Johnese Spisso, RN, MPA, is president of UCLA Health, CEO of the UCLA Hospital System, and associate vice chancellor of UCLA Health Sciences, roles she has held since 2016. She leads an academic health system that includes Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital and community hospitals, along with hundreds of clinics across Southern California.
Ms. Spisso brings more than 40 years of healthcare experience, beginning her career as a critical-care nurse before rising into executive leadership. She spent roughly two decades at UW Medicine and the University of Washington, ultimately serving as chief health system officer and vice president for medical affairs, and earlier worked at UC Davis Medical Center. She earned a nursing diploma, a bachelor’s degree in health sciences from Chapman University, and a master’s degree in public administration and health care administration from the University of San Francisco.
Ms. Spisso is known for advancing trauma systems, programs for homeless patients, and the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence, including UCLA Health’s launch of a center to evaluate real-world AI. She is widely respected as a nurse-leader guiding one of the nation’s premier academic health systems, known for a distinct leadership style that combines clinical roots with enterprise-scale management.