Academic medical centers house the most complex patient care and the most consequential medical research. They also function as a training ground for the next generation of healthcare’s workforce. Leading these institutions demands a rare combination of clinical vision, research acumen, academic leadership and operational command.
The CEOs recognized on this list are redefining what’s possible at the highest levels of medicine. Bold and forward-thinking, these leaders are helping to build the future of medicine.
Note: Becker’s Healthcare developed this list based on nominations and editorial research. Leaders do not pay and cannot pay for inclusion on this list. This list is not exhaustive, nor is it an endorsement of the leaders or organizations mentioned. We extend a special thank you to Rhoda Weiss for her contributions to this list. Leaders are presented in alphabetical order.
Contact Anna Falvey at afalvey@beckershealthcare.com with questions or comments.
Richard A. Anderson. President and CEO of St. Luke’s University Health Network (Bethlehem, Pa.). Mr. Anderson has led St. Luke’s University Health Network since 1985, making him the nation’s longest-tenured health system CEO. When he took over, St. Luke’s was a single community hospital with an operating budget of about $63 million. Today, the network includes more than 16 hospital campuses and over 350 outpatient sites, employs more than 23,000 people and generates annual revenue approaching $5 billion. In 2009, he helped establish the Lehigh Valley’s first four-year medical school in partnership with Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine, which has since grown to more than 65 graduate medical education programs with more than 550 fellows and residents. In 2026, St. Luke’s opened the St. Luke’s College of Health Sciences to help address workforce shortages in critical healthcare roles. In 2025, the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality ranked St. Luke’s as the top-performing health system in the U.S. for safety and quality. Mr. Anderson received the 2024 “Steven Schroeder Award for Outstanding Healthcare CEO” from Leapfrog, which recognizes ethical leadership in improving health care quality and affordability.
Steve Arner. President and CEO of Carilion Clinic (Roanoke, Va.). Mr. Arner oversees Carilion Clinic, a $2.9 billion nonprofit, integrated health system and academic medical center that serves nearly 1 million people across Virginia and West Virginia. The network includes seven hospitals, more than 1,400 physicians and advanced practice providers, and trains more than 330 residents and fellows annually in partnership with Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and Radford University Carilion. He began his career at Carilion in 1996 as a financial analyst, rose to COO in 2012, and was promoted to president and CEO in October 2024. Under his leadership, the academic medical center has undertaken a $1 billion capital improvement initiative, including a $500 million Crystal Spring Tower expansion at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital and an expanded emergency department that is now among the largest in Virginia. He is also overseeing construction of the six-story Carilion Taubman Cancer Center, slated to open in 2028 with proton beam therapy previously unavailable in the region, along with the launch of a new kidney transplant program. Carilion Clinic Innovation, which Mr. Arner helped create in 2019, serves as a catalyst for the system’s clinician-led research and discoveries.
Bill Arnold. Executive Vice President, President of the Southern Region for RWJBarnabas Health, and CEO of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (New Brunswick, N.J.). Mr. Arnold leads Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the flagship of Rutgers Cancer Institute and New Jersey’s largest academic medical center. He also serves as executive vice president and president of RWJBarnabas Health’s Southern Region, which includes six acute care hospitals. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital has 724 beds, including the 105-bed Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital, and is one of only three state-accredited level 1 trauma centers in New Jersey. Since taking the helm in 2021, Mr. Arnold has deepened the hospital’s integration with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, recruiting clinical leadership across departments including pediatric medicine, neurosurgery and thoracic surgery. The hospital undertook a capital expansion exceeding $2 billion in New Brunswick that includes the Jack and Sheryl Morris Cancer Center, New Jersey’s first freestanding cancer hospital, which opened in 2025 with nine operating rooms and 96 inpatient beds, and an ambulatory services pavilion. He also led implementation of a formal integrated practice agreement between Rutgers University and RWJBarnabas Health, a clinical alignment he was tapped to realize in 2021. In the past year, Mr. Arnold received the “Outstanding Healthcare Executive” award from the EJI Excellence in Medicine Foundation and was named to NJBIZ‘s “People to Watch” and “Power” lists.
Michael Ash, MD. CEO of Nebraska Medicine (Omaha, Neb.). Dr. Ash was named CEO of Nebraska Medicine in July 2025 after serving as the system’s COO. He has spent more than a decade with Nebraska Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, advancing digital innovation, patient safety and operational excellence. Earlier in his career, he served as chief medical officer for Cerner Corporation, now Oracle Health, and practiced as an internal medicine physician. A recognized innovator, Dr. Ash holds more than a dozen patents in health care technology. His leadership is guided by a vision of world-class health care defined by zero harm, personalized treatment and seamless teamwork. He is steering the health system to harness AI and operational transformation to deliver safer, more compassionate and more equitable care.
Jeffrey Balser, MD, PhD. President and CEO of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville, Tenn.). Dr. Balser joined Vanderbilt professionally in 1998 as associate dean for physician scientist development. He then served as chair of the anesthesiology department and chief research officer before becoming dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 2008 and president and CEO of VUMC in 2016. During his tenure in various leadership roles, Dr. Balser led the organization through service-volume growth, expanding the children’s hospital and adult critical care tower. Dr. Balser has announced plans to retire on Dec. 31, 2026, and the academic medical center has announced his successor.
Jason Barrett. CEO of The George Washington University Hospital (Washington, D.C.). Mr. Barrett became CEO of The George Washington University Hospital in August 2025, and also serves as group vice president for the Washington, D.C. market. In this role, he oversees the flagship academic hospital as well as the recently opened Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center GW Health. Mr. Barrett brings more than 25 years of healthcare leadership experience, with expertise in hospital operations, service expansion and strategic growth. He joined King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services in 2023 as CEO of Northwest Texas Healthcare System in Amarillo, Texas. Prior to that, he held multiple senior leadership roles across community and academic health systems. In his current role, Mr. Barrett is focused on strengthening academic partnerships, advancing quality and expanding access to care in the nation’s capital.
Kate Becker. CEO of University of New Mexico Hospital (Albuquerque). Ms. Becker became CEO of University of New Mexico Hospital in May 2018 after serving as president of SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital. She also has experience as the interim president of SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis and president of Richmond Heights, Mo.-based SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital. In her current role, Ms. Becker oversees operations at UNM Hospital, which is New Mexico’s only level 1 trauma center and the first National Institutes of Health-designated comprehensive cancer center and award-winning advanced care stroke center. Ms. Becker has announced plans to retire on Dec. 11, 2026, and the academic medical center has announced his successor.
Alastair Bell, MD. President and CEO of Boston Medical Center Health System. Dr. Bell oversees Boston Medical Center Health System, whose flagship, Boston Medical Center, serves as the principal teaching affiliate of Boston University’s Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and operates 67 residency training programs with 679 resident and fellowship positions. Dr. Bell led one of the region’s most significant hospital integrations, more than doubling the health system’s bed capacity from 511 to 1,026 after it assumed operations of two community hospitals, now known as BMC Brighton (Mass.) and Brockton, Mass.-based BMC South, in October 2024. He simultaneously guided the system’s workforce expansion from roughly 10,000 to 15,000 employees while integrating 10 clinical departments across the three hospitals to improve care coordination. In fall 2025, Dr. Bell oversaw a complex Epic EHR integration across the system that established a single patient record to strengthen data continuity and clinical decision-making. He has also prioritized expanding primary care in neighborhoods facing housing instability, food insecurity and high chronic disease burden, including the November 2025 launch of a new primary care practice in Brighton and the 2026 acquisition of a primary care practice in Whitman, Mass. Dr. Bell previously led McKinsey’s North American payer and provider practice.
Madeline Bell. CEO at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. In the decade-plus that Ms. Bell has served as Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s CEO, the system has grown from $2.3 billion in annual revenue and a workforce of 15,800 to $5.2 billion in revenue and a workforce of 31,000. She has made numerous contributions to CHOP, including the development of one of the largest pediatric ambulatory care networks in the country, the expansion of the Philadelphia Campus, the creation of the Middleman Family Pavilion, and the development of the Center for Advanced Behavioral Healthcare and the Behavioral Health & Crisis Center in West Philadelphia, as well as Roberts Children’s Health, a new inpatient complex that will open in 2028. During Ms. Bell’s tenure, CHOP has consistently been recognized as one of the nation’s top children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, has been featured on Newsweek’s lists of the nation’s best children’s hospitals and the world’s best hospitals, and has appeared on Forbes’ list of America’s best large employers. In 2026, CHOP was named one of the world’s most innovative companies by Fast Company, leading the healthcare category. Ms. Bell works with policymakers, community leaders and other stakeholders to find solutions for the toughest challenges in pediatric healthcare, and has championed the development of cell and gene therapies. She serves on the boards of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics and Solutions for Patient Safety, and is the former chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s board of directors. Ms. Bell is set to retire on Oct. 1, 2026.
Marc Boom, MD. President and CEO of Houston Methodist. Dr. Boom oversees operations at the Houston Methodist hospital network as president and CEO. An internal medicine physician by training, Dr. Boom also serves as the Ella Fondren and Josie Roberts Presidential Distinguished Centennial Chair of Houston Methodist and played an integral role in the health network’s affiliation with Weill Cornell Medical College and NewYork Presbyterian Hospital, both in New York City. Dr. Boom is board certified in internal medicine and geriatric medicine and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. Dr. Boom is also an assistant professor of Medicine at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, as well as an adjunct professor of management, policy and community health at The University of Texas School of Public Health. Houston Methodist is consistently ranked among the country’s best by U.S. News & World Report, and is affiliated with Weill Cornell Medical College, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, University of Houston, Texas A&M and UT-Health Science Center, all academic institutions that support its teaching and research initiatives.
Lisa M. Boyle, MD. President of MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and Senior Vice President for MedStar Health (Washington, D.C.). Dr. Boyle serves as president of academic medical center MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and senior vice president for MedStar Health. Before assuming the role, she served in various physician leadership positions at MedStar Washington Hospital Center for two decades. In addition, she has been interim president, vice president and secretary of the medical staff and served for two years as the chair of the MedStar Health Medical Policy Committee. Outside of her administrative role, she treats patients and performs almost 200 surgeries per year at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.
David Brown, MD. President of Academic Medical Centers at Massachusetts General Brigham (Boston). Dr. Brown serves as president of academic medical centers at Massachusetts General Brigham. He is also a Mass General Trustees professor of emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School. In addition to his leadership roles, he is a clinician, academic, teacher, mentor and administrator. He has also authored over 250 peer-reviewed works and written two textbooks. Prior to his current role, he served as president of Massachusetts General Hospital from 2021 to 2024.
Vito Buccellato. President and Chief Hospital Executive of Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center (Neptune, N.J.). Mr. Buccellato leads Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he has overseen significant growth in centers of excellence including neuroscience, oncology and cardiovascular services. Under his leadership, the medical center’s Dr. Robert H. and Mary Ellen Harris ZAP-X Center for Noninvasive Neurosurgery became the first site in the world to combine ZAP-X gyroscopic radiosurgery with Synaptive’s brain-only, silent MRI technology for treating brain tumors and conditions such as trigeminal neuralgia. The medical center was also the first hospital in New Jersey to offer histotripsy for liver and metastasized cancers and trans-arterial micro-perfusion therapy for advanced pancreatic cancer, and it opened a $45 million cardiovascular suite with four cardiac catheterization labs, four electrophysiology labs and two hybrid operating rooms. The hospital was ranked the eighth-best hospital in New Jersey by U.S. News & World Report in its 2026-2027 rankings. It also trains more than 190 resident and fellow physicians across 20 accredited programs in partnership with its academic affiliates. Mr. Buccellato serves on the boards of United Surgical Partners International and Neighborhood Health Providers.
Dawn Bulgarella. CEO of UAB Health System and UAB/Ascension St. Vincent’s Alliance (Birmingham, Ala.). In 2023, Ms. Bulgarella was unanimously named CEO of UAB Health System, one of the largest public health systems in the country and the largest in Alabama, as well as CEO of UAB/Ascension St. Vincent’s Alliance. The system’s flagship, UAB University Hospital, boasts over 1,200 licensed beds. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Bulgarella had been serving in an interim capacity since 2022. She brings over three decades of experience within the UAB system to the role. Ms. Bulgarella aims to further expand healthcare accessibility across the state.
Joseph Cacchione, MD. CEO of Jefferson (Philadelphia). Dr. Cacchione has served as CEO of Jefferson since 2022, providing strategic leadership for a comprehensive system that includes Jefferson Health, Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health Plans, which collectively serve millions of patients, 8,300 students and more than 350,000 insurance members annually. His tenure has been marked by significant advances in technology integration, patient care quality and innovative solutions that expand access to care, firmly positioning Jefferson as a leader in modern healthcare delivery. Among his most notable technology initiatives is Jefferson’s “Virtual Checkout” system, a national first that streamlines the patient experience by allowing remote staff to schedule follow-ups and address questions before patients leave the exam room. He is also leading the charge for an ambitious AI strategy aimed at reclaiming over 10 million hours of clinician time by 2028. Under his leadership, Jefferson has earned “A” hospital safety grades from The Leapfrog Group, achieved Magnet redesignation across multiple hospitals, and received top rankings from U.S. News & World Report. Dr. Cacchione has also deepened Jefferson’s community impact through his bicentennial service initiative, and has expanded mobile health, telehealth and language access services that reach underserved populations. He serves on the board of the University City Science Center, and as policy committee chair and executive committee member of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia.
David Callecod. CEO of Ochsner LSU Health System of North Louisiana (Shreveport, La.). Mr. Callecod was named CEO of Ochsner LSU Health System of North Louisiana in 2025 after serving as interim CEO since November 2024. He brings more than 25 years of leadership experience, including his tenure as CEO of Lafayette (La.) General Health System, now Ochsner Lafayette General, where he guided a seven-hospital system with two teaching hospitals and six clinical affiliates. He previously served as interim CEO of Ochsner LSU Health from 2021 to 2022, deepening his knowledge of the region and the system. Between health system leadership roles, he founded Callecod Advisory Group, consulting for healthcare startups and confirming his passion for patient- and employee-centered care. Now as CEO, Mr. Callecod is focused on strengthening patient outcomes and elevating the employee experience across the North Louisiana system.
David L. Callender, MD. President and CEO of Memorial Hermann Health System (Houston). Dr. Callender leads Memorial Hermann Health System, where he has spearheaded a multiyear transformation strategy to create greater value for the patients and populations it serves. Under his leadership in 2025, the system registered 1.8 million patient encounters, successfully launched Epic with a “good install” recognition, deployed AI tools to enhance clinical workflows, completed more than 50 strategic investments and 20 strategic partnerships, and provided $486 million in community contributions and charity care. His focus on organizational culture has yielded striking results since 2021, including a 37% decrease in total turnover and a 43% decrease in first-year turnover. In addition, the system has seen a 95% reduction in contract labor since 2022. One notable culture initiative that has grown under his leadership is the employee recognition platform, through which 88% of employees received recognition. Dr. Callender has also been a prominent voice on healthcare policy, participating in a CEO working group convened by U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy to evaluate healthcare legislation, advocating alongside Houston healthcare leaders to extend Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits, and successfully advocating to expand state funding for healthcare apprenticeships. He also serves on the boards of the United Way of Greater Houston, the Houston division of the American Heart Association and the Greater Houston Partnership. He serves as a founding member of the board of directors of Longitude Health.
Brendan G. Carr, MD. CEO of Mount Sinai Health System (New York City). Dr. Carr leads Mount Sinai Health System as CEO and holder of the Kenneth L. Davis, MD Distinguished Chair. He guides one of the nation’s premier academic health systems, comprising the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing, nationally and regionally ranked hospitals, and more than 400 ambulatory locations and physician practices. A nationally recognized leader in academic medicine and health policy, his leadership is grounded in driving innovation, developing cutting-edge cures and data-driven treatments, and delivering compassionate care for all New Yorkers. He aims to advance Mount Sinai’s capacity to conduct groundbreaking research, pioneer innovative care, and provide world-leading education to future healthcare leaders. Dr. Carr leads as a physician-scientist with more than 20 years of emergency medicine experience, having completed his residency in emergency medicine and fellowships in trauma and surgical critical care and in health policy research, and he remains clinically active in Mount Sinai’s emergency department. Prior to joining Mount Sinai, he served in multiple policy roles within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he strengthened the U.S. healthcare system’s ability to respond to large-scale public health threats and improve health outcomes. He has also held faculty roles at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, and Thomas Jefferson University’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College.
Bob S. Carter, MD, PhD. Executive Vice President for Health Sciences and CEO of University of Utah Health (Salt Lake City). Dr. Carter leads University of Utah Health, where he oversees the professional and educational success of more than 27,000 faculty, staff and students at one of the nation’s premier academic health centers. He joined the university in 2025 after serving as the William and Elizabeth Sweet Endowed Professor in Neuroscience at Harvard Medical School and as neurosurgeon-in-chief at Mass General Brigham, Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. A nationally recognized neurosurgical oncologist, Dr. Carter has built a career advancing patient care through both surgical innovation and scientific discovery. His research contributions span clinical and translational neuroscience, where he has authored influential publications and led groundbreaking studies. In recognition of his impact, Dr. Carter was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2024.
Patrick Cawley, MD. CEO of MUSC Health and Vice President for Health Affairs of Medical University of South Carolina (Charleston, S.C.). As CEO of MUSC Health, Dr. Cawley oversees a health system with a campus in downtown Charleston as well as 100 other outreach locations, clinical affiliations and a telehealth network. He previously served as the health system’s CMO, overseeing quality and safety initiatives. The health system reports more than 1 million patient encounters per year. He is vice president for health affairs of the university and the first physician executive to serve as board chair of the South Carolina Hospital Association.
Howard Chrisman, MD. CEO of Northwestern Medicine (Chicago). Dr. Chrisman became CEO of Northwestern Medicine’s academic medical enterprise in January 2023. He is also a vascular and interventional radiologist who continues to treat patients alongside his executive responsibilities. His ascent to the top leadership role followed a series of progressively senior positions including president and COO of the system, executive vice president of clinical operations, president of Northwestern Medical Group, and interim chair of multiple departments including radiology, anesthesia, pathology and surgery. Dr. Chrisman’s strategic vision is anchored in “NM 2035,” a 10-year plan that envisions Northwestern Medicine as a recognized pioneer in advancing medical care, delivering consistent and exceptional patient experiences, and leading innovations including the integration of AI in care delivery, with a focus on performing efficiently at the highest level to reinvest in the organization and the communities it serves. Workforce development remains a central priority of his leadership, and the system has seen meaningful progress in net promoter scores and lower burnout rates since he took the helm. Northwestern Medicine is among the few elite academic medical centers in the country excelling in translating discoveries into clinical practice, a reputation Dr. Chrisman is committed to further cementing and elevating.
Kevin B. Churchwell, MD. CEO of Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Churchwell has served as president and CEO of Boston Children’s Hospital since March 2021, following nearly a decade of senior leadership at the hospital that began in 2013 as executive vice president of health affairs and COO. He has been instrumental in transforming Boston Children’s into a high reliability organization built around a commitment to zero avoidable harm to patients, families and staff. A longtime advocate for equity in pediatric medicine, Dr. Churchwell founded three of the 11 Offices of Health Equity and Inclusion at hospitals across the U.S. and Canada, including the one he established at Boston Children’s in 2016. Since early 2025, he has been an outspoken voice against federal cuts to healthcare and research funding, noting that reductions affecting the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration have already slowed the hospital’s vaccine development and sickle cell disease research. Under his leadership, Boston Children’s has been ranked on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Children’s Hospitals” honor roll for over a decade consecutively. Dr. Churchwell also holds an appointment as associate professor of pediatric anesthesia at Harvard Medical School and serves on the boards of the Massachusetts Hospital Association, the Whitehead Institute, and the Boys and Girls Club of Boston.
Stephanie Conners, BSN, RN. President and CEO of BayCare Health System (Clearwater, Fla.). Ms. Conners leads BayCare Health System, the largest academic health system in West Central Florida, overseeing a $7 billion nonprofit organization with nearly 34,000 team members, 16 hospitals with a 17th under construction, and hundreds of outpatient locations. She began her career as a nurse and has maintained her nursing license throughout her executive career. In 2024, she led a corporate restructuring intended to strengthen BayCare’s long-term stability and preserve local governance while keeping nonprofit, academic care accessible to the communities it serves. Under her leadership, BayCare has expanded access to advanced care, including opening Florida’s first behavioral health urgent care center and introducing proton therapy services to the Tampa Bay region, and has committed to growing its graduate medical education residency positions to more than 650 by 2029. She has also advanced a strategic collaboration with Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine to exchange best practices in patient care, medical education and innovation, and championed workforce initiatives such as a nationally recognized virtual nurse program and AI-assisted bedside documentation to ease administrative burden. Ms. Conners serves as a board member of the Florida Hospital Association and Tampa Bay Thrives, and BayCare has been named multiple times to PEOPLE magazine’s “Top Companies That Care” list.
Robert Corona, DO. CEO of Upstate University Hospital and Community Hospital (Syracuse, N.Y.). Dr. Corona has served as CEO of Upstate University Hospital and Community Hospital since December 2018, while also holding the John B. Henry professorship in pathology and laboratory medicine and serving as senior associate dean of clinical affairs. He has established a nationally recognized drone and robot delivery program, Upstate Air and Upstate Autonomous Machines, which transport lab samples, medications and supplies across the hospital and region. This year, the Federal Aviation Administration approved an expanded 50-mile drone flight area across Central New York for Upstate, along with a rare waiver allowing medical use. Dr. Corona also founded “Respect and Heal,” a workplace violence prevention initiative that now includes more than a dozen regional hospital members, and he created a fellowship in healthcare administration, leadership and management accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, for which he serves as program director. Under his leadership, Upstate has grown hospital revenue and profitability by more than $1 billion since 2019, improved its quality rating from Vizient and CMS from 1-star to 3-star, and achieved Magnet recognition for nursing excellence across two consecutive three-year cycles. He also helped secure $450 million in funding for a new emergency department and burn unit, and is overseeing construction of a $150 million Pathology Institute slated to open in 2027. SUNY Upstate Medical University is the only academic medical center in Central New York.
John Couris. President and CEO of Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital and Florida Health Sciences Center. Mr. Couris has served as president and CEO of Florida Health Sciences Center, the parent organization of Tampa General Hospital, since 2017, leading its transformation into a statewide academic health system that now includes seven hospitals and more than 150 care locations across Florida. The organization has more than $3.4 billion in revenue and approximately 15,000 team members and providers serving more than 6 million Floridians annually, and Mr. Couris oversees its academic partnership with the University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine. Since 2017, he has led an expansion that increased the system’s market share by 20%, grew net revenue by 172% and expanded service lines from two to 22. He has championed innovation through partnerships with Palantir and GE Healthcare that produced AI-enabled care coordination and predictive analytics tools, which the organization credits with eliminating 20,000 excess hospital days, reducing emergency department diversion by 25% and generating more than $50 million in savings. Mr. Couris also helped establish TGH at Home, a nationally recognized hospital-at-home program developed with Shields Health Innovations, and spearheaded a $550 million master facility plan supporting the Tampa Medical & Research District. Under his leadership, employee engagement scores rose from the 40th percentile to the 92nd percentile nationally, and Tampa General was ranked the top hospital in the Tampa Bay region for the 11th consecutive year in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-2027 “Best Hospitals” rankings.
John D’Angelo, MD. CEO of Northwell Health (New Hyde Park, N.Y.). Dr. D’Angelo, an emergency physician by training, serves as the CEO of Northwell Health, the largest nonprofit healthcare provider in New York State and one of the most comprehensive in the nation. Northwell Health functions as an academic health system, partnering with Hofstra University to operate the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine. With more than 25 years of leadership experience at the health system prior to becoming CEO, Dr. D’Angelo has been instrumental in transforming clinical operations, driving innovation and advancing large-scale integration across the system’s 28 hospitals and 1,000 outpatient facilities. He previously served as chief of integrated operations, where he co-led the creation of real-time actionable data, a groundbreaking operational visibility platform, and spearheaded nationally studied initiatives in sepsis prevention. He played a central role in Northwell’s merger with Danbury, Conn.-based NuVance Health, expanding the system’s reach to serve more than 13 million people across New York and Connecticut. A decisive and compassionate leader shaped by his emergency medicine background, Dr. D’Angelo was also pivotal in Northwell’s pandemic response, rapidly deploying remote care, automated results management and telehealth innovations still in use today. Dr. D’Angelo is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and board member of the Healthcare Association of New York State.
Leslie C. Davis. President and CEO at UPMC (Pittsburgh). Ms. Davis leads UPMC, a $28 billion global health system with over 40 hospitals and 800 sites of care in Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Italy, Ireland and Croatia. The system’s 100,000 employees include 5,000 employed physicians and 24,000 nurses. With over three decades in healthcare leadership, Ms. Davis oversees a broad portfolio uniting clinical operations, innovation and insurance under one system, driving excellence in patient care, research and growth. UPMC’s highly ranked health plan, serving over 4 million members, creates innovative solutions for high-quality, low-cost healthcare coverage to improve the lives of its members across diverse patient populations. Under Ms. Davis’ leadership, UPMC continues setting the standard for how technology transforms care with a vast and resilient digital ecosystem of nearly 500,000 connected devices, over 3,600 applications and 70 pedabytes of data, including more than 2.7 billion patient records. She is driving strategic growth through new outpatient centers, virtual care expansion and UPMC’s advancement of AI, including early adoption of ambient AI and the systemwide transition to a unified Epic EHR to unlock AI-driven clinical and operational transformation.
Steve Davis, MD. President and CEO of Cincinnati Children’s. Dr. Davis leads Cincinnati Children’s, a $3.3 billion nonprofit pediatric academic health system with a workforce of nearly 20,000. The system recorded 1.75 million patient encounters in fiscal year 2024-25, including children from all 50 states and dozens of countries. He previously served six years as the health system’s COO before becoming president and CEO. Under his leadership, Cincinnati Children’s has consistently ranked among the top pediatric hospitals in the nation on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Children’s Hospitals” honor roll and is the No. 3 recipient of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health, with sponsored awards totaling more than $304 million annually. In 2021, he helped launch HealthVine, a network of pediatric care providers that coordinates care and support services for more than 127,000 children and families across southwest Ohio. Dr. Davis has also positioned Cincinnati Children’s as a global leader in proton therapy research, including the world’s first clinical trials investigating FLASH radiotherapy, and supported a $99 million inpatient mental health facility that is the largest of its kind in the nation. Most recently, the health system opened the Winslow Research Pavilion, one of only 10 NIH-funded vaccine and treatment evaluation units in the country and the only one housed at a freestanding pediatric hospital. Dr. Davis also chairs the board of the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association and is a board member of Children’s Hospitals’ Solutions for Patient Safety.
Timothy Dellit, MD. CEO of UW Medicine and Dean of the University of Washington School of Medicine (Seattle). Dr. Dellit provides leadership for more than 35,000 employees at UW Medicine, the University of Washington’s health system, which includes two medical centers, a network of primary care clinics, a physician practice group, an air medical transport service and the UW School of Medicine, with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center serving as its cancer program. He oversees the academic health system, the medical school and the university’s medical centers, clinics and affiliated programs, along with development of academic programs in medical education, research and training. Dr. Dellit also leads UW Medicine’s role as Washington state’s public hospital system and safety net, supporting clinical and teaching programs across the five-state region of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. In fiscal year 2025, UW Medicine provided more than $500 million in uncompensated care. He has guided the health system through the Covid-19 pandemic and current financial, operational and federal policy challenges while working with university leaders on a “One School, One System, One University” plan to secure long-term financial stability, including a redesign of medical school operations across 31 departments. The UW School of Medicine completed its first strategic plan in 2025, establishing priorities for the next decade, and UW Medicine has added resources for employee wellbeing, including a chief wellbeing officer role and philanthropic funding for wellbeing grants. UW School of Medicine faculty include 29 National Academy of Medicine members, 33 National Academy of Science members and 12 Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators.
James Downing, MD. President and CEO of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Memphis, Tenn.). Dr. Downing leads St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where he is overseeing a $12.9 billion commitment to accelerate progress in the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other catastrophic diseases. A renowned physician-scientist, Dr. Downing achieved a succession of seminal findings on the molecular pathology of pediatric leukemia and was instrumental in launching the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, which led to groundbreaking discoveries in cancer research and earned recognition on TIME magazine’s 2012 list of top 10 medical advances. Under his leadership, St. Jude has championed “St. Jude Global,” an expansive program to raise survival rates for children with cancer and blood disorders in low- and middle-income countries, while consistently earning recognition for its organizational culture and as a top workplace. He holds the Donald Pinkel Chair of Childhood Cancer Treatment and has been elected to both the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, both among the highest honors in science and medicine. His many additional distinctions include the “E. Donnall Thomas Lecture and Prize” from the American Society of Hematology, the “Pediatric Oncology Award and Lecture” from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the “Outstanding Achievement in Pediatric Cancer Research Award” from the AACR-St. Baldrick’s Foundation, and his 2016 appointment to the Blue Ribbon Panel for Vice President Joe Biden’s National Cancer Moonshot Initiative. In late 2026, Dr. Downing will step down as president and CEO and transition to a faculty role in the global pediatric medicine department.
Shereef Elnahal, MD. President of Oregon Health & Science University (Portland, Ore.). Dr. Elnahal began his tenure as president of Oregon Health & Science University in August 2025, bringing deep expertise in health care delivery within large, integrated health systems. He previously served as undersecretary for health at the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where he led the nation’s largest health system of nearly 400,000 professionals serving 9 million veterans. Earlier in his career, Dr. Elnahal was president and CEO of University Hospital in Newark, N.J., the state’s only public hospital and principal academic medical center for Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. There, he guided the institution through the Covid-19 pandemic, positioning it as a model for urban and regional response.
David Entwistle. President and CEO of Stanford Health Care (Palo Alto, Calif.). Mr. Entwistle serves as president and CEO of Stanford Health Care, Stanford Medicine’s flagship adult health system and one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers. Since joining in 2016, Mr. Entwistle has guided the organization through significant growth, clinical innovation, and the landmark opening of the new Stanford Hospital. Under Mr. Entwistle’s leadership, Stanford Health Care has earned consistent recognition from U.S. News & World Report as the top-ranked hospital in California. The health system has also received The Joint Commission’s sustainable healthcare certification and has been recognized with the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s “Davies Award of Excellence.” A recognized national thought leader on AI, digital health innovation and hospital quality improvement, Mr. Entwistle serves on the boards of Vizient and the California Hospital Association. Prior to Stanford Health Care, he served as CEO of the Salt Lake City-based University of Utah Hospital and Clinics for nine years.
Gianrico Farrugia, MD. President and CEO at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.). Dr. Farrugia leads Mayo Clinic, the world’s No. 1 ranked hospital according to Newsweek for 2026. He is tasked with guiding an 85,000-person global workforce that provides care to patients from all 50 states and more than 135 countries each year. A visionary in healthcare transformation, Dr. Farrugia is pioneering the shift from traditional linear care delivery to a platform-based model that leverages data, technology and collaboration to redefine the future of medicine. Under his leadership, Mayo Clinic launched the “Mayo Clinic Platform,” one of the world’s most advanced ecosystems for applying AI and analytics to clinical care, and embarked on a $9 billion strategic investment to reinvent the patient experience through integrated digital and physical innovation. He has overseen major advancements, including the introduction of over 300 AI algorithms into practice and the establishment of the first carbon ion therapy program in the Americas. A Mayo physician for more than 35 years, Dr. Farrugia previously served as CEO of Mayo Clinic in Florida, headquartered in Jacksonville, and co-founded the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation. A practicing gastroenterologist and National Institutes of Health-funded researcher with more than 390 publications, he also shapes the global healthcare agenda through leadership roles with the National Academy of Medicine and the World Economic Forum. In May 2026, he shared that he will complete his tenure at the end of the year.
Cheryl Ficara, RN. President of Hartford (Conn.) Hospital and the Hartford Region, and Senior Vice President of Hartford HealthCare. Ms. Ficara leads Hartford Hospital, an 867-bed academic medical center and regional referral center that serves as Hartford HealthCare’s flagship, and serves as senior vice president of the broader health system. She serves as executive sponsor of “HHC 2035,” Hartford HealthCare’s $1 billion, 10-year investment to reimagine the Hartford Hospital campus, including a new 14-story tower spanning more than 500,000 square feet with three floors of procedure space and 216 private inpatient beds. The plan also includes a new arrival center with 1,600 parking spaces, an emergency department expansion, a medical observation unit and new oncology clinics. Ms. Ficara joined Hartford Hospital’s nursing leadership in 1990 and was promoted to president after guiding the hospital through the Covid-19 pandemic as its clinical care redesign executive leader. She has developed several systemwide nursing initiatives, including a nursing strategic plan, a professional practice council, and an operating room and surgical technician fellowship, and she chairs the system’s nurse executive council. Under her leadership, Hartford Hospital has earned multiple consecutive “A” safety grades from the Leapfrog Group and received the American Hospital Association’s 2025 “Quest for Quality Prize.” In January 2026, Hartford HealthCare became the first health system in the nation to have all of its cancer centers recognized as MSK Care Partners.
Alison Flynn Gaffney. CEO of Banner–University Medicine (Tucson, Ariz.). Ms. Flynn Gaffney oversees operations for Banner Health’s academic arm in southern Arizona with 8,000 team members at level 1 and level 3 trauma centers, a level 2 pediatric trauma center, a children’s medical center, a comprehensive cancer center, an Alzheimer’s institute, and outpatient sites. The organization saw 1,046,615 patient encounters in 2025. Under her leadership, Banner–University Medical Center Tucson’s emergency department achieved level 3 geriatric emergency department accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians in 2026. The 649- and 245-bed hospitals are training sites for nearly 500 University of Arizona College of Medicine–Tucson medical students, as well as 750 residents and fellows. The partnership between Banner Health and University of Arizona reached a major milestone of 10 years of delivering exceptional care to patients, educating future health professionals, and advancing medicine through pioneering research. Ms. Flynn Gaffney’s focus on excellence and organizational culture has brought about numerous accolades, and team feedback about health and wellness at work achieved a double-digit increase this past year. Banner–University Medicine Tucson is the official trusted healthcare provider of Arizona Athletics, and is expanding patient access, investing in infrastructure, and partnering with the University of Arizona and the community to strengthen healthcare delivery across southern Arizona. Ms. Flynn Gaffney is the 2026 chair of the Chamber of Southern Arizona and was named a 2026 “Woman Visionary” by Tucson Lifestyle. She is one of a handful of healthcare executives to receive American College of Healthcare Executives’ “Senior Level Healthcare Award” in two states.
Natalie Fox, DNP. CEO of USA Health (Mobile, Ala.). Dr. Fox oversees the overall strategy, performance and operations at USA Health, the University of South Alabama’s academic health system, which includes more than 400 physicians, 300 advanced practice providers, and over 300 residents and fellows across faculty and community-based practices. She has been a dedicated leader at USA Health since 2011, serving in roles that advanced population health and reduced barriers to care. As assistant administrator and CNO for USA Health Physicians Group, she played a critical role in leading the system’s Covid-19 testing and vaccination response in partnership with the City of Mobile. For this work, she was recognized with the “Mobile Community Health Leadership Award” and the “Exceptional Citizenship Award” from the mayor in 2022. That same year, she also received Alabama’s “Top Nurses Lifetime Achievement Award” for her enduring contributions to the nursing profession. Dr. Fox served as interim CEO for four months before taking on the role permanently in October 2025.
Lou Fragoso. President and CEO of Manning Family Children’s (New Orleans). Mr. Fragoso leads Manning Family Children’s, the trusted academic medical center serving as a premier pediatric healthcare provider for Louisiana and the Gulf South. He joined the organization in 2019 as CFO and chief administrative officer before being named president and CEO. In that role, he has focused on expanding programs, improving access and experience, and recruiting and retaining top talent. Before joining Manning Family Children’s, Mr. Fragoso held leadership roles at Lurie Children’s in Chicago and Houston-based Texas Children’s Hospital. Mr. Fragoso was named “CEO of the Year” by Biz New Orleans for 2025.
Keith Gray, MD. President and CEO of University of Tennessee Medical Center (Knoxville). Dr. Gray is president and CEO of University of Tennessee Medical Center. Prior, he was executive vice president and chief medical officer at the University of Tennessee Medical Center–Knoxville. He has practiced surgical oncology at the medical center for 15 years, and has held various leadership positions throughout his tenure. He is passionate about health equity and the elimination of health disparities. Dr. Gray has delivered over 100 community lectures.
Thomas M. Gronow, EdD. President and CEO of University of Colorado Hospital (Aurora). Mr. Gronow leads University of Colorado Hospital, the academic medical center at the core of of UCHealth, a nationally recognized health care system with 14 hospitals, $7.5 billion in operating revenue and more than 33,000 employees. He first joined UCHealth in 2014 as COO of the hospital and was promoted to president and CEO in 2022. Prior to UCHealth, he served as vice president of operations at UPMC Mercy in Pittsburgh, beginning his career at UPMC as an administrative fellow in 2007. His leadership expertise focuses on complex adaptive systems, with an emphasis on how leadership, learning and organizational culture shape performance.
Suresh Gunasekaran. President and CEO of UCSF Health (San Francisco). Mr. Gunasekaran is president and CEO of UCSF Health, one of the nation’s leading academic health centers. He previously served as associate vice president of University of Iowa Health Care and CEO of UI Hospitals & Clinics in Iowa City, Iowa. He is responsible for directing UCSF Health towards its mission of growth and innovation. Together with UCSF’s research and education enterprises, he uplifts the health system’s culture and commitment to advancing anti-racism and social justice.
Rodney B. Hanners. CEO of Keck Medicine of USC (Los Angeles). Mr. Hanners oversees Keck Medicine of USC, one of only two university-based medical systems in the Los Angeles region. The academic medical system includes Keck Hospital of USC, USC Norris Cancer Hospital, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, USC Arcadia Hospital and more than 100 outpatient clinics. In 2025, Keck Medicine opened a new 100,000-square-foot outpatient medical office building in Pasadena, its largest outpatient facility, more than doubling clinical capacity in the region and extending access to more than 15 specialty service lines. In spring 2026, both Keck Hospital of USC and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital earned “A” hospital safety grades from the Leapfrog Group for the second consecutive cycle, and Keck Hospital has now earned over 10 “A” grades since 2019. In 2026, Keck Hospital of USC earned five stars from CMS for the third time, placing it among only 385 hospitals nationally and 29 in California to receive the distinction. U.S. News & World Report ranked Keck Medical Center of USC among the top 50 hospitals nationally in seven specialties and as a top 10 hospital in California. Mr. Hanners has also prioritized workforce engagement through the “Care for the Caregiver” initiative and systemwide leadership training programs, and he chairs the CEOs Against Cancer chapter of the American Cancer Society’s Greater Los Angeles affiliate.
Jena Hausmann. President and CEO of Children’s Hospital Colorado (Aurora). Ms. Hausmann leads Children’s Hospital Colorado, one of the nation’s top academic pediatric health systems, overseeing more than 11,000 team members across 15 locations that serve more than 300,000 unique children each year. Under her leadership, the hospital has ranked among the top 10 pediatric hospital systems in the country on U.S. News & World Report‘s honor roll, including being named the No. 1 hospital in the Rocky Mountain region, with top 10 national rankings in cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, pulmonology and lung surgery, cancer care, and gastroenterology and GI surgery. She has championed the hospital’s Precision Medicine Institute, which tripled genomic sequencing capacity, and its heart program, which reports a 91% survival rate for the most complex STAT5 procedures. In 2021, Ms. Hausmann declared a youth mental health state of emergency that sparked a national movement, and since then the hospital has driven a 23% reduction in psychiatric inpatient length of stay through quality improvement measures. She is the architect of a five-year strategic plan intended to accelerate innovation, improve outcomes and expand services to meet community needs. Ms. Hausmann chairs the board of the Children’s Hospital Association and serves on the boards of Colorado College, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and the Global Down Syndrome Foundation.
Bradley Haws. CEO of the Clinical Enterprise and Associate Vice President of University of Iowa Health Care (Iowa City, Iowa). Mr. Haws oversees the operational, strategic and financial performance of University of Iowa Health Care, which operates three medical center campuses and more than 60 facilities across 33 Iowa communities. The enterprise is Iowa’s largest hospital, as well as the state’s only tertiary and quaternary medical center. Since joining in November 2023, he has guided an expansion of the academic medical center’s clinical enterprise, including a first year of operation for its new 470,000-square-foot orthopedics campus in North Liberty, Iowa, which saw more than 142,300 outpatient visits and 8,000 operating room cases between April 2025 and March 2026. He also led the acquisition and integration of Mission Cancer + Blood, a network of 20 outreach clinics, which opened a new clinic and outpatient pharmacy in downtown Des Moines, Iowa in December 2025. In March 2026, UI Health Care opened an updated neonatal intensive care unit at UI Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital, and in April 2026 it completed a 30,000-square-foot renovation and expansion of its OB-GYN inpatient services. Mr. Haws has also championed rural health access, including hosting roundtable discussions with critical access hospitals and implementing Epic Community Connect in more than 40 Iowa communities. Under his leadership, UI Health Care’s university campus has been the top-ranked hospital in Iowa for more than three decades consecutively and was named the No. 1 “most humanizing” healthcare brand in the U.S. in Monigle’s “Humanizing Brand Experience” report in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Thomas Jackiewicz. President of University of Chicago Medicine. Mr. Jackiewicz leads UChicago Medicine, a $6.3 billion integrated academic and community health system. The system includes the flagship University of Chicago Medical Center, Comer Children’s Hospital, five community hospital partners and University of Chicago Physicians Group, one of the largest multispecialty practices in the Chicago area, as well as a microhospital in Northwest Indiana. Under his leadership, UChicago Medicine more than doubled in size, while strengthening quality and increasing access. Mr. Jackiewicz is leading an ambitious cancer care expansion, the building of an $815 million, 575,000-square-foot cancer care and research pavilion opening in 2027. As the first freestanding academic cancer facility in Illinois, AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion will advance cancer health equity, especially on the South Side, where cancer rates are twice the national average. He is also working to deploy agentic AI in operations, including building an agentic primary care and population health model that proactively identifies care gaps, engages patients directly, and drives preventive health exams and vaccinations at scale. In addition, he helped to forge an expansive collaboration with 12 other providers to improve access to healthcare and resources in 15 communities on Chicago’s South Side, supported by up to $146 million in state funding.
Alan Kaplan, MD. CEO of UW Health (Madison, Wis.). Dr. Kaplan serves as CEO of UW Health, a multi-state academic health system affiliated with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health that includes six main hospitals in Wisconsin and Illinois, more than 2,000 faculty physicians and 26,500 employees providing care to more than 867,000 patients annually. He led the post-merger integration of the hospital system and its faculty physician group practice, and facilitated a joint operating agreement with UnityPoint Health-Meriter, a local community hospital in Madison, which included a full merger of health plans, revenue and net income sharing. Since he joined UW Health in 2016, the system has expanded by establishing 74 additional clinic locations, increasing its workforce by 68% and achieving a sixfold rise in outpatient visits. He developed the vision for the 420,000-square-foot UW Health Eastpark Medical Center in Madison, home to the system’s adult oncology and women’s specialty care, which is set to add some of the most advanced proton therapy available, including an upright option among the first in the world. In 2024, Dr. Kaplan convened a gathering of 25 health care leaders at the U.S. Capitol to examine AI in healthcare delivery, producing a report of recommendations for policymakers. Under his leadership, UW Health has been ranked the No. 1 hospital in Wisconsin for 15 consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report as of 2026-27.
Alec C. Kimmelman, MD, PhD. CEO of NYU Langone Health and Dean of NYU Grossman School of Medicine (New York City). Dr. Kimmelman became CEO and dean of NYU Grossman School of Medicine in September 2025, taking the helm of one of the nation’s premier integrated academic health systems. He has been a leader at NYU Langone since 2016, most recently serving as director of the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center. Under his leadership, the institution has expanded its reach with seven inpatient locations, more than 320 outpatient sites, two tuition-free medical schools and a growing national footprint. In 2024, NYU Langone reported $14.2 billion in revenue, added a new hospital in Suffolk County and announced plans for a comprehensive outpatient campus in West Palm Beach, Fla. Dr. Kimmelman is also an internationally recognized physician-scientist.
Anne Klibanski, MD. President and CEO of Mass General Brigham (Boston). As president and CEO of Mass General Brigham, Dr. Klibanski leads a system with internationally known Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, recognized specialty hospitals Mass Eye and Ear, McLean and Spaulding Rehabilitation, community hospitals, health centers and home-based care. It is the largest private employer in Massachusetts with 82,000 employees and $23 billion in annual revenue. Since her appointment in 2019, Dr. Klibanski led the transformation into a fully integrated academic health system, achieving greater clinical integration across its hospitals with multidisciplinary, disease-focused institutes, especially in heart and vascular, cancer and neuroscience. She expanded digital and virtual care and deepened investment in breakthrough research, including gene and cell therapies, supported by $2.9 billion in annual research and academic funding. She championed innovation, fueling the creation of over 300 health companies revolutionizing diagnostics, therapeutics and medical technology. She drives bold investments in AI to improve outcomes, reduce caregiver burden, enhance medical education and accelerate discovery from bench to bedside. A strong advocate for equity, Dr. Klibanski launched “United Against Racism,” a multiyear systemwide initiative to address health disparities and promote inclusion. An internationally recognized neuroendocrinologist, Dr. Klibanski previously served as Mass General Brigham’s chief academic officer and chief of neuroendocrine at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Michael Kupferman, MD. CEO of Penn State Health (Hershey, Pa.). Dr. Kupferman became CEO of Penn State Health in June 2025, leading the $4.2 billion integrated academic health system. He oversees access to high-quality, expert-driven care while fostering a culture of safety, innovation and collaboration with Penn State College of Medicine. Dr. Kupferman is a fellowship-trained head and neck cancer surgeon who previously served as senior vice president of clinical and academic network development at Houston-based The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he advanced oncology programs across domestic and international partnerships. He later served as president of the Banner University medicine division and senior vice president of the physician enterprise at Phoenix-based Banner Health, overseeing academic medicine, hospital operations, service line strategy and network performance. At Penn State Health, Dr. Kupferman is focused on strengthening integration with Penn State College of Medicine and expanding access to care across counties. In addition to his executive responsibilities, he continues to care for patients with head and neck cancers and teach medical students, residents and fellows.
Stephen Leffler, MD. CEO of University of Vermont Health (Burlington, Vt.). Dr. Leffler was named CEO of University of Vermont Health in January 2026, after serving as interim CEO since October 2025 and leading the system through early phases of a strategic realignment. Dr. Leffler has spent 30 years at UVM Health and University of Vermont Medical Center, holding roles including chief population health and quality officer for the health system and president and COO of the medical center, and he will continue to serve as the medical center’s president. During his interim leadership, he focused on stabilization efforts and worked to restore operational decision-making closer to the point of care. UVM Health comprises an academic medical center, two community hospitals, three critical access hospitals, a children’s hospital, a cancer center, a multispecialty medical group, 154 outpatient sites and four skilled nursing facilities.
Chad Lefteris. President and CEO of UCI Health (Orange, Calif.). Mr. Lefteris leads UCI Health, one of California’s largest academic health systems and the only one in Orange County, Calif. The system has grown from a single hospital to seven facilities across two counties since he took the helm in 2020. The 1,461-bed system includes UCI Health—Orange, UCI Health—Irvine, four community hospitals and an affiliated physician network, as well as the UCI Health—Irvine Rehabilitation Hospital that opened in July 2026. In December 2025, UCI Health—Irvine became the nation’s first all-electric acute care hospital, on track for LEED Platinum certification as part of the system’s broader sustainability commitments. Mr. Lefteris also oversees UCI Health Ventures, which invests in healthcare innovation and digital health, and he serves as California’s state delegate to the American Hospital Association’s Regional Policy Board 9. Under his leadership, UCI Health—Orange, the system’s flagship, has received the “Beacon Award for Excellence” from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses for numerous nursing units, an “A” grade in Leapfrog’s twice-yearly hospital safety grade, and recognition from Vizient as one of the nation’s top 10 academic medical centers for high-quality care. In 2025, the Orange County Register named Mr. Lefteris one of the most influential people in Orange County.
Marlon F. Levy, MD. CEO of VCU Health System (Richmond, Va.). Dr. Levy became CEO of VCU Health System in November 2024. Under his leadership, the health system stabilized after the challenges of the pandemic and achieved strong financial recovery, including bond rating upgrades from Moody’s and S&P. He has overseen record inpatient and outpatient volumes by expanding access and driving health system growth. Dr. Levy has prioritized workforce wellness and campus safety through employee engagement and safety initiatives. He also guided the launch of a new brand designed to reflect the people, mission and outcomes that distinguish VCU Health from other systems.
David C. Linehan, MD. CEO of University of Rochester (N.Y.) Medical Center. Dr. Linehan has served as CEO of University of Rochester Medical Center since February 2024, also holding roles as senior vice president for health sciences and dean of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He oversees University of Rochester Medicine, a $7 billion academic health system and the largest employer in the Rochester metropolitan area, encompassing eight hospitals with 1,689 licensed beds anchored by Strong Memorial Hospital, the region’s only level 1 trauma center for adult and pediatric care and only academic medical center. Before becoming CEO, Dr. Linehan spent 10 years as chair of the medical center’s department of surgery and 15 years on the faculty at Washington University in St. Louis, the last eight of which were spent as chief of hepatobiliary, pancreatic and gastrointestinal surgery. He is internationally known for his research on immunotherapy treatments for pancreatic cancer. In his first few years as CEO, Dr. Linehan has overseen the medical school’s eight-year re-accreditation, Strong Memorial Hospital’s fifth consecutive Magnet designation for nursing excellence, and the Wilmot Cancer Institute’s designation as the nation’s 73rd National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center. He has also led a nursing recruitment and retention push that raised registered nurse retention to 91% in 2025 from 76% in 2023, cutting temporary labor costs by millions of dollars each month. In addition, the system’s research and education investments have more than doubled over the past five years. In 2025, as Strong Memorial Hospital and the schools of medicine, dentistry and nursing marked their centennial years, Dr. Linehan launched a strategic vision aimed at making University of Rochester Medicine an internationally renowned academic medical center by 2035. He has also recruited new chairs for the departments of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine, microbiology and immunology, and surgery, along with the health system’s first chief clinical officer.
David Lubarsky, MD. President and CEO at Westchester Medical Center Health Network (Valhalla, N.Y.). Dr. Lubarsky oversees WMCHealth’s nine-hospital network, including 1,700 inpatient beds, 12,000 employees, the region’s only academic medical center and children’s hospital, various community hospitals, specialized institutes and centers, outpatient care, one of the largest mental health systems in the state, and more. He joined the system in 2025 and has prioritized expanding access, strengthening clinical leadership and integrating AI-driven care. Previously, he served as CEO of Sacramento, Calif.-based UC Davis Health, where he oversaw a $5 billion enterprise, grew revenue by 75% and tripled capital projects to $8 billion. He also launched a digital health equity program to better serve vulnerable populations. His early impact at WMCHealth includes reorganizing senior leadership and creating a chief clinical officer role to unify operations. Dr. Lubarsky was recognized as Press Ganey’s “CEO of the Year” in 2022 and as Sacramento Business Journal‘s “Most Admired CEO” for 2021.
Kevin B. Mahoney. CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System (Philadelphia). Mr. Mahoney leads the University of Pennsylvania Health System, the clinical pillar of Penn Medicine, alongside the Perelman School of Medicine, overseeing seven hospitals, 13 multispecialty centers and hundreds of outpatient facilities across Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey. He joined Penn Medicine in 1996 and held leadership posts across the enterprise for nearly three decades before being named CEO in 2019. He oversaw the creation of the $1.6 billion Clifton Center for Medical Breakthroughs, a 1.5-million-square-foot, 17-story hospital with 47 operating rooms and 504 private patient rooms that opened in 2021 as the largest capital project in the University of Pennsylvania’s history. Mr. Mahoney has also led a yearslong effort to connect the system’s hospitals, clinics and home care programs under one shared EHR platform, and has developed a care model spanning hospitals, multispecialty centers, home care and telehealth aimed at reducing hospitalizations and shortening inpatient stays. Under his leadership, Penn Medicine has added Doylestown (Pa.) Health to the health system and is advancing several major capital projects, including the $270 million Montgomery Township, Pa.-based Penn Medicine Montgomeryville outpatient center opening in 2027, the $224 million Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia, and more than $400 million in new cancer and imaging facilities at Plainsboro, N.J.-based Penn Medicine Princeton Health. In June 2025, he helped launch the Lurie Autism Institute in Philadelphia, funded by a $50 million gift from the Lurie family to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine to advance autism research, clinical trials and training. Mr. Mahoney has also invested more than $28 million in workplace safety measures for staff, including weapons detection systems and de-escalation training, and is working with legislators to advance the SAVE Healthcare Workers Act, which would extend federal assault protections to health care workers.
Patty Maysent. CEO of UC San Diego Health. Ms. Maysent is CEO of UC San Diego Health, which is the only academic health system in the region. The 1,101-bed academic health system includes Hillcrest Medical Center, Jacobs Medical Center, East Campus Medical Center, Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, Moores Cancer Center, Shiley Eye Institute, Koman Family Outpatient Pavilion, McGrath Outpatient Pavilion, and Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute, as well as primary care and same day services at clinics throughout Southern California. As CEO, she is responsible for managing billions in annual operating revenue and overseeing tens of thousands of team members. She is supervising the health system’s multifaceted, multibillion dollar growth and expansion plan.
Peter McCanna. CEO at Baylor Scott & White Health (Dallas). As CEO of Texas’ largest nonprofit health system, Baylor Scott & White Health, Mr. McCanna is building a customer-centric, digitally enabled model of care that is continuous, convenient and personalized. The system includes 55 hospitals, more than 1,300 access points, over 59,000 employees, a research institute, a health plan and an accountable care organization, and a systemwide $17.3 billion in total revenue in fiscal year 2025. In addition, the system sees over 13.5 million patient encounters annually. Under Mr. McCanna’s leadership, the system has launched digital and clinical solutions that positively impact millions of customer interactions. Among these solutions is the award-winning “Help Me Decide” tool, a digital triage feature within the system’s care platform that guides customers to the right site of care and reduces unnecessary emergency visits among users by 80%. Before becoming CEO in 2022, Mr. McCanna served as the system’s president. Before that, he served as CFO and then COO at Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine from 2002 to 2017. Mr. McCanna now serves as the founding board chair of Longitude Health, an organization aiming to revolutionize how health systems operate. He is also a board member of Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan Health and the Texas Hospital Association.
Cliff A. Megerian, MD. CEO of University Hospitals (Cleveland). Dr. Megerian leads University Hospitals, a $7 billion academic health system with more than 32,000 employees, 21 hospitals and more than 200 physician offices across 16 counties in northeast Ohio. University Hospitals serves as the main teaching hospital for the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He has positioned the system as a national model for the deployment of AI in care delivery, including AI-powered ambient documentation, predictive analytics that enable earlier intervention for conditions such as sepsis, and a partnership with Hippocratic AI to scale voice-based patient engagement. Dr. Megerian also expanded UH’s partnership with Northeast Ohio Medical University to create the Center for Artificial Intelligence & Digital Experience, which develops human-centered AI solutions across care settings. Under his watch, the Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals achieved the first positive phase 3 clinical trial for a Harrington-developed heart attack therapy and identified the first drug shown to reverse Alzheimer’s disease in a mouse model. He has also led a cultural shift toward a “hospitality” mindset that helped UH become one of Forbes‘ top 25 “Dream Employers,” with engagement climbing to 84% and turnover declining to 16% overall. Beyond his executive role, Dr. Megerian continues to see patients, teach and write medical textbooks, including a second edition of Surgery of the Cerebellopontine Angle, and has published more than 130 peer-reviewed manuscripts.
Tom Mihaljevic, MD. President and CEO of Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Mihaljevic has led Cleveland Clinic since January 2018, directing a $13 billion globally integrated healthcare system encompassing a main campus, 22 hospitals, and 275 outpatient locations across the United States and internationally. Along with 76,700 caregivers worldwide, including 5,700 physicians and scientists, he aims to make Cleveland Clinic the best place for care anywhere and the best place to work in healthcare, treating patients and caregivers like family and Cleveland Clinic as home. Prior to becoming CEO, Dr. Mihaljevic served as CEO of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi from 2015 to 2017, overseeing the opening of the first U.S. multispecialty hospital replicated outside of North America and establishing its reputation for clinical excellence, patient experience, research and education. He first joined Cleveland Clinic in 2004 after serving as director of the Cardiac Surgery Research Laboratory at Boston-based Brigham and Women’s Hospital and as assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School. He is the author or co-author of more than 140 peer-reviewed publications, holds a patent for a novel system for minimally invasive cardiac surgery, and is the inaugural holder of the Morton L. Mandel CEO Chair, an endowment created by a 2022 gift from the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation. He is also a distinguished cardiac surgeon who has performed nearly 3,000 operations, with specialization in minimally invasive and robot-assisted procedures, valve replacement and repair, and cardiac transplantation. Dr. Mihaljevic serves on the GE HealthCare board of directors, co-chairs the board of directors of the US-UAE Business Council, and serves on the boards of the Greater Cleveland Partnership and the United Way of Greater Cleveland.
David C. Miller, MD. CEO of Michigan Medicine and Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). Dr. Miller leads Michigan Medicine as CEO and executive vice president for medical affairs, advancing clinical care, research, education and community engagement. He previously served as executive vice dean for clinical affairs at the University of Michigan Medical School and president of U-M Health, overseeing strategy, operations and performance for a clinical enterprise with nearly 20,000 employees. Under his leadership, Michigan Medicine has consistently been ranked among the nation’s best hospitals in more specialties than any other hospital in the state by U.S. News & World Report. Dr. Miller has been instrumental in improving quality, safety and patient experience while expanding access to care across Michigan through strategic partnerships. He also spearheaded Michigan Medicine’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, guiding the system through an unprecedented public health crisis. Dr. Miller has been named the next president and CEO of Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt Health and dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, a role he will take on in January 2027.
Redonda Miller, MD. President of The Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore). Dr. Miller leads The Johns Hopkins Hospital, a 1,100-bed academic medical center with 11,000 employees and $3.5 billion in operating revenue, advancing a dual mission of innovation and community care since her appointment as president in 2016. Under her leadership, The Johns Hopkins Hospital has been consistently recognized for clinical excellence, maintaining its ranking among the top hospitals in the nation on the U.S. News & World Report honor roll, earning its fifth consecutive Magnet designation for nursing excellence, and receiving gold certification for person-centered care from Planetree International in both 2019 and 2024, making it the largest academic medical center in the world to be certified by the organization. Her connection to Johns Hopkins spans decades, having first arrived as a medical student in 1988. She served in progressive administrative roles, including vice chair of clinical operations for the department of medicine and senior vice president of medical affairs for the Johns Hopkins Health System, before assuming the presidency. A practicing internist and associate professor in the department of medicine since 2006, Dr. Miller continues to see patients, ensuring her firsthand clinical experience informs decisions that support both exceptional patient care and the wellbeing of providers and staff. She is actively engaged in the Baltimore community, serving on the boards of Turnaround Tuesday and Living Classrooms. In 2020, she was inducted into both the National Academy of Medicine and the Maryland Chamber of Commerce Business Hall of Fame.
Michele Morrison, RN. President and Chief Hospital Executive of Hackensack Meridian JFK University Medical Center (Edison, N.J.). Ms. Morrison has served as president and chief hospital executive of JFK University Medical Center since February 2025, after serving in the same role at Stafford Township, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Southern Ocean Medical Center. The 498-bed medical center, affiliated with the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, has more than 1,000 affiliated physicians and offers specialized neurosurgery and thoracic surgery, robotic general surgery, cardiac care, maternity and pediatrics, oncology, and advanced diagnostic and interventional radiology. Under her leadership, the medical center opened a $14 million cancer center and embarked on the first phase of a $95 million master facility plan that includes a new surgery center, wound care center and parking garage. At the hospital, Ms. Morrison led a $31.4 million surgery expansion, advanced the hospital’s cardiac catheterization license three times in two years and rebuilt its orthopedic program. A registered nurse by training, she renewed her basic life support certification in response to Covid-19 to remain able to transport patients and deliver care directly. The academic medical center has earned Joint Commission certification in health care equity, sustainable healthcare, wound care and sepsis, along with Magnet designation for nursing excellence.
Stephen Motew, MD. President and System CEO of UF Health (Gainesville, Fla.). Dr. Motew became president and system CEO of UF Health in April 2024. His role entails leading the integrated patient care system, supporting community engagement, and furthering innovation and technology. In addition, he aims to create an integrated model that blends operating and financial oversight, pursues systemwide goals, and elevates transparency via an updated clinical system corporate structure. Prior to taking on his current role, Dr. Motew was executive vice president and chief of clinical enterprise at Falls Church, Va.-based Inova Health System.
Dennis Murphy. President and CEO of IU Health (Indianapolis). Mr. Murphy is president and CEO of IU Health, the largest integrated healthcare system in Indiana and one of the largest in the country with more than 16 hospitals across the state. Mr. Murphy joined IU Health in 2013 as COO and was named CEO in 2016. Under his leadership, IU Health has launched high-quality destination health programs, created community health initiatives to combat underlying impediments to health, and executed a care affordability strategy to control the cost of care. Mr. Murphy has spent his career at academic health centers, with previous leadership positions at Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine, University of Chicago Medicine and Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Gregory A. Nielsen. CEO of East Jefferson General Hospital (Metairie, La.). Mr. Nielsen serves as CEO of East Jefferson General Hospital and Lakeside Hospital, part of New Orleans-based LCMC Health. He joined LCMC Health in 2021 as COO before being named CEO of East Jefferson, and he led the hospital’s integration into LCMC Health as well as the 2024 move and integration of Tulane Medical Center into East Jefferson General Hospital. Before joining LCMC Health, Mr. Nielsen served as a division president for Regional Care Hospital Partners, now part of Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Health, and held CEO roles at several hospitals including North Platte, Neb.-based Great Plains Health and Miles City, Mont.-based Holy Rosary Healthcare. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and has built a long career as a senior healthcare executive across both the nonprofit and investor-owned sectors. Mr. Nielsen led East Jefferson General Hospital’s transition into an academic center of excellence in partnership with Tulane University, making the hospital the clinical home for the Tulane School of Medicine while expanding specialty services and advanced academic medicine with the help of a $216 million investment made by LCMC Health.
Christopher O’Connor. CEO of Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health. Mr. O’Connor leads Yale New Haven Health System, an academic health system affiliated with Yale School of Medicine that includes five hospitals across seven campuses, employs more than 31,000 people and 8,000 medical staff, and operates with $7 billion in annual revenue. A central focus of his tenure has been forming a closer, more collaborative relationship with Yale School of Medicine to bring its research and clinical trial expertise to the health system’s community hospitals. Yale New Haven Hospital serves as the primary teaching hospital for medical students and residents. Under his leadership, Yale New Haven Health expanded access to urgent care through its acquisition of Brookfield, Conn.-based PhysicianOne, extending services across the state for easier access to care closer to home. Mr. O’Connor has also prioritized investment in the system’s workforce, focusing on employee wellbeing and career development to strengthen recruitment and retention and reduce reliance on temporary staffing. Yale New Haven Health has been ranked the seventh-best health system in the U.S. by Castle Connolly for 2026, and the top-ranked system in Connecticut, and Yale New Haven Hospital has been named as the top hospital in the state by U.S. News & World Report for 2026-27. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and previously served as chair of the Connecticut Hospital Association.
Pete November. CEO at Ochsner Health (New Orleans). Mr. November leads Ochsner Health, Louisiana’s largest nonprofit academic health system and the state’s largest private employer. The system boasts 47 hospitals, over 370 health and urgent care centers, more than 40,000 team members, and 4,900 employed and affiliated physicians. The system cares for more than 1.6 million people, who hail from every state and 63 countries. Since his appointment in 2022, Mr. November guided system growth and partnerships across the Gulf South, expanding access to high-quality care and advancing the system’s mission to serve, heal, lead, educate and innovate. With over a decade of executive roles, most recently as executive vice president and CFO, he has driven nationally recognized innovations in telehealth, digital medicine and data-driven care. Among his achievements is the creation of the Ochsner LSU Health System of North Louisiana, a groundbreaking partnership that is strengthening regional health services, workforce development and community investment. Ochsner Health is also partnering with Xavier University of Louisiana to create Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine, and building the Gayle and Tom Benson Ochsner Children’s Hospital, which is set to open its doors in early 2028. Ochsner Health is also expanding access to neurology and neurosurgery by building the Debra H. and Robert J. Patrick Neuroscience Institute, opening at the end of 2026. A respected voice in healthcare innovation and community leadership, Mr. November serves on the boards of the National World War II Museum, New Orleans Business Council and Committee of 100. He is also an adjunct professor at Loyola University College of Business.
Philip Ozuah, MD. President and CEO of Montefiore Einstein (Bronx, N.Y.). Dr. Ozuah serves as president and CEO of Montefiore, a leading academic health system and research institution. Under his leadership, Montefiore has expanded access to care for underserved communities, improved operational performance and secured a transformative $1 billion gift to ensure tuition-free education at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Ozuah oversees over 40,000 employees across 13 hospitals and has significantly advanced medical research and education, contributing to more than $200 million in annual National Institutes of Health research awards. His commitment to health equity and innovation has earned Montefiore recognition as one of the nation’s best hospitals from U.S. News & World Report.
Bob Page. President and CEO of The University of Kansas Health System (Kansas City). Mr. Page was appointed president and CEO of The University of Kansas Health System in 2007. Under his leadership, the organization has grown from a single hospital to the second largest employer in the Kansas City metro. Prior to serving as president and CEO, Mr. Page was president and CEO of The University of Kansas Hospital. In addition to his current role, he is a member of the Kansas City Civic Board.
Cristy Page, MD. CEO of UNC Health and Dean of the UNC School of Medicine (Chapel Hill, N.C.). Dr. Page leads academic health system UNC Health, a statewide network of 20 hospital campuses and 900 clinics with more than 56,000 team members working to improve the health and wellbeing of North Carolinians. The system is anchored by its flagship academic medical center, the UNC Medical Center. She also serves as dean of the UNC School of Medicine, whose more than 2,000 faculty include two Nobel laureates and which generates more than $600 million in research funding annually while graduating more than 200 new physicians each year. Dr. Page has helped expand the clinical, research and educational footprint of both organizations, including a partnership with Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health in the Wilmington, N.C., region that has expanded educational opportunities and pediatric specialty care access. As founder of the Rural Graduate Medical Education and Teaching Health Centers consortium, she has worked to expand rural residency programs and inform health workforce policy nationally. She also serves as vice chancellor for medical affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Boris C. Pasche, MD, PhD. President and CEO at Karmanos Cancer Institute (Detroit). Dr. Pasche directs Michigan’s largest cancer provider and research network, setting strategy across clinical growth, scientific direction, community engagement and faculty recruitment in partnership with the Wayne State University School of Medicine, where he chairs the oncology department. He has advanced a statewide expansion that includes a 50,000-square-foot, $48 million build-out, new medical oncology clinics, a multispecialty site in partnership with Grand Blanc, Mich.-based McLaren Health Care, and a partnership with Michigan State University to open a new state-of-the-art cancer center in Lansing, Mich. He has recruited 10 physicians and 12 researchers, and is planning a $200 million academic and research tower with Wayne State University to accelerate discovery and education. A physician-scientist and co-inventor of the TheraBionic P1 device, an FDA-approved, noninvasive therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, Dr. Pasche led Karmanos to become the first site worldwide to offer the treatment in November 2024. He has prior leadership experience at Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and founded the cancer genetics program at Northwestern University.
Tom Patrias. CEO of University Medical Center New Orleans. Mr. Patrias serves as CEO of University Medical Center in New Orleans, part of New Orleans-based LCMC Health. He previously served as the hospital’s COO, where he improved operational performance, grew service lines and secured capital investments. He has prioritized safety through the “UMC Safe” program and strengthened academic partnerships with LSU Health and Tulane School of Medicine. The hospital serves as the primary academic medical center for LCMC Health and the largest training center for healthcare professionals in Louisiana, teaching thousands of medical, dentistry, nursing and allied health students annually. Before joining UMC, Mr. Patrias served as CEO of New Orleans-based Tulane Medical Center and Metaire, La.-based Lakeside Hospital beginning in 2021, a tenure during which Tulane Medical Center was named a “Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospital” by IBM Watson Health, a “World’s Best Hospital” by Newsweek, and a “high-performing” hospital by U.S. News & World Report for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure treatment. Earlier in his career, he led Bayfront Health Spring Hill (Fla.) and held leadership positions at Community Health Systems in Georgia and Florida.
Peter WT Pisters, MD. President at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston). Dr. Pisters has led remarkable progress in advancing The University of Texas MD Anderson’s mission to end cancer, positioning the institution to shape the future of cancer care through exceptional research, innovative therapies, and transformative use of data science to accelerate breakthroughs. As part of The University of Texas System, the cancer center melds specialized patient care with scientific research and professional education. Dr. Pisters spearheaded the institution’s largest-ever philanthropic campaign, “Only Possible Here, The Campaign to End Cancer,” which has raised $2.06 billion toward a $2.5 billion goal. He led the launch of Kinder Children’s Cancer Center, a joint venture of UT MD Anderson and Texas Children’s Hospital, all located in Houston, with a singular mission to end childhood cancer. He also directed the opening of a new colorectal center designed to deliver patient-centered subspecialty care in response to changing needs and demographics. Under his leadership, the institution continues to achieve results like maintaining a 5-star Vizient rating for five years in a row, caring for 197,000 patients, reaching $7.8 billion in annual revenue, and operating the world’s largest cancer clinical trials program. 70% of cancer drugs approved by the FDA in fiscal year 2025 were tested at UT MD Anderson.
Daniel Podolsky, MD. President of UT Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas). Dr. Podolsky became president of UT Southwestern Medical Center in September 2008. He also holds the Philip O’Bryan Montgomery Jr., MD, Distinguished Presidential Chair in Academic Administration and the Doris and Bryan Wildenthal Distinguished Chair in Medical Science. Dr. Podolsky is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and former president of the American Gastroenterological Association. Before joining UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dr. Podolsky held various positions at Harvard Medical School and Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital.
Daniel Post. CEO of Banner–University Medical Center Phoenix. In his role for Banner Health’s flagship institution, Mr. Post leads Banner–University Medical Center Phoenix center to financial sustainability by improving efficiency and operations. He launched the advanced heart failure and transplant program, which became Arizona’s largest in just two years. The medical center also boasts the largest number of artificial heart implants in the world. Mr. Post also expanded access to destination clinical programs through several large-scale ambulatory care centers in the community. Mr. Post brings over 30 years of healthcare experience in hospital operations, ambulatory and physician leadership, as well as system strategy and network development. Prior to joining Banner Health in 2020, he was the regional executive vice president for Loyola University Health System in Chicago. Banner–University Medical Center Phoenix is Arizona’s largest hospital, serving as a premier regional referral center for tertiary and quaternary care across the Southwest. The hospital provides training for 500 residents and fellows across 50 programs, recently expanding graduate medical education by 250 slots to address critical healthcare workforce needs. The hospital also operates Arizona’s busiest birthing center with 7,000 annual deliveries, is home to the state’s largest neonatal ICU, and was designated as the state’s first level 4 perinatal center. With 36,000 annual admissions, 19,000 surgical procedures and 83,000 emergency department visits, the hospital recently opened a state-of-the-art neurocritical care unit featuring Arizona’s most advanced monitoring technology. Banner–University Medical Center Phoenix achieved its fifth Magnet redesignation for nursing excellence in 2025 and ranks in the top three Arizona hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for 2026-27.
Justin Precourt, RN, DNP. President at UMass Memorial Medical Center (Worcester, Mass.). Mr. Precourt leads Central Massachusetts’ largest academic medical center, guiding strategy, operations and quality. After serving as interim president in 2023, he was named president in 2024 and swiftly expanded inpatient capacity by transforming a former rehabilitation center into a 78,000-square-foot acute care facility with 72 private rooms and state-of-the-art technology. He has tackled regional bed shortages by scaling alternate care locations, opening surge areas, optimizing step-down and discharge workflows, and growing a hospital-at-home program that now includes postpartum care. Mr. Precourt redesigned emergency department triage and staffing to handle roughly 20% more monthly volume and reduce patients leaving without treatment. He also created a caregiver wellbeing specialist role to support frontline teams. Under his leadership, UMass Memorial Medical Center earned its first-ever CMS 4-star designation, supported by new safety dashboards, sepsis and medication safety initiatives, and suicide risk mitigation. He chairs the 2025 Central Massachusetts Heart and Stroke Ball and previously served as CNO and chief nurse executive within the UMass Memorial Health system.
Dennis Pullin. President and CEO of Virtua Health (Marlton, N.J.). Mr. Pullin leads Virtua Health, implementing cutting-edge clinical innovation, community health equity initiatives and workforce culture improvements. Under his leadership, the system has launched AI-enabled virtual care across its hospitals, featuring two-way patient room cameras and remote monitoring sensors. The system also expanded its “Eat Well” food access program with a new mobile grocery store and mobile “food farmacy,” introduced a second pediatric mobile services vehicle, and opened Oliver Station, an innovative community integrating affordable senior housing with an on-site primary care practice. Mr. Pullin has also cochaired a four-year, $5 million collaboration with Camden, N.J.-based Cooper University Health Care and the United Way of Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey to fight poverty, and is overseeing a six-story pavilion expansion at Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital set to open in late 2027 in Camden. In 2025, Mr. Pullin published Suited for Leadership, a 24-chapter book that topped Amazon’s “Hot New Releases” lists in the leadership development and workplace culture categories, drawing on stories from his career to examine the essential traits of effective leadership. He serves on the boards of Hillenbrand, Inc. and DaVita, Inc., is a fellow and past regent of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He has held board roles with the American Hospital Association, the New Jersey Hospital Association, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Economic and Community Advisory Council.
Imran Qadeer, MD. President of Allegheny General Hospital (Pittsburgh). Dr. Qadeer leads Allegheny General Hospital, the network’s academic flagship, largest teaching hospital and primary research facility. He joined AHN in 2009 and has served as lead chief medical officer, medical director of AGH observation services, lead physician advisor and chief quality officer for the AHN Medicine Institute. Under his leadership, the hospital has seen significant improvement in its overall quality and safety ratings in recent years.
Abhinav Rastogi. President and CEO of Temple Health (Philadelphia). Mr. Rastogi became president and CEO of Temple Health in January 2026, after more than 20 years with the health system, most recently as president and CEO of Temple University Hospital and executive vice president and COO of Temple Health. He continues to lead Temple University Hospital while serving as CEO of Temple Health. As president and CEO of Temple University Hospital and its campuses, Mr. Rastogi has guided the institution to national prominence for quality, innovation and clinical excellence, helping make it a destination of choice for complex, specialized care. Under his leadership, the Temple Lung Center became the nation’s highest-volume lung transplant program. Mr. Rastogi has delivered more than $100 million in annual impact through operational and financial improvements and played a pivotal role in the success of two hospital launches. Over his more than two-decade tenure, he has worked across nearly every part of Temple Health, helping advance patient services and clinical infrastructure and expanding the system’s capacity to reinvest in mission-driven priorities.
Austin Reeder. President at Froedtert Hospital (Milwaukee). Mr. Reeder became president of Froedtert Hospital in February 2025, leading eastern Wisconsin’s only academic medical center with 766 beds and a reputation as a premier referral resource for advanced care. He previously served as system vice president and COO for New Orleans-based Ochsner Medical Center, the Ochsner system’s flagship academic medical center. At Ochsner Health, which he joined in 2017, Mr. Reeder advanced quickly through leadership roles, including CEO of Ochsner Medical Center–St. Charles Parish Hospital in Luling, La. and vice president of hospital operations and patient throughput at Ochsner Medical Center–New Orleans. Earlier in his career, he held successive leadership positions at East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie, La., ultimately serving as vice president of service lines and operations.
Robert G. Riney. President and CEO of Henry Ford Health (Detroit). Mr. Riney has served Henry Ford Health, one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, for over 45 years. He joined the system in 1978 and has since worked in nearly every business unit across the organization. He became CEO in 2022 after serving as president of healthcare operations and COO from 2017-22, COO from 2003-17, senior vice president and chief administrative officer from 2002-03 and senior vice president and CHRO from 2000-02. He currently holds various board and community roles in Detroit as well.
Michael Roussos. Senior Vice President, President of Academic Hospitals and CEO of the Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center (Houston). Mr. Roussos oversees Memorial Hermann’s academic hospitals, including Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and TIRR Memorial Hermann. Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center serves as Memorial Hermann’s primary teaching hospital in partnership with UTHealth Houston and McGovern Medical School, supporting clinical care, medical education, research and workforce development. In 2025, Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center ranked No. 7 nationally among comprehensive academic medical centers in Vizient’s “Quality and Accountability Rankings” and marked the campus’s 100th anniversary. Mr. Roussos is helping advance a roughly $550 million expansion of TIRR Memorial Hermann’s rehabilitation capacity, about 36% of whose patients transition from Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center’s trauma, stroke and neuroscience services, along with a $270 million expansion adding capacity for neurosciences, oncology, transplant and pediatric heart services. Under his leadership, the campus has maintained turnover rates below many industry benchmarks while advancing workforce safety programs, including expanded behavioral health response coverage. Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center has earned recognition through U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” rankings, Vizient “Top 10” recognition and Magnet designation, and TIRR Memorial Hermann was ranked the No. 4 rehabilitation hospital in the nation and No. 1 in Texas for 2026-2027 by U.S. News & World Report.
Marty Sargeant. CEO of Keck Medical Center of USC (Los Angeles). Mr. Sargeant was named CEO of Keck Medical Center of USC, which includes Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital, after serving as interim CEO. He provides executive leadership for both hospitals while maintaining close relationships with department chairs, faculty, staff and leadership. He prioritizes engaging directly with frontline caregivers and maintains a constant presence at the medical center, which has more than 3,500 care providers and 230 leaders delivering care in a high case index environment. He brings more than 20 years of healthcare leadership experience, including a prior role as the medical center’s COO, where he oversaw quality of care, clinical operations, customer satisfaction, financial stewardship, physician relations and business growth. Before joining Keck Medicine, Mr. Sargeant served as COO for Duarte, Calif.-based City of Hope, leading operations for its medical center, 22 community practice sites, research operations and enterprise support services. He also spent 17 years in various roles at the Cleveland Clinic. Under his leadership, Keck Medical Center of USC ranks as a top 10 hospital in California in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-27 “Best Hospitals” rankings, and Keck Hospital of USC earned a 5-star CMS quality star rating for the third consecutive year in 2026. He has also championed a mid-management leadership training program based on Brené Brown’s “Daring Leadership” work, which has trained more than 50 C-suite and senior leaders and significantly lowered nursing and leadership turnover, work he presented at the 2025 American College of Healthcare Executives Congress on Healthcare Leadership.
Cory D. Shaw. President and CEO of UC Health (Cincinnati). Mr. Shaw has served as president and CEO of UC Health, the only adult academic health system in the greater Cincinnati tri-state region, since January 2023. The system is anchored by the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, which serves as the region’s premier academic medical center and is tied to the UC College of Medicine. He leads a system with three inpatient campuses, more than 70 outpatient locations, 11,500 employees and $2.9 billion in revenue, serving more than 425,000 patients from all 50 states each year and totaling nearly 1 million outpatient visits. Under his leadership, UC Health delivered the largest capital investment in its history, a $221 million project that included the new University of Cincinnati Medical Center emergency department, and the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center’s Blood Cancer Healing Center opened in the summer of 2024. In March 2026, UC Health and the U.S. Air Force opened an expanded, 30,000-square-foot center for sustainment of trauma and readiness skills simulation center, and the system also opened a new emergency preparedness and response center in 2024. The University of Cincinnati Gardner Neurosciences Institute has served as the National Coordinating Center for the National Institutes of Health’s StrokeNet for over a decade consecutively, and UC Health and its affiliates reached a record $740 million in total research expenditures in 2024, including $40 million in industry-sponsored clinical trials. Mr. Shaw previously spent nearly 30 years at Omaha-based Nebraska Medicine, most recently as executive vice president and COO.
Peter L. Slavin, MD. President and CEO of Cedars-Sinai (Los Angeles). Dr. Slavin serves as president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai, bringing decades of leadership in academic medicine and a deep commitment to advancing patient care and community health. He previously spent 18 years as president of Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital, the nation’s largest hospital-based research enterprise, where he oversaw growth in clinical care, research funding and workforce development. Under his leadership, Mass General earned the American Hospital Association’s inaugural “Equity of Care Award” in 2014 for its pioneering work in advancing health equity. Dr. Slavin has also been a prominent national voice for academic medicine, serving as chair of the Association of American Medical Colleges board. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, reflecting his influence on policy, education and health innovation.
Johnese Spisso. President of UCLA Health and CEO of UCLA Hospital System (Los Angeles). Ms. Spisso has led UCLA Health since 2016, overseeing all aspects of the academic health system, which includes five hospitals and nearly 300 primary and specialty care clinics throughout Southern California. Under her leadership, UCLA Health has expanded access to care, including the addition of its fifth hospital, West Hills, Calif.-based UCLA West Valley Medical Center, and the 2022 launch of the UCLA Health Homeless Healthcare Collaborative mobile clinic program. She has also directed a significant investment in mental and behavioral health care, including the 2021 acquisition of a hospital being converted into the UCLA Resnick Mental Health Campus, which will expand the system’s psychiatric bed capacity by 61% and is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2026. Ms. Spisso is a proponent of UCLA Health’s “CICARE” framework, which stands for connect, introduce, communicate, ask, respond and exit, aimed at fostering a compassionate and collaborative environment for patients and staff. For 37 consecutive years, UCLA Health has earned a place on U.S. News & World Report‘s “Best Hospitals” honor roll, a distinction reserved for only 20 hospitals or systems out of nearly 5,000 evaluated, and it is ranked No. 1 in both California and Los Angeles for 2026-27. Ms. Spisso was named one of the Los Angeles Business Journal‘s “Women of Influence: Health Care” for 2026.
Robert Stone. CEO of City of Hope (Duarte, Calif.). Mr. Stone leads City of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S., which provided care to more than 168,000 patients in 2025 across California, Georgia, Illinois and Arizona through a workforce of nearly 14,000 employees, including more than 700 physicians and 1,900 scientists and researchers. An independent biomedical, treatment and academic center, City of Hope focuses on basic and clinical research in cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and other chronic, life-threatening diseases. City of Hope holds the highest possible rating from the National Cancer Institute, placing it among the top tier of the nation’s 57 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers. Mr. Stone has championed policy initiatives such as the California Cancer Care Equity Act, which expanded access to genomic testing, precision medicine and clinical trials for 15 million Medi-Cal patients, and has grown the organization’s department of supportive care medicine into one of the largest programs of its kind in the country. In the past year, he launched a national clinical trials model enabling rapid, simultaneous trial openings across multiple states and oversaw the opening of Orange County’s only cancer specialty hospital.
Debra F. Sukin, PhD. President and CEO of Texas Children’s Hospital (Houston). Dr. Sukin guides enterprise strategy for Texas Children’s, the nation’s largest freestanding pediatric hospital and a leading pediatric and women’s health system. The academic medical center, which serves as the primary pediatric teaching hospital and academic partner for the Baylor College of Medicine, sees more than 5 million patient encounters annually across four hospital locations and more than 70 pediatric and urgent care locations. In her first year as CEO, she led a $600 million operating income turnaround through tactics to expand patient access, manage expenses and drive strategic planning while prioritizing patient safety and quality. She has advanced several transformative initiatives, including the creation of the Texas Children’s Research Institute to accelerate translational research and the Texas Children’s Physician Organization to enhance care access and operational efficiency. Dr. Sukin also finalized a collaboration with the Houston-based University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to establish the Kinder Children’s Cancer Center and championed the opening of an in-hospital Ronald McDonald House at the Texas Children’s Austin (Texas) campus. Texas Children’s is ranked No. 1 in Texas by U.S. News & World Report for 2025-26 and has achieved Magnet designation for nursing excellence for the eighth consecutive time. Dr. Sukin is an active national voice on maternal and child health through leadership roles with the American Hospital Association and the Texas Hospital Association.
Mohan Suntha, MD. President and CEO of University of Maryland Medical System (Baltimore). Dr. Suntha leads the University of Maryland Medical System, the largest health system in Maryland with 11 hospitals and over 150 other care locations. He has consistently championed the tripartite academic medicine mission of patient care, research and education, ensuring that the system’s clinical scale strengthens rather than dilutes the academic enterprise. A physician by training and a tenured professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Dr. Suntha has deepened the partnership between the system and the School of Medicine to expand teaching, research and innovation opportunities across both academic and community hospitals. He has also emerged as a nationally respected advocate for value-based care, serving as a leading voice in Maryland’s unique all-payer model and a key health system partner in advancing the state’s “AHEAD Model,” working closely with state and federal leaders to align quality, equity and cost containment. He advocates for health systems acting as anchor institutions, leading significant investments across Baltimore and Maryland in workforce development, food security, economic empowerment and neighborhood revitalization. Beyond his role within the system, Dr. Suntha serves as chair of the Greater Baltimore Committee, where he brings together business, civic, academic and nonprofit leaders to advance inclusive economic growth across the region. He has been a frequent fixture on the Baltimore Business Journal‘s “Power 100” list and received the Boy Scouts of America Baltimore Area Council’s “Distinguished Citizen Award” in 2024.
Lisa Tank, MD. President and Chief Hospital Executive of Hackensack Meridian Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center. Dr. Tank leads the 803-bed Hackensack University Medical Center, Bergen County’s first hospital, founded in 1888. The academic medical center serves as a primary teaching hospital and clinical anchor closely affiliated with the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. It was the first hospital in New Jersey and the second in the nation to become Magnet-recognized for nursing excellence, a designation the hospital earned for the seventh consecutive time this year. Dr. Tank’s priorities include patient safety and quality through high reliability organization training for all leaders and team members, growth and innovation through strategic partnerships and advanced technology, and financial performance tied to net operating margin and workforce practices. Under her leadership, U.S. News & World Report ranks the hospital as the top in New Jersey for 2026-27, and it has achieved a CMS 5-star rating for a fourth consecutive year and an “A” grade from the Leapfrog Group. Total operating revenue grew 8% year-over-year through November 2025, driven in part by a shift of services to lower-cost outpatient settings and investment in technologies such as robotic microsurgery. Dr. Tank introduced a perioperative optimization program, piloted in orthopedics, designed to manage patient-specific risks before, during and after procedures. The hospital is in the final stages of geriatric surgery verification from the American College of Surgeons. The hospital was first in the nation to earn the Joint Commission’s advanced certification in perinatal care and health care equity certification.
Mason Van Houweling. CEO of University Medical Center of Southern Nevada (Las Vegas). Mr. Van Houweling has served as CEO of University Medical Center of Southern Nevada for 12 years, making him the longest-serving CEO in the hospital’s 95-year history. He leads more than 4,500 employees at Nevada’s only nonprofit level 1 trauma center, verified burn center and multi-organ transplant center. He has strengthened UMC’s role as Nevada’s premier academic medical center and the anchor partner for the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, which trains 66 medical students per class along with approximately 340 residents and fellows across 20 accredited programs, including a new diagnostic radiology residency program whose inaugural class began in July 2026. Under his leadership, the medical center became the first hospital in Nevada to introduce the da Vinci 5 robotic surgery system, which provides surgeons with force feedback during procedures, and has developed in-house employed physician groups across service lines including orthopedics, radiology, anesthesiology and emergency medicine to address physician shortages and rising contract labor costs. In January 2026, UMC became the first and only hospital in Nevada to achieve Magnet recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Mr. Van Houweling serves on the American Hospital Association’s board of trustees and the Nevada Hospital Association’s board of directors.
Shawn P. Vincent. President and CEO of Loyola Medicine (Maywood, Ill.). Mr. Vincent leads the Illinois and Indiana regions of Trinity Health, which includes Loyola Medicine and Saint Joseph Health System, comprising five hospitals with approximately 11,800 colleagues, more than 1,200 employed physicians, 1,472 licensed beds and a $2.2 billion budget. In addition, the organization trains more than 520 residents and 2,400 students, allied health professionals, paramedics and chaplains annually. He merged the Illinois and Indiana markets into one region under a unified leadership team, improving safety, quality, operational and financial performance, and orchestrated a $55 million financial turnaround of the Indiana market within 12 months. Under his leadership, the flagship academic medical center, Loyola University Medical Center, achieved its fourth Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and Berwyn, Ill.-based Loyola MacNeal Hospital earned Magnet designation with distinction, making it the sixth U.S. hospital to reach that milestone. Mr. Vincent has also overseen the $70 million comprehensive outpatient center in Tinley Park, Ill., the system’s most recent expansion. In 2025, Loyola University Medical Center earned comprehensive hypertension center recertification from the American Heart Association and was reverified as a level 1 trauma center by the American College of Surgeons. He chairs the board of trustees of the Illinois Health & Hospital Association and serves as a member of the Vizient CEO Network.
Paul S. Viviano. President and CEO of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Mr. Viviano has served as president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles since late 2015, leading an pediatric academic medical center that supports 700,000 patient care encounters and 17,000 surgeries annually. CHLA is the largest pediatric safety-net provider in California, accounting for nearly 40% of pediatric beds in Los Angeles County, where 46% of children requiring complex care come to CHLA and nearly 75% of patients are insured by Medicaid. Under his direction, CHLA became the first pediatric medical institution in California to integrate SNAP/EBT nutrition assistance into the hospital system and launched the Chuck Lorre Pediatric Health Education Institute, a first-of-its-kind program expected to train more than 12,000 health care professionals over the next two decades. CHLA has repeatedly ranked among the top 10 hospitals on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Children’s Hospitals” honor roll and among the top five children’s hospitals in the world by Newsweek. Mr. Viviano chairs the board of trustees of Loyola Marymount University and the public policy committee of the Children’s Hospital Association.
John J. Warner, MD. CEO of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (Columbus). Dr. Warner leads Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s research, education and patient care missions across a nearly $7 billion academic health system that includes six hospitals, more than 45 research institutes, a nationally ranked college of medicine, a faculty group practice, an accountable care organization and a health plan, serving patients from all 88 Ohio counties, all 50 states and 26 countries. In February, he led the opening of Ohio State’s new University Hospital, a 26-story, 820-bed facility spanning 1.9 million square feet that is the largest single-facility hospital opening in the U.S. in 2026, recruiting and onboarding more than 2,000 new health care professionals ahead of schedule to staff it. Dr. Warner also launched “Impact 2035,” the medical center’s strategic plan built around world-class care, relentless innovation, and being the best place to work and learn. In fiscal year 2025, the medical center brought in a record $256 million in philanthropic support and more than $406 million in research expenditures, including $212 million from the National Institutes of Health. He has volunteered extensively with the American Heart Association, serving as its president from 2017 to 2018 and on its national board of directors since 2014, and he received the association’s “Gold Heart Award,” its highest volunteer honor, in 2022. Under his leadership, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center has been ranked on U.S. News & World Report‘s “Best Hospitals” list for 34 consecutive years, with five specialties nationally ranked in 2026-2027.
William Wertheim, MD. Executive Vice President at Stony Brook (N.Y.) Medicine. Dr. Wertheim leads Stony Brook Medicine’s integrated academic health system, which comprises four hospitals, five health sciences schools including the Renaissance School of Medicine, more than 1,400 physicians across nearly 150 specialties, and over 200 community ambulatory locations. In his first year, he helped catalyze a 27% increase in National Institutes of Health awards to more than $61 million, fueling advances in areas such as AI–enabled cancer diagnostics, tick-borne disease mitigation and neurodegenerative disorders. He continues to practice as a primary care physician, grounding system decisions in real-world clinical experience and patient needs. Dr. Wertheim’s crisis management during the Covid-19 pandemic, including accelerating medical student graduation to bolster the workforce, earned wide praise, and has earned honors such as the “Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award” from The Arnold P. Gold Foundation. He also advances statewide and national priorities through service on boards and committees spanning the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council, the Healthcare Association of New York State, America’s Essential Hospitals and Vizient. Under his guidance, Stony Brook Medicine has earned broad recognition for equity, sustainability, cardiovascular and stroke care, and consistent top rankings by U.S. News & World Report and Healthgrades.
Albert Wright Jr., PharmD. President and CEO of West Virginia University Health System (Morgantown). As president and CEO, Dr. Wright has transformed West Virginia University Health System, moving it from a holding company of five hospitals to a fully integrated network of hospitals and clinics across a four-state region. He also significantly expanded the system’s specialty and sub-specialty care in areas such as cancer, heart and vascular, neuroscience and pediatrics. Under his leadership, the system also became West Virginia’s first and only multi-organ transplant center, and in late 2022, the system opened a 150-bed children’s hospital. Under his leadership, the system is currently West Virginia’s largest network of hospitals, clinics and specialty institutes. An academic medical center in Morgantown anchors the network. In 2023, the system launched Peak Health, its health insurance company, as the system transitioned to an integrated delivery and finance system.
At Becker's 4th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable, taking place November 2–5 in Chicago, more than 1,500 hospital and health system executives tackle decisions that determine whether organizations thrive or merely survive: protecting margins under cost pressure, choosing where to grow, renegotiating payer relationships, stabilizing the workforce and proving real ROI on technology. This is where leaders work through them together, face-to-face. Apply for complimentary registration now.
