Ten health system executives made the list of the top chief information security officers of 2026 from CISO Connect, a professional organization for IT security leaders.
A group of CISOs from across industries, including healthcare, picked the 2026 CISOs Top 100 CISOs awardees based on the following criteria: minimum of five years in the CISO role, proven organizational impact and measurable achievements, contributions to the CISO community via mentorship and knowledge-sharing, and advancement of professional development, resilience and security culture.
Here are the 2026 C100 finalists, unveiled in December, from health systems (along with two who received special recognitions):
— Jeffrey Aguilar, Hoag (Newport Beach, Calif.)
— Brad Carvellas, Guthrie (Sayre, Pa.)
— Erik Decker, Intermountain Health (Salt Lake City)
— Sahan Fernando, Rady Children’s Health (San Diego and Orange, Calif.)
— Randall Frietzsche, Denver Health
— Jack Kufahl, Michigan Medicine (Ann Arbor)
— Monique Hart, Piedmont Healthcare (Atlanta): Impact Award
— Steven Ramirez, Renown Health (Reno, Nev.)
— Kim Sassaman, Universal Health Services (King of Prussia, Pa.)
— Hussein Syed, RWJBarnabas Health (West Orange, N.J.): CISO Champion Award
