”