100 Leaders of Great Hospitals in America

Excellence starts at the top, beginning with a crystal clear vision and a relentless pursuit toward an organization's mission. That's a tall order for hospitals facing one of the largest upheavals to the status quo in healthcare history under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which is scheduled to take full effect next year. From 100 of the nation's great hospitals, these are the leaders who make them so.

Here are the presidents, CEOs and/or primary leaders of Becker's Hospital Review's 2013 edition of "100 Great Hospitals," listed in alphabetical order.

Keith Alexander. CEO of Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center (Houston). Mr. Alexander was named CEO in September 2009 of Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center, one of 12 hospitals within the non-profit Memorial Hermann Healthcare System. He joined Memorial Hermann in 2007, holding prior roles as COO and CEO at other hospitals in the system. Prior to this time,  Mr. Alexander served in regional and executive leadership positions in Utah and with Saint Joseph Healthcare, now part of Louisville, Ky.-based KentuckyOne Health and Catholic Health Initiatives. Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center was named a Top 100 hospital nationwide earlier in 2013 by both Healthgrades and Truven Health Analytics.

Larry Anderson, JD. CEO of Tri-City Medical Center (Oceanside, Calif.). Mr. Anderson leads the 397-bed Tri-City Medical Center and its 500 physicians. Since becoming Tri-City's CEO in January 2009, he successfully refinanced the hospital's debt to lower its interest rates from 17.5 percent to just 5 percent. He also led the system away from two fiscal years of losses to a running streak of positive margins every month since July 2010, ending FY 2011 with $15.2 million in profit. Mr. Anderson previously founded a holding company to acquire four Orange County, Calif., hospitals. He has also served as counsel for Los Angeles-based Alta Healthcare System and the U.S. Postal Service.

Carl Armato. President and CEO of Novant Health (Winston-Salem, N.C.). Mr. Armato leads Novant Health, a system that includes 13 hospitals, more than 100 outpatient centers and more than 350 physician clinics spread across four states. The 463-bed Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center hosts centers of excellence in women's health, rehabilitation, stroke and neurosciences, as well as its Cleveland Clinic-affiliated Heart & Vascular Institute. The Presbyterian Cancer Center earned a prestigious accreditation with commendation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.

Ben Bache-Wiig, MD. President of Abbott Northwestern Hospital (Minneapolis). Dr. Bache-Wiig worked as medical director and physician president at Minneapolis-based Allina Health's North Clinic in Robbinsdale, Minn., before he succeeded Jeff Peterson in 2009 as CEO of 627-bed Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Allina's flagship. Abbott Northwestern's Heart Hospital, opened in 2005, features 256-beds to provide expert cardiovascular, neurological, orthopedic and spine care.

Robert Bachman. CEO of Emory University Hospital (Atlanta). Mr. Bachman is the leader of the 573-bed flagship hospital in the academic Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare system. He manages the hospital's 954 physicians who are also faculty members at the Emory School of Medicine. A former respiratory therapist, Mr. Bachman directed respiratory services and medical education services in the Emory network before being appointed COO in 2001. He was named CEO in June 2012. The hospital is recognized perennially by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation's best hospitals.

Marc Boom, MD. President and CEO of The Methodist Hospital System (Houston). In January 2012, Dr. Boom became the first physician in nearly a century to be named CEO of The Methodist Hospital System. True to both callings, he still occasionally sees patients in addition to his duties running the Houston area's third largest health system. Prior to his role as CEO, he practiced medicine as a primary care physician and served in executive positions with the Methodist system, including president and CEO of the Methodist Diagnostic Hospital and senior vice president and COO of The Methodist Hospital.

Marna Borgstrom. President and CEO of Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health System. Ms. Borgstrom heads Yale New Haven Health System and is CEO of the 1,541-bed Yale-New Haven Hospital, a teaching hospital affiliated with the Yale Schools of Medicine and Nursing. She started her professional career at Yale-New Haven Hospital in 1979 as an administrative fellow, eventually working her way up the ranks to COO for 14 years before reaching her current position in October 2005. Ms. Borgstrom also serves on the boards of many other healthcare organizations, such as the Connecticut Hospital Association and the American Association of Medical Colleges.

Robert Braithwaite. President and CEO of Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian (Newport Beach, Calif.). Mr. Braithwaite assumed his current position this past March after former president and CEO Richard Afable, MD, became the head of Covenant Health Network, the new system formed by Hoag and St. Joseph Health in Orange, Calif. Mr. Braithwaite joined Hoag in 1992 and became COO of Hoag Memorial in January 2011. He has also served as chief administrative officer of Hoag Hospital Irvine (Calif.) for three years and held senior executive positions with Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego and St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, Calif.

Richard Breon. President and CEO of Spectrum Health. Butterworth Hospital (Grand Rapids, Mich.). Mr. Breon has led Spectrum Health, which is comprised of four hospitals, including Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital, since 2000. Founded in 1873, the teaching hospital has received several awards and distinctions in recent years, including Magnet accreditation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center and a top ranking from U.S. News & World Report for its gynecology, diabetes and endocrinology clinical specialties in 2012-13. Mr. Breon has more than 35 years of healthcare administration experience.

Robin Brown. Chief Executive of Scripps Green Hospital (La Jolla, Calif.). Mr. Brown has worked on behalf of San Diego-based Scripps Health for more than two decades, most of which has been in his current role as CEO of the 173-bed Scripps Green Hospital since 2000. The hospital, named one of Truven Health Analytics' 100 Top Hospitals in 2013, is colocated with the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine, which incorporates holistic healing methods with medical care.

Catherine Buck, RN. President of Froedtert Hospital (Milwaukee). Eastern Wisconsin's only academic medical center is led by a registered nurse, whose commitment to enhancing the profession is evident in Froedtert Hospital's Magnet certification. Ms. Buck served as a nurse in Chicago at Swedish Covenant Hospital, Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's and the University of Chicago Medical Center, before she joined Froedtert in 1982, later being named president in 2010.

Carol Burrell. President and CEO of Northeast Georgia Medical Center (Gainesville, Ga.). Beginning her career as a medical technologist in the late 1970s, Ms. Burrell later climbed to executive positions at Jacksonville, Fla.-based St. Vincent Health System, joining Northeast Georgia Medical Center in 2004. The hospital has a renowned cardiology program, and has been name to Truven Health Analytics' 100 Top Hospitals and the top 50 hospitals by Healthgrades.

Vincent Capece, Jr. President and CEO of Middlesex Hospital (Middletown, Conn.). Mr. Capece, a certified public accountant, was formerly an audit manager with Arthur Andersen and director of accounting at Bridgeport (Conn.) Hospital prior to joining Middlesex Hospital in 1998. The 156-bed Middlesex Hospital was the first in Connecticut to earn Magnet distinction for nursing excellence. Mr. Capece is a board member of VHA Northeast and the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce.

Allen Carroll. CEO of Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital (Charleston, S.C.). Mr. Carroll has been CEO of Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital since 1995, and senior vice president of operations at its Charleston-based parent company, Roper St. Francis Healthcare, since 1998. Before joining the system in 1990, he worked as assistant administrator at Shreveport, La.-based HCA Highland Hospital and Wilmington, N.C.-based New Hanover Memorial Hospital. The 204-bed St. Francis was the first Catholic hospital in South Carolina when it opened in 1882, and has since earned awards and rankings from Truven Health Analytics, Healthgrades, CareChex and U.S. News & World Report.

Timothy Charles. President and CEO of Mercy Medical Center (Cedar Rapids, Iowa). Mr. Charles leads Mercy Medical Center, which is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Sisters of Mercy. The 314-bed hospital has earned a spot in Truven Health Analytics' 100 Top Hospitals for performance and from WomenCertified for patient satisfaction, and several other awards from CareChex, Healthgrades and others.

Scott Cihak. CEO of Kendall Regional Medical Center (Miami). Mr. Cihak was named CEO of Kendall Regional Medical Center in 2011, having previously served as CEO at West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Columbia Hospital, both of which are owned by Naples, Fla.-based Hospital Corporation of America. Kendall and its centers of excellence in cardiology and orthopedic care have been recognized dozens of times by Healthgrades, The Leapfrog Group, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Truven Health Analytics.

Steven Corwin, MD. CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (New York City). Dr. Corwin's medical expertise as a cardiologist and internist have contributed to his success in leading the nation's largest non-profit, non-sectarian hospital, which was ranked seventh in the country by U.S. News & World Report in 2012-13. The 2,409-bed hospital is a powerhouse for medical training and research, including explorations into genetically personalized treatments. Dr. Corwin first joined the system in 1981 as a member of the executive team, rising to CEO in 2011.

Delos "Toby" Cosgrove, MD. CEO of Cleveland Clinic. For nearly four decades Dr. Cosgrove has served Cleveland Clinic, first as a physician and later in administrative roles. A prolific cardiac surgeon and academic, he has performed upwards of 22,000 operations and written 450 journal articles, book chapters and a book. To date, he holds 30 patents for surgical products. His laureates began even earlier, having served as a medaled Air Force surgeon in Vietnam and chief of U.S. Air Force casualty staging flight.

Brian Cramer. CEO of Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin (Glendale). Established just 12 years ago, the Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin grew rapidly, leading its founding physicians to hire 23-year Air Force veteran Brian Cramer in 2007 to expand the hospital's size and reach. He did, bringing the facility from seven beds to 30 in just two years. Orthopaedic Hospital received the Press Ganey Summit Award in 2012, which means the hospital has had inpatient satisfaction levels above the 95th percentile for the past three years.

Kenneth Davis, MD. President and CEO of Mount Sinai Medical Center (New York City). Five years after he was appointed CEO of Mount Sinai Medical Center in 2003, the health system's financial performance reversed from several years of multimillion dollar losses to an upgraded credit rating from Moody's Investors Service and a top 20 ranking from U.S. News & World Report. In that time he also served as dean of Mount Sinai School of Medicine until 2007 and President of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. A specialist in geriatric psychiatry, Dr. Davis has been a prolific researcher, focusing on treatments for Alzheimer's disease, autism and schizophrenia.

Kyle DeFur. President of St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital. Mr. DeFur has served as president of St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital, which has been rated among Truven Health Analytics' 100 Top Hospitals, since 2007. Mr. DeFur also leads St. Vincent Women's Hospital, Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St. Vincent, St. Vincent Stress Center and St. Vincent Medical Center Northeast. He is also the former president of Saint John's Health System in Anderson, Ind., which is now part of the St. Vincent Health system.

Marie Droege. President of Guthrie Healthcare System and Robert Packer Hospital (Sayre, Pa.). Ms. Droege oversees Guthrie Healthcare System and its Robert Packer Hospital as president. She also has administrative oversight for Guthrie's three hospitals, outpatient clinics, medical supply depot, and hospice, home care and rehabilitation services. She has served in executive capacities for almost two decades, including at Marriottsville, Md.-based Bon Secours Health System and Kaiser Oakland (Calif.) Medical Center.

David Entwistle. CEO of University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics (Salt Lake City). As CEO of University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics, Mr. Entwistle oversees University Hospital, one of the only academic medical centers in the region and is growing the system through offering new services and facilities. Mr. Entwistle's career in healthcare administration has taken him across the country, from his position as vice president of professional services and joint venture operations at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, Calif., to senior vice president and COO of the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison, Wis.

Pat Farrell. CEO of Henrico Doctors' Hospital (Richmond, Va.). In addition to his role as CEO of the 540-bed Henrico Doctors' Hospital, which has won numerous awards for orthopedic, pulmonary and stroke care, Mr. Farrell is market lead for the Central Virginia capital division for Nashville, Tenn.-based Hospital Corporation of America. The division includes 6,700 employees across six hospitals and many other outpatient facilities. Under his leadership, Henrico Doctors' Hospital completed a five-year, $100 million expansion in 2011.

David Feinberg, MD. President of UCLA Health System (Los Angeles). In his role, Dr. Feinberg oversees all aspects of UCLA Health System, which includes Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, a neuropsychiatric hospital, children's hospital and faculty practice group. He has served as president of UCLA Health System since July 2011, and CEO of the hospital system and associate vice chancellor of UCLA Health Sciences since 2007. The clinical professor of psychiatry and executive has a knack for boosting patient satisfaction, carrying the UCLA hospitals to the 99th percentile nationally on several metrics.

Will Ferniany, PhD. CEO of UAB Health System (Birmingham, Ala.). Dr. Ferniany has headed UAB Health, which includes UAB Hospital, since 2008. UAB Hospital is one of the nation's four largest academic teaching hospitals and includes Alabama's only Level I trauma center and National Cancer Institute-accredited comprehensive cancer center. Mr. Ferniany previously held administrative and executive roles with University of Pennsylvania and University of Mississippi.  

John Fitzgerald. CEO of Inova Fair Oaks Hospital (Fairfax, Va.). The 182-bed, 1,500-employee Inova Fair Oaks Hospital is led by Mr. Fitzgerald, a 30-year veteran of healthcare administration. Mr. Fitzgerald has served as hospital CEO since 2002, and he also serves as vice president of Inova Health System. He previously served as CEO and president of Dallas-based SCCI Health Services and held the same title at Marriottsville, Md.-based Bon Secours Health System. Since he took the head post, the hospital has been named to Truven Health Analytics' 100 Top Hospitals and began construction on a $31 million radiation oncology cancer center.

David Fox. President of Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital (Downers Grove, Ill.). Mr. Fox leads the 340-bed Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, which was named among the 100 Top Hospitals in the country by Truven Health Analytics and a top 50 hospital for cardiovascular care by Healthgrades in 2013. The hospital has earned Magnet distinction for nursing excellence and was recognized for its expertise in treating digestive disorders by U.S. News & World Report.

Larry Goodman, MD. CEO of Rush University Medical Center (Chicago). For nearly 15 years, Dr. Goodman has been an administrator at Rush University and the Rush System for Health, serving as CEO of Rush University Medical Center and president of the university since 2002. He previously worked as medical director of Cook County Hospital. Dr. Goodman's articles and research on infectious disease have been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Steven Gabbe, MD. CEO of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (Columbus, Ohio). Dr. Gabbe has authored more than 160 peer-reviewed papers and the leading textbook on obstetric medicine. He was the former chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle and former dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tenn., where he increased National Institutes of Health funding levels by 77 percent and grew the faculty by 66 percent to more than 1,800 individuals.

Robert Garrett. President and CEO of Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center. Mr. Garrett has been a member of Hackensack University Medical Center, ranked among the nation's 50 best hospitals by Healthgrades, since 1981. He has paved the way to build strong relationships with community physicians and surgical specialists, and also achieved a clinical affiliation with Denville, N.J.-based Saint Claire's Hospital for cancer care. He was elected chairman of the board of trustees for the New Jersey Council of Teaching Hospitals.

Robert Grossman, MD. CEO of NYU Langone Medical Center (New York City). Dr. Grossman is dean of the NYU School of Medicine in addition to his role as CEO the medical center, which he assumed in 2007. Dr. Grossman first joined the NYU system in 2001 as chairman of the department of radiology and has also taught neurology, neurosurgery and other specialties at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He has written more than 300 publications and received awards for his work on multiple sclerosis and neurological medicine.

John Harney. President of University of Colorado Hospital (Aurora). Following a nearly four-year tenure as COO of the University of Colorado Hospital, Mr. Harney was named president and CEO of the hospital in March 2012. He previously served as the executive vice president and in other rolls for NYU Langone Medical Center's affiliated hospitals, including the 704-bed Tisch Hospital, 174-bed Howard A. Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine and 176-bed NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, in New York City for 21 years.

Dean Harrison. President and CEO of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare (Chicago). Mr. Harrison came to Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, the parent corporation for Northwestern Memorial Hospital, in July 1998 from his previous position as president and COO of the University of Chicago Health System. He is a member of the board of directors and executive committee of the Illinois Hospital Association, a board member for the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago and various other committees.

John Heer. President and CEO of North Mississippi Health Services (Tupelo, Miss.). Before joining the North Mississippi Health Services system in 2004, Mr. Heer was president of Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, Fla. Under his leadership, NMHS received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. As Mississippi's largest, private non-profit hospital at 650 beds, flagship North Mississippi Medical Center's service area spans 24 counties and three states.

Jill Hoggard Green, PhD, RN. President and COO of Mission Hospital (Asheville, N.C.). Ms. Hoggard Green leads the busiest surgical hospital in North Carolina, employing 6,000 employees and featuring 730-beds across three campuses. She previously served as regional COO for Longview, Wash.-based PeaceHealth's Oregon Region, assistant vice president at Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health Care and as a registered nurse in oncology at Intermountain's LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City.

Lars Houmann. President and CEO of Florida Hospital (Orlando). Mr. Houmann leads the Florida division of Adventist Health System, based in Altamonte Springs, Fla. The hospital's seven campuses admit more patients annually than any other hospital in the country and provide more Medicare services than any other provider. Mr. Houmann has a breadth of experience in healthcare administration, ranging from small hospitals, large teaching hospitals and multi-hospital systems.

Alex Jackson. Chief Executive of Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center (Spokane, Wash.). Formerly the seven-year COO for Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Ore., Mr. Jackson was named chief executive of Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, as well as Sacred Heart Children's Hospital and Providence Holy Family Hospital, in April. Sacred Heart Medical Center earned Healthgrades' Patient Safety Excellence Award last year and expanded its emergency and maternity service facilities.

David Kapaska, MD. Regional President and CEO of Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center (Sioux Falls, S.D.). Dr. Kapaska, a former family practitioner and military pilot, leads Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center, which includes a heart hospital and children's hospital. The hospital has come a long way since its humble 55-bed beginning in 1911, having grown to 545 beds and been named to Truven Health Analytics' 100 Top Hospitals in 2013.

Kenneth Kates. CEO of University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (Iowa City). Mr. Kates oversees the 729-bed regional referral center that admits more than 30,000 patients and takes in more than $1 billion in revenue annually. With more than three decades of healthcare administration experience, he has held executive positions at the University of Chicago Medical Center and Philadelphia-based Temple University Hospital.

Mike Keating. President and CEO of The Christ Hospital (Cincinnati). Mr. Keating took the role of interim president and CEO of The Christ Hospital in August 2012 following the departure of Susan Croushore, a 10-year veteran of the post. After a national search for a replacement, Mr. Keating was appointed to the position permanently in March 2013. Before assuming the CEO role, he had been a hospital board member for more than 21 years and was a former executive vice president of Fifth Third Bancorp.

Douglas Luckett. Interim CEO of Gaston Memorial Hospital (Gastonia, N.C.). Mr. Luckett has served as executive vice president of operational integration and COO at CaroMont Health since November 2010. He is also serving as interim CEO, a role he took on in April 2013. He came to CaroMont two years ago from Fort Meyers, Fla.-based Lee Memorial Health System, where he was chief administrative officer. He's also worked in the for-profit healthcare sector, having been COO for two markets of Nashville, Tenn.-based Hospital Corporation of America and a hospital within Naples, Fla.-based Health Management Associates.

Calvin "Cal" Knight. President and CEO of John Muir Health (Walnut Creek, Calif.). Mr. Knight came to John Muir Health, which includes the 572-bed John Muir Medical Center, as president and CEO in April 2011. He previously served as president and COO of Seattle-based Swedish Health Services. There, he was known for leading the development of the system's multispecialty physician base and several key specialty service lines.

Kathleen Kuck, RN. President and CEO of Pocono Medical Center (East Stroudsburg, Pa.). Ms. Kuck joined PMC in 2006 as vice president for patient care services and was named CEO in December 2008. Under Ms. Kuck's leadership, Pocono Medical Center has enhanced its surgical specialties and grown to include a brand new cancer center. Previously, Ms. Kuck worked as a registered nurse, university faculty member, principal at a management consulting firm, administrator of a nursing home and in numerous other executive positions at several hospitals.

Mark Laret. CEO of UCSF Medical Center (San Francisco). For 13 years, Mr. Laret has held his role as CEO of UCSF Medical Center, ranked 13th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in 2012-13. The system's hospitals and clinics receive 770,000 patient visits and $1.5 billion in revenue each year. UCSF also has plans to open a new $1.5 billion hospital complex in the Mission Bay area of the city in 2014 to meet growing demand. Mr. Laret has worked for three decades in healthcare leadership positions, including CEO of UC Irvine Medical Center and CEO of UCLA Medical Group.

Robert Laskowski, MD. President and CEO of Christiana Care Health System (Newark, Del.). Dr. Laskowski celebrated his 10-year anniversary as president and CEO of Christiana Care Health System, which includes Christiana Hospital, in April. Prior to joining Christiana, Dr. Laskowski held leadership roles at Allentown, Pa.-based Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, Northeast Permanente Medical Group, Temple University School of Medicine and Penn State University College of Medicine. He is a board-certified internist with a specialization in geriatric medicine, and is a professor of clinical medicine at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University.

Brian Lemon. President of Central DuPage Hospital (Winfield, Ill.). Mr. Lemon was named president of CDH and executive vice president of its parent, Cadence Health, in 2012. He previously served as CEO of Vanguard MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, Ill., and CEO of Holy Cross Hospital in Chicago. CDH has earned Magnet designation for nursing excellence and was named to 100 Top Hospitals by Truven Health Analytics in 2012-13.

Richard Liekweg. President of Barnes-Jewish Hospital (St. Louis). Mr. Liekweg became group president of BJC HealthCare and president of Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital in September 2009. He previously served as CEO and vice chancellor for UCSD Medical Center in San Diego and Duke University Health System in Durham, N.C., and was CEO of Durham Regional Hospital after it was acquired by DUHS. This year, Barnes-Jewish Hospital opened a $27.5 million outpatient facility for its Siteman Cancer Center.

W. Spencer Lilly. President of Carolinas Medical Center-Mercy (Charlotte, N.C.). As president of the central division of Carolinas HealthCare System, Mr. Lilly handles day-to-day responsibilities managing Carolinas Medical Center, Carolinas Medical Center-Mercy and Levine Children's Hospital, totaling more than 1,000 licensed beds. He also manages the system's service lines for women and children, cardiac catheterization and endoscopy. Mr. Lilly began his career with the system in 1989 as an administrative resident, and a more recent position as president of CMC-Mercy.

Gwen MacKenzie, MSN, RN. President and CEO of Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Health Care System. As president and CEO of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, Ms. MacKenzie leads the only public hospital in Southwest Florida, named among the 50 best hospitals in the nation by Healthgrades in 2011. She previously worked for 25 years at Detroit Medical Center as an advanced practice oncology nurse and later as interim CEO of the system.  

David McQuaid. President and COO of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (Philadelphia). Mr. McQuaid has been COO at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital for almost six years and assumed the president title as well in February 2012. Previously, he was CEO of Durham (N.C.) Regional Hospital and Duke University Health System. He earned the 2011 American College of Healthcare Executives Regents' Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Award from the Healthcare Leadership Network of the Delaware Valley for healthcare management excellence.

John McWhorter, III. President of Baylor University Medical Center (Dallas). Mr. McWhorter is president of Baylor Health Care System's flagship hospital, Baylor UMC. He also serves as senior vice president of the system, which includes 18 acute-care and specialty hospitals. He has been part of the BHCS team for more than two decades after beginning his career as an administrative resident in1984, and he's held various leadership and executive positions at Baylor hospitals throughout his career.

Gary Meyer. President and CEO of Schneck Medical Center (Seymour, Ind.). Mr. Meyer first joined the public Schneck Medical Center in 1975 on an externship and became director of professional services within a year. The 114-bed Magnet-designated hospital has a renowned women's health service line. He was a hospital administration specialist in the U.S. Air Force from 1966 to 1970, and today serves on various healthcare boards in Indiana. He is also a board member for the Boys & Girls Club of Seymour.

Daniel Meyer. President of Aurora BayCare Medical Center (Green Bay, Wis.). Mr. Meyer initially joined the Milwaukee-based Aurora Health Care system as the administrator of Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center in 2005. Before that, he was vice president of operations for Frye Regional Medical Center in Hickory, N.C. Aurora BayCare earned the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence for the last two years from Healthgrades.

Gene Michalski. President and CEO of Beaumont Health System (Troy, Mich.). Before he was named CEO of Beaumont Health System in June 2010, Mr. Michalski had worked at the health system since 1978, when he was hired as an administrative assistant. Two years later, he was assistant hospital director and continued to rise through the ranks in his more than 30-year tenure at Beaumont. He worked for Evanston, Ill.-based St. Francis Hospital as COO beginning in 1992 before returning to Beaumont four years later.

Samuel Moskowitz. President of MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center (Baltimore). Since May 2012, Mr. Moskowitz has served as senior vice president of the 10-hospital MedStar Health network based in Baltimore and held the role of president of MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center. In that role, he managed Maryland's busiest emergency department and fourth largest acute-care hospital. He previously worked as executive vice president and COO of Mercy Health Services, also based in Baltimore.

Elizabeth Nabel, MD. President of Brigham and Women's Health Care (Boston). Dr. Nabel is president of Brigham and Women's Health Care, comprised of and Brigham and Women's Hospital and Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital. Dr. Nabel was previously the director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health, managing an annual grant budget of $3 billion. She has published more than 250 research publications pertaining to biochemical and genetic implications of cardiovascular disease and the premature aging disorder known as Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome, and serves on the editorial board of the New England Journal of Medicine and Science Translational Medicine.

John Noseworthy, MD. President and CEO of Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.). As the leader of one of the most respected names in medicine, Dr. Noseworthy directs the 55,000-employee system toward its goal of reaching 200 million people by 2020. Mayo is advancing toward this goal through a strategic initiative to partner with other healthcare providers across the country and internationally, along with its telemedicine push into rural hospitals in the Southwest, which connects Mayo specialists with patients halfway across the country.

Sharon O'Keefe, RN. President of University of Chicago Medical Center. One of the most prestigious women in healthcare, Ms. O'Keefe is an award-winning executive and former critical care nurse. She has led major capital and clinical projects in her two years as CEO. The medical center also has been recognized with Magnet distinction for nursing excellence during her tenure and has the number 15 cancer program in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2012-13 rankings. In addition, Ms. O'Keefe serves on the board of directors for the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago.

Harold Paz, MD. CEO Penn State Hershey (Pa.) Medical Center and Health System. Before he was named head of the Penn State Hershey Medical Center and Health System and dean of its college of medicine seven years ago, Dr. Paz was CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson University Medical Group and dean of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Under Dr. Paz's watch, the health system has become a four-hospital, 58-outpatient clinic system with 14 affiliated hospitals. He was also instrumental in the launch of a rehabilitation hospital, psychiatric institute and major expansion of the medical campus.

Ronald Peterson. President of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System (Baltimore). Along with his role as president of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System, Mr. Peterson is the executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine, the partnership entity between the health system and The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He also chairs the Johns Hopkins Community Physicians group and directs three other branded entities under the Johns Hopkins umbrella. The internationally renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital ranked best overall hospital by U.S. News & World Report for 21 consecutive years. Mr. Peterson first joined the system in 1973, later spearheading the process of integrating Baltimore City Hospitals into the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.

John Popovich, MD. President and CEO of Henry Ford Hospital (Detroit). Dr. Popovich is the first physician in more than four decades to lead Henry Ford Hospital, the 805-bed flagship of Henry Ford Health System. He launched his medical and executive career at Henry Ford in 1975, beginning as a medical intern and later a fellow in pulmonary medicine and senior staff physician. He's credited with much of the growth in intensive and critical care at the hospital, and was named a master in the American College of Physicians in 2005. He rose to the system's senior vice president for clinical affairs in 2008 and helped found the Henry Ford Physician Network, of which he is currently CEO and board chairman.

David Posch. CEO of Vanderbilt University Hospital and Clinics (Nashville, Tenn.). Mr. Posch took the role of CEO of Vanderbilt University Hospital and Clinics, which includes flagship Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in October 2011. He was formerly an administrator with New Orleans-based Ochsner Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. As the leading hospital in Tennessee, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2013 rankings, the 584-bed hospital is engaged in a host of clinical trials for new medicines and treatments.

John Prout. President and CEO of TriHealth (Cincinnati). Mr. Prout oversees 9,500 employees and 2,300 independent medical staff at TriHealth's two acute-care hospitals and other facilities. Mr. Prout also serves as president and CEO of Good Samaritan Hospital and Bethesda North Hospital in Cincinnati, which was named to Becker's Hospital Review's 2013 edition of "100 Great Hospitals." The cardiovascular program at 375-bed Bethesda North Hospital scored among the top 40 in the country, according to Truven Health Analytics, and the hospital was also ranked among the 100 best hospitals in 2013 by Healthgrades.

Thomas Priselac. CEO of Cedars-Sinai Health System and Medical Center (Los Angeles). For just shy of two decades, Mr. Priselac has led the Cedars-Sinai Health System, whose patient base includes Hollywood stars and Los Angeles locals alike. Before joining the system in 1979, he was an executive at Montefiore Hospital in Pittsburgh. He's a former chair of both the American Hospital Association and the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Barry Rabner. President and CEO of University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro (N.J.). Mr. Rabner serves as president and CEO of Princeton HealthCare System and University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro. During his tenure, the system launched its new $1.1 billion campus in Plainsboro, N.J., in June 2012, complete with eco-friendly infrastructure to draw green power from solar and thermal energy. Prior to joining Princeton, Mr. Rabner was the acting president and CEO of Bryn Mawr, Pa.-based Main Line Health.

Jeff Reece, RN. CEO of Chesterfield General Hospital (Cheraw, S.C.). Named CEO of Chesterfield General Hospital in October 2011, Mr. Reece previously served as chief nursing officer at Chesterfield General Hospital and a CEO at Marlboro Park Hospital in Bennettsville, S.C. The 59-bed hospital, a member of Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems, is the sole provider to the surrounding rural community of 9,000 residents.

Jeffrey Rivest. President and CEO of University of Maryland Medical Center (Baltimore). As president and CEO since 2004, Mr. Rivest leads the 885-bed, 7,400-employee University of Maryland Medical Center, which consistently brings in $1 billion in annual net revenue. It's a mainstay on the U.S. News & World Report list of top-ranked hospitals. Mr. Rivest is the former COO of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a former administrator of Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore.

Michael Robinson. CEO of Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center (Mechanicsville, Va.). Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center has been no stranger to national awards under Mr. Robinson's leadership, including perfect five-star ratings on five measures of cardiovascular excellence from Healthgrades. Before his current role, he was president of Richmond (Va.) Memorial Hospital and COO of Health Corporation of Virginia in Richmond.

Phillip Robinson. President of Lankenau Medical Center (Wynnewood, Pa.). Bryn Mawr, Pa.-based Main Line Health in March 2011 named Mr. Robinson president of Lankenau Medical Center, where he had served as interim president for eight months prior. His resumé includes CEO positions at Houston-based St. Joseph Medical Center and JFK Medical Center in Atlantis, Fla.

Jeffrey Romoff. President and CEO of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (Pittsburgh). As president and CEO of UPMC, Mr. Romoff also leads the flagship hospital, UPMC Presbyterian. He joined the University of Pittsburgh professionally in 1973 as a department director at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh, rising within the ranks until he became UPMC president in 1992 and CEO in 2006. UPMC is the largest employer in Pennsylvania, with 55,000 employees spread throughout 20 hospitals and other facilities and offices. The $10 billion integrated academic health system delivers $560 million annually in community benefits and has international business and clinical relationships in Europe and Japan.

Christopher Remark. CEO of Aultman Hospital (Canton, Ohio). When he was appointed CEO in April, Mr. Remark had served Aultman Hospital since 1993 as a financial analyst and later as COO. The hospital has been named among Truven Health Analytics' 100 Top Hospitals several times, along with recognition as one of the top 50 hospitals for cardiovascular expertise. The 5,000-employee organization is the largest employer in Stark County, Ohio.

Amir Dan Rubin. President and CEO of Stanford Hospital & Clinics (Palo Alto, Calif.). Leaving his former post as COO of Los Angeles-based UCLA Health System, where he oversaw more than 8,000 employees since 2005, Mr. Rubin became CEO of Stanford Health in January 2011. The system's cancer and ear, nose and throat programs both ranked among the top 20 such programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report in 2013. The system is growing, as well, with plans for a new San Jose, Calif.-based outpatient cancer center, slated for completion in 2014.

Dawn Rudolph. President and CEO of Saint Thomas Hospital (Nashville, Tenn.). Ms. Rudolph left her former position as CEO of Fort Wayne, Ind.-based St. Joseph Hospital in November 2010 to move to Nashville, Tenn., and lead Saint Thomas Hospital. After initially training to become a teacher, Ms. Rudolph's career path has taken a different direction that still allows her ample opportunities to meaningfully serve others.

Frank Sardone. President and CEO of Bronson Healthcare (Kalamazoo, Mich.). As president and CEO of Bronson Healthcare, Mr. Sardone also oversees Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. He has guided Bronson Healthcare to numerous national awards for both in his 17 years as its CEO and throughout his 25 years working for the system. He oversaw the $210 million redevelopment of Bronson Methodist Hospital with improved patient rooms and ambience, a project that was completed in 2000. He has also served on the boards of various professional and charitable organizations in the Kalamazoo region.

Garry Scheib. Executive Vice President of Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia). Mr. Scheib leads the daily operations of the 784-bed academic flagship hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, based in Philadelphia. Previously, he served as system COO since 2004, managing the financial and operational elements of the system's three hospitals and other facilities. He also served as president of the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania in 2012.

Rick Seidler. President and CEO of Trinity Rock Island (Ill.). Mr. Seidler was named president and CEO of Rock Island, Ill.-based Trinity Regional Health System in 2010, leaving his role as CEO of Allen Memorial Hospital, a Waterloo, Iowa-based member of UnityPoint Health. Both systems are members of Des Moines-based Iowa Health. Trinity announced in January plans to expand cardiovascular and emergency facilities with a $61.3 million expansion project, expected to break ground this summer and be completed by summer 2015.

Louis Shapiro. President and CEO of Hospital for Special Surgery (New York City). Mr. Shapiro left his previous role as COO of Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger Health System in 2006 to become president and CEO of Hospital for Special Surgery. The hospital is a perennial leader in orthopedics and rheumatology. It is also a research powerhouse, currently receiving more than $48 million in research funding from the National Institutes of Health.

Jim Sheets. Administrator of LDS Hospital (Salt Lake City). Intermountain Healthcare tapped Mr. Sheets in 2011 to head its LDS Hospital. He began his tenure at Intermountain in 2007 as operations officer at the 217-bed hospital, ranked as the best hospital in Utah and the 29th best gynecology program in the country by U.S. News & World Report last year. The hospital has received numerous other awards for clinical excellence.

Douglas Silverstein. President of Evanston (Ill.) Hospital. Mr. Silverstein joined Evanston, Ill.-based NorthShore University HealthSystem in 1992, switching from president of its Glenbrook (Ill.) Hospital to the 743-bed flagship Evanston Hospital in June 2012. Truven Health Analytics named Evanston Hospital to its 100 Top Hospitals list this year, following on the tails of the hospital's recent clinical affiliation with the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

Peter Slavin, MD. President of Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston). When he's not teaching internal medicine and healthcare leadership and policy at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Slavin heads Mass General as president, a role he has held since 2003. He was the hospital's CMO from 1994 to 1997, then became president of Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis through 1999 before returning to Mass General. Last year, the hospital knocked Baltimore's The Johns Hopkins Hospital out of U.S. News & World Report's coveted top ranking, a spot Johns Hopkins had held for the past 21 consecutive years.

Kevin Sowers, RN. President of Duke University Hospital (Durham, N.C.). Mr. Sowers is a 20-year veteran of Duke University Health System's administrative team. He began his nursing career at Duke and became a nursing leader in oncology in 1986. He rose to become interim CEO in 2008 before making the title permanent the following year. Under his tenure, the hospital has seen upgrades and expansions to its emergency department.

Glenn Steele, Jr., MD, PhD. President and CEO of Geisinger Health System (Danville, Pa.). Dr. Steele has been the face of Geisinger Health System since March 2001, when he arrived at the pioneering system from the University of Chicago, where he was a dean of the medical school and a professor in the surgery department. Before that, he was a member of the surgical faculty at Harvard Medical School, CEO of Deaconess Professional Practice Group and chairman of New England Deaconess Hospital (now Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center) in Boston.

David Strong. President of Rex Healthcare (Raleigh, N.C.). Rex Healthcare named Mr. Strong president of its six campuses in 2004, putting him in charge of the system's 5,300 employees. He also serves as COO of system affiliations at Chapel Hill, N.C.-based UNC Healthcare. Rex Hospital made Truven Health Analytics' 100 Top Hospitals in 2012-13 under Mr. Strong's leadership and also earned Magnet nursing status from the American Nursing Credentialing Center.

Douglas Strong. CEO of University of Michigan Medical Center (Ann Arbor). Mr. Strong cemented his place as CEO of University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers in 2006 after serving in the role for a year on an interim basis. That's the second time a temporary position became permanent for him at the system, having served as interim CFO for two years until his official appointment in 2004. Prior to his time with University of Michigan, he had served in financial and administrative roles at four academic medical centers over two decades.

Rick Sutton. CEO of North Colorado Medical Center (Greeley, Colo.). Before coming to NCMC in 2008, Mr. Sutton held C-suite positions at several other facilities in Phoenix-based Banner Health system, which earned a top 15 distinction from Truven Health Analytics in 2013. Since he took charge, NCMC Breast Center earned a nod from the American College of Radiology, and the hospital has been named among both Healthgrades' and Truven Health Analytics' lists of 100 best hospitals.

Kevin Tabb, MD. President and CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston). Dr. Tabb was named CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess in 2011. The 649-bed, Harvard Medical School-affiliated teaching hospital is home to the oldest clinical research laboratory in the country. Previously, Dr. Tabb served as CMO of Palo Alto, Calif.-based Stanford Hospital & Clinics and worked for GE Healthcare IT, heading its clinical data services division.

James Terwilliger. President of Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital (Indianapolis). Mr. Terwilliger was appointed president of IU Health Methodist and University hospitals in October 2012, just more than one year after he joined the system in June 2011 as vice president for cancer services. His earlier roles include roles at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, USC's University Hospital in Los Angeles and UCLA Hospital System, also in Los Angeles. U.S. News & World Report ranked IU Health, among its best the "Best Hospitals in America" for 15 consecutive years.

Jeffrey Thompson, MD. CEO of Gundersen Lutheran Health System (La Crosse, Wis.). Dr. Thompson is committed to improving healthcare in Wisconsin, having been a founding member and former chair of the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality. Even as CEO of the more than 6,000-staff Gundersen Lutheran since 2001, he continues to practice as a pediatric intensivist and neonatologist. He has authored numerous articles and other publications on various healthcare topics.

Mark Tolosky, JD. President and CEO of Baystate Health (Springfield, Mass.). As president and CEO of Baystate Health, Mr. Tolosky directs Baystate Medical Center along with the system's children's hospital, health insurance company, two community hospitals, medical practices and home care agencies. He is a former chair of the Massachusetts Hospital Association and was named the Massachusetts Healthcare Executive of the Year in 2004.

Ted Townsend. President and CEO of St. Luke's Hospital (Cedar Rapids, Iowa). Mr. Townsend is CEO of St. Luke's Hospital, a member of Des Moines, Iowa-based UnityPoint Health, formerly known as Iowa Health System. Under his leadership, St. Luke's earned a place on Truven Health Analytics' 2012-13 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals list. A trailblazer in population health initiatives, the hospital is a participant in two accountable care organizations.

Kevin Unger. President and CEO of Poudre Valley Hospital (Fort Collins, Colo.). After joining Poudre Valley Health System in 2001, Mr. Unger was named the hospital's president and CEO in 2005. He has received national distinctions for executive success, including a 2009 Robert S. Hudgens Young Healthcare Executive award from the American College of Healthcare Executives. Previously, he worked for the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, and also as a healthcare consultant.

Margaret Van Bree, DrPH. CEO of St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital (Houston). Dr. Van Bree is senior vice president of St. Luke's Episcopal Health System and is responsible for operations and administration at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital. She was previously COO at Madison, Wis.-based University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics and an executive at the University of Virginia Health System and Fariview-University Medical Center in Minneapolis.

Paul Viviano. CEO of UC San Diego Health System. Mr. Viviano assumed his role as CEO of UC San Diego Health System in June 2012. He came from Newport Beach, Calif.-based Alliance HealthCare Services, where he was CEO since 2003. Prior to that role, he served as CEO of USC University Hospital and USC/Norris Cancer Hospital. He has also held leadership positions with St. Joseph Health System based in Orange, Calif., Long Beach (Calif.) Community Hospital and Los Alamitos (Calif.) Medical Center.

Kevin Webb, PhD. President of ProMedica Toledo (Ohio) Hospital. Dr. Webb was named president of Toledo Hospital in 2008, where he began his career as director of audiology in 1982. Within a short time, he advanced to administrative roles on the clinical side and later the business side of The Toledo Hospital, Lima (Ohio) Memorial Hospital and Sylvania, Ohio-based Flower Hospital, all of which belong to the Toledo-based ProMedica network. Today he leads the 500-bed Toledo Hospital and the 151-bed Toledo Children's Hospital.

Michael Wiemann, MD. President of Providence Hospital (Southfield, Mich.). Dr. Wiemann, an oncologist, leads Providence Hospital as president and is Warren, Mich.-based St. John Providence Health System's executive vice president of the Providence West Region. Previously, Dr. Wiemann served as senior vice president and CMO at Indianapolis-based St. Vincent Hospitals and Health Care Center. A former medical professor at Brown University School of Medicine in Providence, R.I., Dr. Wiemann has published research on cancer and treatments.

Nicholas Wolter, MD. CEO of Billings (Mont.) Clinic. Dr. Wolter is the leader of the Billings Clinic health system, which includes the 270-bed acute-care hospital, seven critical access hospitals, and other facilities and clinics. He is a former board member of the American Hospital Association and the American Medical Group Association, and served two terms as a commissioner on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. He is board certified in internal and pulmonary medicine.

Rob Wolterman. CEO of Ochsner Medical Center (New Orleans). Mr. Wolterman joined the New Orleans-based Ochsner Health System in 2007 as vice president of operations for Ochsner Baptist Medical Center, later being named CEO of the system's flagship hospital, Ochsner Medical Center. He also maintains administrative responsibility for Ochsner Group Practice.

Vinson Yates. President of Grant Medical Center (Columbus, Ohio). Mr. Yates has been a part of Columbus-based OhioHealth since 1987 when he was hired as a financial analyst. He has served as president of Grant Medical Center since 2010. The 640-bed teaching hospital received Magnet designation for nursing excellence, and ranked in the top 50 hospitals in 2012-13 for both gastroenterology and pulmonology from U.S. News & World Report. Mr. Yates, a certified public accountant, has more than 20 years of leadership experience in healthcare finance and administration.

Stephen Zieniewicz. Executive Director of University of Washington Medical Center (Seattle). Mr. Zieniewicz was COO at Saint Louis University Hospital and Tenet Healthcare for three years when he was tapped to come to the UW Medical Center in 2007. He has three decades of healthcare administration experience, having worked in leadership roles at Winthrop South Nassau University Health System on Long Island, N.Y., and North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y.

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