America’s Essential Hospitals has appointed Jennifer DeCubellis president and CEO, effective Sept. 22. She succeeds Bruce Siegel, MD, who has led the association since 2010. Dr. Siegel will remain through the end of the year to assist with the transition.
Ms. DeCubellis is the first woman to serve in the role, America’s Essential Hospitals confirmed to Becker’s.
She has more than 30 years of healthcare experience and most recently served as CEO of Minneapolis-based Hennepin Healthcare System, a $1.6 billion integrated health system with more than 7,000 employees. Before that, she was deputy county administrator for Hennepin County, overseeing health and human services.
“Essential hospitals are under severe pressure, facing a host of unprecedented challenges, from funding shortfalls to staffing challenges. Jennifer will be a critical voice in Washington representing the interests of our members and the communities they serve,” Thomas J. Quatroche Jr., PhD, CEO of Buffalo, N.Y.-based Erie County Medical Center and chair of the board for America’s Essential Hospitals, said in a Sept. 4 news release.
Ms. DeCubellis has worked at both the state and federal level, including time with the CMS Innovation Center, where she focused on delivery system reform and public policy development.
“I am honored to join a great team at America’s Essential Hospitals, and I will work tirelessly to advocate for positive solutions to strengthen and sustain our nation’s essential hospitals for the patients and communities they serve,” Ms. DeCubellis said. “Essential hospitals are the bedrock of the nation’s healthcare system, and they are more important than ever as we work to ensure access to high-quality care across the nation.”
